Total War: Rome 2's first expansion announced: Caesar in Gaul

That Caesar, he did get up to some japes. He created political triumvirates, aggravated the stoic Cato, got up to all sorts with Cleopatra, and generally behaved like a proper scamp. On top of that was all the conquering that he did, and it's for this reason that he's the titular star of Total War: Rome 2's first campaign expansion, Caesar in Gaul.

The expansion will focus in greater detail on Gaul and south Brittania, with this smaller area balanced by a shorter timeframe. Inspired by Caesar's war diaries from the era, players will be able to play as the Gallic Arverni, the Germanic Suebi, the Belgic Nervii and Rome.

Here's the feature list:

" New campaign map: The expanded map of Gaul and southern Britannia brings 18 provinces to conquer, fully detailed with resources, settlements, capitals, and new environmental effects.
" Greater focus on characters: Play through the campaign with faction-leading avatars such as Caesar and Vercingetorix.
" 24 turns per year & seasons: A shorter campaign timespan (58-51BC) means each in-game year is split into more turns. As the calendar changes, so do the seasons, bringing seasonal gameplay effects and stunning visual alterations.
" New mid-game challenge mechanics: Caesar in Gaul replaces ROME II's civil war with different, conflict-appropriate mechanics. As barbarian players progress, they'll begin to feel the mailed fist of Rome as heavy intervention forces are sent to Gaul. Likewise, Roman players will see the tribes rebelling and forming alliances.
" Compact, focussed multiplayer campaign: With a tighter geographic scope and faction-roster, 2-player campaigns are more focussed and less time-consuming than the full ROME II campaign.
" New historical battle: Surrounded and outnumbered, take on the role of Caesar as he fights the last desperate, decisive engagement of the Gallic War: the battle of Alesia.
" New Total War: ROME II playable factions: Alongside the factions playable in Caesar in Gaul, several playable factions are also unlocked in the full ROME II campaign: the Nervii, the Boii and the Galatians.
" New units: A raft of new battlefield units is unlocked for the Boii, the Galatians, the Nervii and the Gallic tribes, plus new auxiliary and mercenary units."

Total War: Rome 2 - Caesar in Gaul is due out December 12th, for £9.99 / $14.99 / €14.99.

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.