Sid Meier’s Civilization VI sets another milestone in the Civilization franchise, which has sold-in over 34 million units worldwide and changed the gaming landscape by bringing the strategy genre to unparalleled heights. In Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, cities will physically expand across the map to create new, deep strategic layers, active research in technology and culture will unlock new potential ways to play; and the large variety of leaders will pursue their own agendas based on their historical character traits as players race to achieve victory however they choose to play.

Little is known about the real Gilgamesh, the main character in the Epic of Gilgamesh and other Sumerian poems. In the epic, Gilgamesh, king of the city of Uruk, is described as part god and part man, and has several run-ins with various gods as well as a sage who is said to have survived the Great Flood depicted in the Bible.

Scholars generally concur that Gilgamesh was in fact a real person, as several individuals referenced in the epic are confirmed to have lived in the region at the time, between 2800 and 2500 BC. An ancient manuscript, called the Sumerian King List, posits that Gilgamesh ruled over the city of Uruk for 126 years.

Unique unit (War-Cart): The constant conflicts between Sumerian city-states helped spread several war innovations throughout the ancient world, one of which being the War-Cart. This cart – a crude woven basket atop four sturdy wooden wheels - was pulled by donkeys and crewed by two warriors wielding battle axes and lances. Even though the War-Cart’s existence has gone undisputed, its purpose has not; some believe it was used in combat, while others believe it was simply used to ferry warriors to the place of battle.

Unique Improvement (Ziggurat): While Egypt was constructing its smooth, sloped pyramids, other ancient peoples such as the Sumerians were constructing a more terraced version of the same structure, called a ziggurat. First evidence of these rectangular stepped towers can be seen as early as 3000 BC. None of these ancient structures have survived to this day, though many are said to have been great in size – the greatest being the one in Babylon dedicated to the god Marduk, which may have inspired the parable of the Tower of Babel from the Book of Genesis.

Key Features:

• EXPANSIVE EMPIRES: See the marvels of your empire spread across the map like never before. Each city spans multiple tiles so you can custom build your cities to take full advantage of the local terrain;
• ACTIVE RESEARCH: Unlock boosts that speed your civilization’s progress through history. To advance more quickly, use your units to actively explore, develop your environment, and discover new cultures;
• DYNAMIC DIPLOMACY: Interactions with other civilizations change over the course of the game, from primitive first interactions where conflict is a fact of life, to late game alliances and negotiations;
• COMBINED ARMS: Expanding on the “one unit per tile” design, support units can now be embedded with other units, like anti-tank support with infantry, or a warrior with settlers. Similar units can also be combined to form powerful “Corps” units;
• ENHANCED MULTIPLAYER: In addition to traditional multiplayer modes, cooperate and compete with your friends in a wide variety of situations all designed to be easily completed in a single session;
• A CIV FOR ALL PLAYERS: Civilization VI provides veteran players new ways to build and tune their civilization for the greatest chance of success. New tutorial systems are designed to introduce new players to the underlying concepts of Civilization so they can easily get started on a path to victory.

 Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is available for pre-order now on PC, and will be released worldwide o for $59.99/£49.99/€59.99. Expand your empire further with the Civilization VI Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the full base game, the 25th Anniversary Digital Soundtrack, and access to four post-launch DLC packs that will add new maps, scenarios, civilizations and leaders for a bundled discount.