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.

Jayavarman Leads Khmer

Much of that we know about King Jayavarman VII comes from inscriptions on the temple at Räjavihära (now Ta Prohm). These inscriptions offer a rich, yet still incomplete history of this beloved king of the Khmer Empire.

Rising to power during a period of crisis for the Khmer, Jayavarman was a military leader. By 1181, Jayavarman VII had repelled Cham invaders to the north and when hostilities died down, he crowned himself king. But instead of turning outward and seeking to aggressively expand, he focused on his people.

King Jayavarman VII saw himself as a warrior for his subjects. As a result, his rule was marked by its tolerance and his drive to create a place of safety and paradise for his subjects.

He went on to make Mahayana Buddhism the state religion, breaking with 400 years of Khmer Hinduism. And to mark the occasion, he would initiate an era of unprecedented construction and infrastructure creation. Among the improvements made on his watch: numerous temples, 102 hospitals, stone-paved highways out of reach of flood waters, the 54 towers at Bayon, and extensive irrigation projects. Another documented project was the construction of rest houses every 15 km throughout the kingdom.

King Jayavarman VII and his people-driven reign remains fondly remembered in Cambodia, where he figured prominently in state-produced education materials well into the 20th century.

UNIQUE UNIT: THE DOMREY

Khmer employed war elephants in their military campaigns. Once docile farming animals, Domrey were 12,000 pounds of might used to break enemy lines and stampede through enemy forces. Usually, Khmer riders would use the precision of double crossbows to supplement the raw power of their elephants; however, the Domrey variant here adds the sheer force of a mounted ballista, making it more mobile (and more deadly) than a traditional catapult.

UNIQUE IMPROVEMENT: THE PRASAT

These holy sites at the center of Khmer worship would serve as both symbols of their warrior-kings’ piety and their engineers' brilliance. The earliest Khmer temple on record is Prasat Ak Yom (c. 800), its design reflecting the South Indian tradition of 'ratha'-style temples, towering edifices terminating in a crown at the top. Of course, the Khmer would add their own flourish, adding prangs, or towers to the structures. 

LEADER UNIQUE ABILITY: “MONASTARIES OF THE KING”

With Jayavaraman VII’s pious devotion, it makes sense that his unique ability, “Monasteries of the King,” would highlight his religious reform. Playing as Jayavaraman VII, you can grab adjacent territory when you complete your Holy Sites, which also provide additional Food and Housing when built on a river.

CIV UNIQUE ABILITY: “GRAND BARAYS”

The “Grand Barays” ability focuses on Jayavaraman VII’s devotion to providing infrastructure to his people. This ability increases Khmer’s food yield when Farms are built next to Aqueducts, and makes Aqueducts far more versatile by granting bonuses to Faith and an Amenity.

Gitarja Leads Indonesia

Dyah Gitarja went from being a princess locked in a tower to the warrior-queen regent of a 14th Century spice empire, the kingdom of Majapahit (located in modern day Indonesia). It all started with an assassination.

As the Duchess of Kahuripan, she lived a sheltered life. As described in the epic poem 'Nagarakretagama,’ though, Gitarja’s ascent began with the murder of her half-brother, King Jayanagara in 1328. She then came to power by order of her mother the following year. Gitarja wound up ruling with the help of her spouse, Kritavardhana, during a time of chaos and open revolt.

With the help of Gajah Mada, a long-trusted advisor, she began a campaign to quell rebellions and push a massive expansion of the Majapahit Empire. Legend tells us that Gitarja even rode into battle alongside her cousin, Malayapuran king Adityawarman. Ultimately, she is remembered for expanding the boundaries of her empire to include the kingdoms of Pejeng, Dalem, Debahulu and the island of Bali while helping stabilize the kingdom.

UNIQUE UNIT: JONG

Massive jong ships, the schooner of the Majapahit fleet, dominated the Southeast Asian seas. While primarily a merchant ship and military transport, jongs were built to withstand incoming cannon fire and return the favor with its own ordinance. And, with the addition of a second rudder, a 600-ton jong was fast, yet easy to control.

UNIQUE IMPROVEMENT: KAMPUNG

In the densely-packed islands of Southeast Asia, local rulers needed to house people while also keeping them safe from floods and wildlife. These tightly-clustered communities of houses on stilts – or kampung – were the answer.

In fact, foreign visitors were so impressed by the efficiency of Indonesian and Malay kampungs with their high-population density that they adopted the term in the English ‘compound.’

CIV UNIQUE ABILITY: “GREAT NUSANTARA”

“Nusantara” is a contemporary term for the Indonesian archipelago, but for some time had been credited to Gitarja’s advisor – Gajah Mada. In an oath known as Sumpah Palapa, he vowed not to eat any food containing spices until he had conquered all of Nusantara under the glory of Majapahit. As a coastal civilization, it only makes sense Indonesian Coastal Tiles provide adjacency bonuses for certain districts. Complexes give an extra Amenity if they are adjacent to a non-lake Coastal Tile.

LEADER UNIQUE ABILITY: “EXALTED GODDESS OF THE THREE WORLDS”

The Majapahit kingdom expanded on the strength of its naval might, buoyed by the spice trade and spreading the beliefs of the Buddhist-Hindu kingdom.

The “Exalted Goddess of the Three Worlds” ability grants bonus Faith to coastal cities. This allows Gitarja to purchase Naval units with Faith at a discount, as well as eliminating movement cost for Religious unit to embark or disembark.

Anyone who purchased the Digital Deluxe Edition of Civilization VI will receive these leaders – and the DLC pack – automatically when it goes live.

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.