Today, Sid Meier announced a brand new expansion for it’s hit turn-based strategy game, Civilization VI, called “Gathering Storm.” The upcoming add-on set to be released February 14th, 2019 on PC will be the biggest expansion Firaxis Games has ever created for a Civilization game.
As the title hints, most of the major content Gathering Storm will bring to Civilization VI is centered on the environment, particularly with regards to how technological advancements affect it. Players will now have to consider the growth of their countries with respect to their impact on the environment. In short, this expansion introduces the concept of global warming and climate change. For the first time ever, over-reliance on carbon-based resources like coal and oil can actually lead to ice caps melting and sea levels starting to rise.
Firaxis has gone all out with new environmental effects for the expansion including a variety of different storms, floods, draughts, and even the addition of volcanoes. To help combat these new environmental threats, they’ve in turn also added new 21st century technologies as well.
Along with this new environmental angle to the game, a new feature called the “World Congress” will be added that resembles the UN on steroids. Players can now earn “diplomatic favor,” a sort of currency which grants a certain level of voting power to force others to adopt their ideas. This new currency also has a relationship with the new victory condition that fans have long been clamoring for – the “Diplomatic Victory.” Players can now win by being the most favored leader in the game.
Speaking of leaders, Gathering Storm will introduce nine new leaders from eight new civilizations. The game will also feature “nine new unique units, four unique buildings, three unique improvements, two unique districts and one unique governor.”
At the moment, the latest expansion for Civilization VI is set to be released only for PCs on February 14th, 2019. Announcements regarding other versions are sure to follow soon. For more info on Gathering Storm, check out their official release page.
Featured Image Source: Steam
