As the all-powerful leader of a spacefaring civilization, the player must seek out new star systems and discover the exciting potential of the subspace realm. There are thousands of worlds to colonize and dozens of civilizations - both old and new - to encounter.

Galactic Civilizations IV aims to vastly increase the game’s scope and depth by introducing AI characters, star sectors, ministers, central control, a much bigger technology tree, and more.

To go along with the greater depth in the way civilizations are handled, the game’s galactic scale has been vastly increased. Free-form ship movement is one of the features that has made Galactic Civilizations stand out from other space strategy games. In previous games, players set up the map size and it would generate the stars and planets for the player to explore and colonize. Now, each of these maps becomes a sector which is connected to other sectors through what Stardock calls “Subspace Streams”. These streams are unknown by the player until the proper technology is researched. As a result, the exploration phase of the game continues throughout the game.

As the all-powerful leader of a spacefaring civilization, you must seek out new star systems and discover the exciting potential of the subspace realm. There are thousands of worlds to colonize and dozens of civilizations - both old and new - to encounter, and you can get started right now!

The Galactic Civilizations IV Beta 2 adds three new multiplayer modes, a cinematic battle viewer, new events, additional policies, and new galactic achievements ahead of the game’s upcoming release.

The three new multiplayer modes offer a wide selection of options for 4x players.

1. In Arena, two players are locked into a fierce battle from which there is no escape; you'll have to employ your wits and your weapons to win.
2. In Agenda, the goal changes with each game. Conquer and hold precursor relics or defeat select enemies. Careful decisions are required in order to beat your opponents to the punch. Build when you have to, fight when you have to, but never lose sight of the overall goal: victory.
3. In Survival, players and their friends are pitted against each other and AI opponents who grow in strength and strategy as the game progresses. There is no doubt that eventually the humans will fall, but the real question here is: who will be the one who dies last?

The new Battle Viewer adds an exciting visual spark to Galactic Civilizations IV, letting players see ship battles in all of their cinematic glory. 

Several new  Galactic Achievements have been added in beta 2 including a challenging Dread Fleet battle. As 4x fans, the Stardock team has found that too often an expert player can pull so far ahead of other civilizations that victory is assured, but the rest of the game still needs to be played out. By adding special Galactic Achievements to Galactic Civilizations IV, players now have optional challenges that require attention and resources only a dominant civilization can achieve.

New commanders have been added for several civilizations in the beta 2, including the Krynn, Iconians, Onyx Hive, and Altarians. Recruited citizens can take command of one of seven vessels unique to their civilization, granting players an edge over their enemies through stat bonuses and other special abilities.

A full list of added fixes and features in beta 2 can be found on the Galactic Civilizations IV website.

Interested fans can join Early Access through the Epic Games Store for $39.99.

To deal with the much greater number of stars and planets from previous games, the concept of “AI governors” has been thrown out and replaced by the Core world / Colony World metaphor.

Much of the game deals with the player carefully balancing their personal power versus that of the leader characters they’ve recruited. Leader characters are what unlock many features of the game - from research, to planet management, to diplomacy - but they also have their own agendas and individual stats that can lead them to do things to the player (or to each other).  Moreover, the player can bypass their leaders and issue executive orders using control points.

Acquiring control points typically involves actions that result in reducing the loyalty of various leaders. Thus, the player has to carefully balance their desire for control with getting along with their leader characters.

With the entire galaxy now being part of the game, Galactic Civilizations IV includes several new canon alien civilizations to play as or against each with their own unique abilities, lore, and features.

Popular features from the previous versions of the game have also been greatly improved, including ship designs, planetary invasions, combat, diplomacy, research, planetary improvements, and more.

The Galactic Civilizations games have traditionally included a campaign that introduced players to the lore surrounding 23rd century Earth. Players could play the campaign, or they could play the sandbox game that was relatively devoid of story-driven elements. Galactic Civilizations IV won’t include a campaign. Instead, the lore is brought to the sandbox game via a quest-like “Missions” feature that players can choose to take. What missions come up depends on the specific conditions of that particular game. For example, many of the missions are the result of the individual backstories of the leaders. Since each civilization has their own set of leaders and what leaders appear changes from game to game, each play-through should feel like its own epic.

Key Features:

• Explore the galaxy. Seek out new star systems and discover the exciting potential of the subspace realm.
• Meet new civilizations. The universe is teeming with civilizations both advanced and primitive. Set opponents' difficulty and technological advancement.
• Colonize new worlds. Thousands of worlds to colonize, most awful but all colonizable…if you dare.
• Discover new technologies. Invent new technologies, some are easier than others for your species to grasp.
• Recruit and mentor citizens. Each citizen is unique with their own strengths and weaknesses.
• Shape your government. Determine which citizens to place in positions of power and what planets you wish to see governed while taking care not to be defeated in a coup.
• Choose your destiny. Choose the type of civilization you want to be through your actions and choices.
• Adventure awaits you. The galaxy has a rich, ancient history that you will discover through missions and events.

Galactic Civilizations IV is currently scheduled for release in 2022.