Civilization: Beyond Earth’s First Expansion Will Be Rising Tide

Civilization: Beyond Earth was a hell of a game when it launched last year, but to many, it did feel a bit underwhelming. A lot of that feeling derived from the fact that the game felt far less full featured than Civilization V does, especially now, with Gods and Kings and Brave New World both adding significantly to the repertoire of features the base game offered.

The Civilization series isn’t new to this kind of reset and the subsequent criticism that ensues- each game in the franchise is less full features than its immediate predecessor, until the expansions build it up again. And now, it looks like it is Beyond Earth’s turn to start getting iterated upon, as Firaxis announced today the very first expansion for that game- it’s called Rising Tide, and it  will expand Beyond Earth to new frontiers on the planet’s surface and across its seas, adding more choices and diplomatic options as players build “one more turn” toward a new vision for humanity’s future. New aquatic gameplay will explore the oceans for colonization by dramatically extending the play space, while an overhauled diplomacy system will provide players with additional layers of dynamic choices and options to shape the diplomatic landscape while engaging with the AI and one another.

“Firaxis Games has an impressive track record of delivering robust and innovative expansions that radically change player experience while adding extensive replay value,” said Sarah Anderson, SVP of Marketing at 2K. “Rising Tide is no exception, offering new features and overhauled gameplay systems that will challenge players embarking on a quest for planetary domination.”

“Rising Tide builds upon the lore of Beyond Earth, breaking away the historical boundaries of the original franchise and furthering mankind’s search for a new home in outer space,” said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “Whether colonizing the planet’s oceans, acquiring new Affinities or meeting exotic new leaders, aliens and units for the first time, Rising Tide offers more ways for players to write their own stories on a new world.”

The expansion is currently announced for this Fall, and only for Windows PCs. Stay tuned, and we will keep you posted.