After many fans believed that the New Frontier Pass would mark end of DLC for Civilization 6, Firaxis is back with even more through the new Leader Pass. This new pass will give players access to an assortment of alternate leaders for various civilizations in the game, and they will be released over six waves. They are supposed to release between now and March 2023, but that is subject to change. Owners of Sid Meier's Civilization 6 can grab the DLC at no extra charge while everyone else will have to spend $19.99 if they want to get in on the action.
The first wave of leaders in the Leader Pass is out right now, and they all bring with them a new set of unique abilities that will surely shake up the game a bit. The first wave is being called the Great Negotiators pack, and it includes three brand-new alternate leaders. Players can now use Abraham Lincoln, Nzinga Mbande, and Saladin to take over the world. Those three are not the only new alternate leaders that players can claim as anyone who connects their 2K Account to their Steam Account can also take Julius Caesar for a spin.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln serves as the alternate leader for the United States of America, and is actually the third alternate leader for that civilization. Lincoln's unique leader ability is very different from both versions of Teddy Roosevelt, and requires a whole new strategy. His ability is called Emancipation Proclamation, and it gives players extra loyalty from Industrial Zones as well as a free unit when an Industrial Zone is built. It also reduces loyalty for each plantation, and he is given an extra wild card slot to offset the losses from that. His inclusion makes him one of the few leaders who has appeared in every single Civilization title in some manner, and he even cropped up in the spin-off Civilization Revolution.
Nzinga Mbande
Nzinga Mbande replaces Mvemba a Nzinga as the leader of the Kongo, She offers a very different play style for the Kongo as her special ability forces players to be a bit more conservative when it comes to expanding their civilization. Her ability is called Queen of Matambe and Ndongo, and it gives cities on the same continent as the capital extra yields. It also diminishes yields within cities that are not on the home continent, thus forcing players to keep their civilization smaller. Players will want to try their hardest to maximize these yields if they want a chance at winning a Cultural Victory. This also marks her first time appearing in a Civilization game.
Saladin (Sultan)
Saladin is already in Sid Meier's Civilization 6 as the leader of Arabia, but the Leader Pass introduces a new version of the leader. This new version is called Sultan Saladin, and it offers a brand-new ability called The Victorious. This ability gives flanking and support bonuses to every combat and religious unit under his command. This gives players a reason to construct a giant army while also focusing on religion in Civilization 6 so that they can conquer the entire world.
Julius Caesar
The last new alternate leader is not including in the Leader Pass, but he is available to anyone who connects their 2K Account with their Steam Account. Julius Caesar replaces Trajan as leader of Rome, and this marks his return to the Civilization series after sitting out Civilization 5. His unique ability is called Veni, Vidi, Vici, and it rewards players who are very aggressive. The ability grants 200 gold for every city that the player conquers for the first time, and grants 100 gold for every Barbarian Outpost that the player clears out. Once Steel is researched, both rewards are increased to 500 gold. It makes war very profitable, and almost makes the Roman Empire virtually unstoppable if they want to get a Domination Victory.
The four new leaders that launched with the first wave of the Leader Pass will surely shake the game up a bit as they will force players to come up with brand-new strategies to win the day. This is only the beginning of the Civilization fun, as the second pack will bring with it even more new alternate leaders for players to enjoy. While some players are anxiously waiting for Sid Meier's Civilization 7, these new leaders are a great way to fill the void.
Sid Meier's Civilization 6 Leader Pass is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
