Highlights
- Civilization 7 is the next installment in the Civilization franchise, with Firaxis announcing its development in February, but details about the game are still speculative.
- Richard the Lionheart, a famous English king, has been absent from past Civilization games due to the franchise's emphasis on the British Empire rather than the middle ages. However, that should change in Civ 7.
- Richard's historical rival, Saladin, and his brother, John, could also be potential leaders in Civilization 7, offering interesting gameplay mechanics and historical rivalries.
It’s almost hard to believe that it has been nearly seven years since Civilization 6 launched on PC. Since then, the game’s seen two major expansions and several smaller DLCs. However, Civ 6’s time in the spotlight may be ending, with Firaxis announcing Civilization 7 in February. Still, the next Civ game is probably a long way off, and fans can only speculate about Firaxis’s plans. Nevertheless, it’s safe to assume that certain civilizations are guaranteed to make a comeback.
England was one of the original fifteen civilizations featured in Civilization 1 and has appeared in every game since. England has had several different rulers across the six numbered games. However, the legendary English King Richard the Lionheart has long been absent from the Civilization franchise. This is a real shame, but his inclusion in Civilization 7 would let the new game depict an interesting pair of medieval rivalries.
Richard the Lionheart’s Absence from Sid Meier’s Civilization
Given Richard the Lionheart’s fame, it might be surprising that he hasn’t appeared in past Civilization games. However, it makes a bit more sense considering Civilization’s depiction of England tends to focus more on the British Empire than the middle ages. This is probably why Elizabeth I appears in all the mainline games, both Civilization Revolution games, and both Call to Power games. Meanwhile, outside special scenarios, Eleanore of Aquatine is the only medieval English ruler in Civilization.
Firaxis also seems to want to balance out the number of male and female rulers as much as possible. This is commendable but may have an interesting side effect. While history has many powerful queens, Elizabeth and Victoria are among the most famous, possibly explaining the series relatively few male English monarchs. Besides, much like Civilization’s nuke-happy version of Gandhi, Elizabeth I has more or less become a franchise staple to the point that fans would notice her absence.
Still, it is interesting how many Civ 6 Leaders have some connection to Richard the Lionheart. England and France’s Eleanore of Aquatine was Richard’s mother, while Germany’s Frederick Barbarossa famously drowned in a river while leading his army to join Richard in the Third Crusade. Most important, however, is Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria and Richard’s main Crusade antagonist.
Civilization 6: Richard vs. Saladin
Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, more commonly known as Saladin, is an interesting enough character in his own right. Hailing from a Kurdish family in modern-day Iraq, a 26-year-old Saladin distinguished himself as a military commander during an Egyptian civil war. He was appointed Vizier in 1169, and Civ 6 depicts this era of his life with Saladin’s default Vizier Persona. After taking the throne as Sultan in 1174, he went on to conquer Syria and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, decisively defeating the Crusaders at the battle of Hattin in 1187. Civ 6 represents this era with Saladin’s Sultan Persona.
Saladin’s reconquest of Jerusalem led to the Third Crusade in 1189, which is where Richard the Lionheart entered the stage. Initially, Richard was one of three Crusade Leaders alongside Fredrick Barbarossa and Philip II of France. However, by late 1191, he was the sole de facto Leader of the Crusade. The war between Richard’s Crusaders and Saladin’s forces continued for another year, but neither was ever able to defeat the other completely. However, despite being enemies, the two rulers had a fair amount of mutual respect and even continued exchanging gifts after the war ended in 1192.
Richard and Saladin are two of the most famous figures of the Crusades, and both have appeared in multiple other games. Unfortunately, the fact that Richard never appeared in a Civilization game means that players can’t simulate this historical and oddly respectful rivalry. However, Firaxis can fix this by featuring Richard and Saladin in the upcoming Civilization 7.
Civilization 7: Richard vs. Philip II
Apart from Saladin, Richard’s most famous rival was probably his brother, John, who’s best known as the arch-enemy of Robinhood. However, the two never faced off in battle, and John’s attempt at stealing the throne is a better fit for something like Crusader Kings 3 than Civilization 7. Besides, Civ usually pulls Leaders from well-regarded historical figures, not ones who suffered civil war and a loss of his kingdom’s power overseas. However, Richard had another nemesis right across the English Channel.
During Eleanor and Richard’s time, England ruled over a large part of the French mainland. Philip II was King of France and he was determined to reclaim that territory, though Philip’s exact relationship with Richard is complicated. They were allies in a civil war against Richard’s father and fought side by side against Saladin in the Third Crusade. However, contrary interests and a good bit of personal friction eventually pit the two kings against each other. For Philip’s part, this included spreading rumors about Richard, conspiring with John against Richard, and bribing the Holy Roman Emperor to have Richard kidnapped.
Richard’s Imprisonment wouldn’t last forever, though, and he eventually returned to wage war on Philip. The war was mostly an English victory, though Richard never quite got back all his territory in France. However, Philip would end up having the last laugh after Richard died. After secretly supporting a revolt in English controlled territory, he invaded and reconquered most of France.
While the potential Civilization 7 versions of Richard and Saladin would presumably emphasize their martial expertise, Philip could lean toward a more underhanded playstyle. In terms of game mechanics, slandering rivals and supporting revolts sounds a lot like putting loyalty pressure on foreign cities in Civ 6. Meanwhile, while kidnapping rivals isn’t a thing in Civilization, past games allowed the player to hire friendly civs to attack someone on their behalf. Depending on what Firaxis does with Civ 7, Philip might give players some useful bonuses when using those mechanics.
Civilization 7 is in development.