"Firaxis: Hope Remains for Gandhi in Civilization 7"

Civilization 7 has hit the market, and long-time fans of the iconic strategy game series are buzzing with one burning question: Where is Gandhi? The Indian leader has been a staple in every Civilization base game since the series debuted in 1991, becoming almost synonymous with the franchise. Gandhi's association with the series even gave rise to the legendary, albeit mythical, 'Nuclear Gandhi' bug.

However, fans might be surprised to find Gandhi absent from the initial release of Civilization 7. To shed light on this, I reached out to Ed Beach, the lead designer of Civilization 7, who offered a reassuring glimpse into the future for Gandhi enthusiasts. Beach emphasized that Firaxis hasn't forgotten any beloved characters from past games. "Certainly civilizations, there's a lot of consternation right now about where's Great Britain or England, why aren't they in our game?" he noted, indicating that other fan-favorite civilizations are also missing from the base game.

Beach further elaborated on Firaxis' strategic planning for Civilization 7, revealing that the absence of certain civilizations is part of a broader roadmap. "But there's sort of a big, longer picture roadmap that we have, and some pieces fit better in the long picture roadmap they do in the short picture one," he explained. He highlighted that even iconic civilizations like Mongolia and Persia were absent from the base games of previous iterations, yet were significant historical powers.

"So we always have to leave somebody out. There're just too many popular choices and we always want to have a few fresh ones that sound really new and exciting to people. So things are getting left behind, but we always are looking at the big picture, when we're going to bring leaders or civs into the fold. So there's hope for Gandhi, yet," Beach concluded, giving fans a hopeful outlook for Gandhi's eventual inclusion as downloadable content (DLC).

In addition to Gandhi's future prospects, Civilization 7 is set to expand with The Crossroads of the World Collection DLC in March 2025, introducing Carthage and Great Britain, followed by Bulgaria and Nepal. This roadmap indicates a commitment to enriching the game's content and variety over time.

Meanwhile, Civilization 7 has faced some challenges, receiving a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam. Community feedback has pointed to issues with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and the absence of key features that fans have come to expect from the series. In response, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged these criticisms but remained optimistic, suggesting that the "legacy Civ audience" would warm up to the game as they spend more time with it.

For players looking to dominate the world of Civilization 7, be sure to check out our comprehensive guides. From strategies for achieving every Civ 7 victory to understanding the biggest Civ 7 changes for Civ 6 players and avoiding the 14 crucial Civ 7 mistakes, we've got you covered. Additionally, learn about all the Civ 7 map types and difficulty settings to enhance your gameplay experience.