It is almost time for Civilization VII, the latest installment in Sid Meier's genre-defining strategy game. In the interest of giving us a sneak peak, 2K Games is hosting the Civ World Summit. This battle between five of the best known Civ content creators will happen February 8 at the Xperion Hamburg in Germany. The event's hosts will be Firaxis community manager Sarah Engel andCiv creator PotatoMcWhiskey.
Live tickets are available, but of course the majority of us enjoying this will do so through social media. We'll be able to watch on the Firaxis Games Twitch Channel, Civilization YouTube Channel, or Civilization Facebook page.
Twitch will have a special drop viewers can earn by watching Firaxis' channel or one of the partnered channels streaming the World Summit.
The Civilization series has been the gold standard of its genre for decades. Civ VII isn't resting on its laurels, though. Perhaps the biggest change is with its leaders. In previous installments, leaders were locked to the civ they came from in history. Now, any leader can take the helm of any civ, yielding a huge number of strategic combinations. Players will also be able to change civilizations at key points throughout the game.
Thanks to all the changes being made, Firaxis Games also wanted to offer some unique leaders. Many of the characters in play here were never their nation's official political leader, but contributed in numerous other ways. For example, America's Harriet Tubman earned her legend by freeing slaves through the Underground Railroad.
As you might imagine, Tubman's leadership bonuses reward stealth over military might. Her unique ability, Combahee Raid, grants her increased influence towards initiating espionage actions. She will also gain a set amount of support in her wars due to their righteous cause. Her units ignore any movement penalties from vegation, symbolizing her skill in helping people escape through the wooded areas of the Southern U.S.
I cannot wait to see this game in action. Civ VII releases February 11 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Steam Deck, and Xbox Series X/S.