Civilization V ‘Gods & Kings’ expansion announced

Firaxis Games announced today that it’s working on the first expansion pack for Civilization V, dubbed ‘Gods & Kings‘. The developer doesn’t have a specific date just yet, but it’s targeting a spring release for the expansion.

If you’re a <em>Civilization</em> vet and were lamenting the absence of religion and espionage, you’ll no doubt be thrilled to know that both will be added in with the release of Civilization V: Gods & Kings.

In Gods & Kings, you’ll be able to found a Pantheon of the Gods, and from there choose which religion your civilization will follow. A pretty wide selection will be made available, according to Firaxis, and there will be some level of customization involved.

Civ 5: Gods & Kings also reintroduces spies, allowing for players to “establish surveillance of foreign cities, steal advanced technologies from your strongest competitors, or garner influence with City-States through election rigging, or even a coup.”

That’s not all you’ll be getting out of Civilization V: Gods & Kings, of course. The expansion also introduces a healthy number of new units, new leaders, and quite a bit more. For the full feature list rundown, see below.

• Expanded Epic Game: The core game experience has been greatly expanded with the addition of new technologies, 27 new units, 13 new buildings and nine new Wonders.

• New Civilizations and Leaders: The expansion features nine new civilizations including Carthage, the Netherlands, the Celts and the Mayans, each with unique traits, units and buildings. Gods & Kings also adds nine new leaders including William I, Prince of Orange, Boudicca and Pacal the Great.

• New Game Scenarios: Three new scenarios let gamers experience the medieval period, the fall of Rome, and embark on a new adventure in Empires of the Smoky Skies, a Victorian science-fiction scenario.

• The Return of Religion: A first for Civilization V, players seek out Faith, choosing a Pantheon of the Gods and creating Great Prophets to found and spread their customized religion across the world.

• World Domination: The fight for world domination is more dynamic than ever. Gods & Kings features a reworked combat system and AI that places more emphasis on a balanced army composition. Additionally, the navy is now split into two different ship types, melee and ranged, making coastal cities vulnerable to a surprise naval attack.

• Enhanced Diplomacy and Espionage: Establish embassies at foreign courts for closer ties or clandestine operations. As the religions of the world start settling in and the world moves into the Renaissance, spies can be unlocked to establish surveillance of foreign cities, steal advanced technologies from your strongest competitors, or garner influence with City-States through election rigging, or even a coup.

• City-States: Two new city-state types have been added, Mercantile and Religious, adding new gameplay to a greatly expanded quest system to further the narrative of the game and making diplomatic victories more challenging.