The long-running 4X strategy series Civilization is getting yet another new entry soon, with Firaxis having recently confirmed that Civilization 7 is now in full development. Right out of the gate, each Civilization game has a wealth of content to explore, from multiple nations and leaders that greatly affect gameplay, to an assortment of different victory conditions. But for the last few entries, the Civilization series has continued to add to each game long after it's hit store shelves, with DLC packs regularly adding even more nations and leaders to the game.
When Civilization 6 launched all the way back in October 2016, it contained 20 nations, and 21 separate leaders. Over the last six and a half years, those numbers have increased dramatically, with there now being dozens of leaders in Civilization 6 and more still to come in Civilization 6's Leader Pass DLC, which is still adding new content to the game. DLC has clearly become an important aspect of the franchise, and Civilization 7 has an exciting opportunity for its own expansions thanks to Firaxis' Marvel collaboration.
Civilization 7's DLC Could Dip Into the Marvel Universe
The Civilization series usually gets a hefty amount of post-launch support, but while that's certainly a great feature for fans of the game, it's not likely to draw in any new fans. For most casual Civilization players, there's already more than enough content in the base game to enjoy, and the idea of more leaders and nations doesn't necessarily appeal to those who aren't hardcore Civ fans. That's why Civilization 7 should try to think outside of the box for its own DLC.
Civilization 7's DLC has so many different potential avenues to go down. It could let players return to an otherworldly sci-fi setting, continuing the legacy of Civilization: Beyond Earth and the old Alpha Centauri game. It could take inspiration from Age of Mythology, and give players deities like Zeus and Odin to control as opposed to regular world leaders from history. Or, more interestingly, Firaxis could pull some strings and give Civilization 7's DLC a Marvel makeover.
Firaxis has just worked alongside Marvel to produce Marvel's Midnight Suns, a turn-based tactics game that puts players in the shoes of multiple heroes from across the entire line-up of Marvel heroes, and antiheroes. Though Midnight Suns hasn't performed quite as well as Take-Two Interactive was hoping, critics generally loved the game, and it's clear that Firaxis had a lot of passion and care for the Marvel license. While fans can't really speculate on the inner workings of big projects like this, the partnership between Firaxis and Marvel has presumably gone quite well, and that could pave the way for more team-ups in the future. Civilization 7 should be the next instance of that.
Marvel-themed DLC for Civilization 7 could end up being one of the most successful DLCs ever released for the Civilization franchise. Aside from a brief nod to XCOM in Civilization 5: Beyond Earth, the Civ franchise has never really crossed over with any other series before, and doing so could be the thing to draw in even more players than ever before. There's plenty of comic book inspiration for Firaxis to draw from. One new nation could be the mutant-run island of Genosha, with Magneto acting as its leader. Alternatively, Marvel-themed versions of real-life locales would also work, with their leaders being swapped out for Marvel characters, such as the United States being ruled by President Norman Osborn, or England being led by Captain Britain.
Sid Meier's Civilization 7 is currently in development.