Civilization 7 is likely not that far away, considering that there has historically been approximately five years between the release of each mainline entry into the franchise and Civilization 6 was released in 2016. The series has sold well over 50 million copies and remains one of the most in-depth and popular turn-based strategy games available. The Civilization franchise has playable civilizations and, more recently, leaders available to choose from, with each one offering different gameplay with abilities and unique units.
The original game featured fifteen just playable civilizations whereas Civilization 6 offers players the ability to choose from sixty-seven different leaders across a total of fifty different civilizations when including the expansion packs and DLC available. When Civilization 7 does eventually hit stores, it's almost a certainty that a number of new civilizations and leaders will be introduced too.
10 Italy: A Home For Great Art
There has never been an Italian civilization in the franchise, most likely because Rome has been a mainstay in every entry. There are distinct differences between the Roman Empire led by Julius Caesar and the modern Italian nation however, so there's no reason that the two couldn't both be included. Italy would most likely be centered around a culture victory, likely through the use of great artists.
An Italian civilization would most likely be led by either Victor Emmanuel II or Giuseppe Garibaldi, the first king of Italy after the Italian unification and the general who led it respectively.
9 The Taino: Introducing The Caribbean
The Taino were the indigenous population of much of the Caribbean islands, and they represent the best way for Civilization 7 to include that area. The Caguana city-state in Civilization 6 already allows construction of the Batey, a unique improvement that could be transferred to the Taino instead.
The Taino could have a unique unit replacing the warrior that uses a macana instead to give them a bonus in the early stages of the game. The best-known choice for a leader of the Taino would be Agueybana II, who led the Taino rebellion of 1511 in Puerto Rico.
8 The Visigoths: Another Enemy Of Rome
The Visigoths would be another classical enemy of Rome that could be included in Civilization 7. The franchise has already included the Huns, Gauls, Celts, and Carthage in the past, so the ability is there for Firaxis to build out an interesting single-player scenario where Rome must defeats its enemies.
Their leader would likely be Alaric I; the first king of the Visigoths who was responsible for the sack of Rome. That moment could lead to them having ability when laying siege to opponent capitals, encouraging players to chase a domination victory.
7 Israel And Judah: A Religious Focus
There would undoubtedly be controversy surrounding the inclusion of modern-day Israel in Civilization, but the ancient Kingdom of Israel and Judah would likely be considered acceptable. Given the strong relationship that they had with religion historically, they could have access to a unique religious building or even a religious belief.
There were only a handful of leaders of a united Israel and Judah, and King Solomon would be the likely choice for Civilization 7. The game could even give a nod to the legend of King Solomon's mines by giving him an ability related to mining.
6 The Ashanti: Bringing More Life To Africa
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Africa is such a gigantic part of the world that Civilization 7 could never have too many playable African civilizations, and one of the most obvious omissions so far is the Ashanti. They built prosperity through trade, and this could be replicated in-game similarly to the abilities that Persia or the Cree enjoy.
Osei Kofi Tutu I would be the safest best for the leader of the Ashanti civilization, as one of the key founders of their empire. Given that his initial success came from forming an alliance of states, he could have an ability that benefits building alliances too.
5 Argentina: The Biggest Modern Nation Missing
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
There have already been several South-American civilizations included in past Civilization games, and the addition of Argentina could allow for a scenario focused in the region. Given their history of music, art, and literature; they would likely have abilities that would push the player toward a culture victory in-game.
Juan or Eva Peron would be some of the most controversial leader choices, and it's far more likely that Firaxis would choose someone like Jose de San Martin. He would have the added benefit of serving as an alternate leader for Peru and Chile if those civilizations were included too.
4 Ireland: Rounding Out The United Kingdom
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
England has been in every Civilization game, and the Celts led by Boudicca have been in several editions too. Now that Scotland was just included in Civilization 6, Firaxis could pivot to Boudicca leading the Welsh and introduce Ireland for the first time. This change would allow for a claustrophobic scenario where four nations battle for control of a small island that includes several natural wonders, like the Giant's Causeway.
Ireland would likely lean towards either a culture or religious victory but with Brian Boru as leader, could also be a more militaristic civilization as well.
3 The Inuit: Making Use Of Snow And Tundra
An Inuit civilization would be a great addition to any Civilization game because they could make use of snow and tundra tiles, using a similar ability to the Maori in Civilization 6 to automatically start on a specific tile. They could also have the ability to get additional food from both whales and deer resources, enabling them to make up for the lack of food in tundra regions.
Because little is known about historical leaders of the Inuit and their ancestors, previous mods for Civilization games have added them with mythological figures like Kiviuq or Eheuhnick as their leader.
2 The Comanche: Showing The Variety In North America
North America has a varied history, but they've usually only had one or two indigenous representatives in each Civilization game. Across the series the Iroquois, Sioux, Shoshone, Cree, Mapuche have all been included at various points and bringing them all back at once alongside the Comanche creates a scenario with multiple players battling for control of North America.
Their nomadic horse culture could lead to them having an ability linked to camps, while a leader like Iron Jacket could push them towards domination victories or Quanah Parker could give a religious ability instead.
1 South Africa: One Of The Greatest Leaders
The inclusion of South Africa would add to the number of modern civilizations in the series and their history of diamond-mining could be referenced in-game with an ability linked to that luxury item. Additionally, South Africa is known for having multiple capital cities and there could be a way to work that into Civilization 7 to add to their uniqueness.
It's actually quite surprising that South Africa hasn't been included already given that they would naturally be led by one of the most iconic leaders ever; Nelson Mandela, and he would likely provide abilities that help towards a Diplomatic victory.
Civilization 6 is available on Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One