The Dawnless Days mod for Total War: Attila has triggered a notable increase in concurrent players following its 1.0 release. This overhaul turns the strategy game into a Middle-earth experience centered on the War of the Ring. The mod's launch marks the highest player peak for Attila in nearly a decade.
Mod Overview
The Dawnless Days is a comprehensive mod for Total War: Attila, transforming the base game into a grand strategy title set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe. Available for download on Nexus Mods, it introduces a custom campaign map depicting Middle-earth, complete with playable factions aligned to the lore. Key features include points of interest drawn from Tolkien's writings, allowing players to engage in battles and strategies during the War of the Ring era.
Currently, the region of Eriador remains underdeveloped and unplayable, but the development team is actively addressing this. First uploaded in June 2020, the mod has received regular updates leading up to its stable 1.0 version.
Player Impact
According to SteamDB data, Total War: Attila reached a 24-hour concurrent player peak of 11,248 shortly after the mod's milestone release. This figure represents the largest surge since a 2016 Sega strategy bundle promotion. For context, the game's all-time high stands at 26,346 players from its initial launch period.
Development Notes
The mod team is seeking contributors, including 2D artists, 3D modelers, and animators, to expand the project. They have explicitly stated no donations will be accepted, citing potential copyright issues related to the Lord of the Rings IP. This cautious approach aims to avoid legal challenges that could halt development.
While Total War: Attila gains renewed interest through this fan-made content, Creative Assembly continues to support the broader Total War series with announcements like new lords for Total War: Warhammer 3 and upcoming titles such as Total War: Medieval 3.
