Civilization 7 to Introduce a Dynamic Cast of Diverse and Underrepresented Leaders

Firaxis has announced that the highly-anticipated sequel, Civilization 7, will feature a diverse and “representative” cast of leaders.

In a conversation with Ungeek, executive producer Dennis Shirk expressed that “delving deep into history” to select the most suitable leaders is “always the most thrilling aspect of [creating] the game.”

“We engage in this process during the initial year of development for the leaders and the civilization selections, with everyone having their favorites,” Shirk elaborated. “We have community input from the previous game to identify characters they wish to see return. We maintain guidelines to ensure global representation while exploring new leaders, diving deep into the past and saying, this individual is remarkable; we want to acknowledge them.”

The “highly engaged” process also leverages the knowledge of in-house historians who not only suggest “very popular” leaders but also those who are “underrepresented.”

“We keep all the 2K regional teams readily available to ensure we can consistently consult with them about who would be excellent representatives for specific areas of the world,” Shirk noted.

“Our in-house historians are making suggestions not just for Civilizations and Leaders that we believe will be highly favored, but also for those that are underrepresented and deserve recognition. Thus, it’s a broad realm of exploration. There’s extensive dialogue, a lot of back-and-forth, but it’s truly an exhilarating journey.”

Civilization 7 – the long-awaited current installment in developer Firaxis’ beloved 4X strategy series – is set to release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC on February 11, 2025.

Prospective buyers can choose from three distinct editions. Firstly, the Standard Edition is priced at £60 (£50 on Switch) and includes