Civilization VI was announced on May 11, 2016. Consequently, it is the sixth installment in the long-running Civilization franchise. Furthermore, the game will release on October 21, 2016. The base game has 18 civilizations. 15 civilizations were confirmed for the game since September 24.
Each civilization will have three unique components. A unit, a piece of infrastructure (be it a building, a district or a tile improvement) and an ability. Furthermore, each leader will have a distinct ability of their own. As well as a unique agenda which will shape the leader’s playstyle and diplomatic personality when controlled by the AI. There will be multi-faceted abilities. Furthermore, some leader abilities include a further unique unit, giving the civilization a total of two.
Cities which take up multiple tiles in one district may be placed on one tile. Assuming that a city has several districts, this city now sprawls over several tiles.
Civilization VI First Look – All civilizations so far
| Civilization | Leader | Ability | Leader Special Skill | Unique Units | Unique Infrastructure |
| Chinese | Qin Shi Huang | Dynastic Cycle Inspirations and Eurekas provide 60% of the cost of their civics and technologies instead of 50%. | The First Emperor When building Ancient and Classical wonders you may spend builder charges to complete 15% of the original wonder cost. Builders receive an additional charge. | Crouching Tiger | Great Wall |
| Aztec | Montezuma | Legend of the Five Suns Spend builder charges to rush the construction of districts; a charge provides 20% of the original district production cost. | Gifts for the Tlatoani Luxury resources in his territory provide an amenity to 2 extra tiles. Military units receive +1 combat strength for each different luxury resource improved in Aztec lands. | Eagle Warrior | Tlachtli |
| English | Victoria | British Museum Each Archaeology Museum holds 6 artifacts instead of 3 and can support 2 Archaeologists at once. | Pax Britannica When you settle on a continent other than your home continent, receive a free melee unit. Gain the Redcoat unique unit with the Military Science technology. | Sea Dog Redcoat | Royal Navy Dockyard |
| Egyptian | Cleopatra | Iteru Districts and wonders are built +15% faster if placed next to a river. Floodplains do not block placement of districts and wonders. | Mediterranean's Bride Trade routes to other civilizations provide +4 gold for Egypt. Other civilizations' trade routes to Egypt provide +2 food for them and +2 gold for Egypt. | Maryannu Chariot Archer | Sphinx |
| Brazilian | Pedro II | Amazon Rainforest tiles provide +1 adjacency bonus for Campus, Commercial Hub, Holy Site, and Theater Square districts. Rainforest tiles provide +1 housing for Neighborhoods built adjacent to them. | Magnanimous After recruiting or patronizing a Great Person, 20% of its Great Person point cost is refunded. | Minas Geraes | Carnival District |
| Norwegian | Harald Hardrada | Knarr No movement cost to embark or disembark. Naval and embarked units may enter ocean tiles upon researching Shipbuilding. | Thunderbolt of the North Melee ships may perform coastal raids to pillage improvements and districts on adjacent land tiles. Gain the Viking Longship unique unit with the Sailing technology. | Berserker Viking Longship | Stave Church |
| Kongolese | Mvemba a Nzinga | Nkisi Relics, artifacts and great works of sculpture provide food, gold and production. Gain additional Great Artist and Great Merchant points each turn. | Religious Convert Cannot build holy site districts, but receives the founder belief of his empire's majority religion. Whenever he completes an Mbanza or Theatre district, he receives an apostle of the constructing city's religion. | Ngao Mbeba | M'banza |
| German | Fredrick Barbarossa | Free Imperial Cities Each city may build one district more than its current housing limit would normally allow. | Holy Roman Emperor Gain an extra slot for a Military policy card regardless of government type. Units have extra combat strength versus city-state units. | U-Boat | Hansa |
| Scythian | Tomyris | People of the Steppe Receive two units instead of one when building any Light Cavalry or their unique Saka Horse Archers. | Troops receive a combat bonus when attacking wounded units, and heal a little upon killing an enemy | Saka Horse Archer | Kurgan |
| Greek | Pericles | Plato's Republic Gain an extra slot for a Wild policy card regardless of government type. | Surrounded by Glory Gains culture per turn for every city-state over which he has suzerainty. | Hoplite | Acropolis |
| Spanish | Philip II | Treasure Fleet Extra yields from inter-continental trade routes. May combine ships into fleets earlier than other civilizations. | El Escorial Combat bonus against civilizations and city-states following other religions. Inquisitors have +1 charge. | Conquistador | Mission |
| Japanese | Hojo Tokimune | Meiji Restoration All districts receive an additional standard adjacency bonus when placed next to another district. | Divine Wind Land units receive +5 combat strength in land tiles adjacent to Coast; naval units receive +5 combat strength in shallow water tiles. Build Encampment, Holy Site and Theater Square districts in half the time. | Samurai | Electronics Factory |
| French | Catherine de Medici | Grand Tour +20% Production towards Medieval, Renaissance, and Industrial era wonders. Tourism from wonders of any era is doubled. | Catherine's Flying Squadron Gain 1 additional level of diplomatic visibility with every civilization you meet. Can recruit an extra spy with the Castles technology. | Garde Imperiale | Chateau |
| American | Theodore Roosevelt | Founding Fathers Earn all government legacy bonuses in half the usual time. | Roosevelt Corollary Units receive +5 combat strength on the American home continent. +1 appeal to all tiles with a National Park. Gain the Rough Rider unique unit with the Rifling technology. | P-51 Mustang Rough Rider | Film Studio |
| Arabian | Saladin | Madrasa | |||
| Roman | Trajan | All Roads lead to Rome All cities begin with a trading post. New cities within trade range of the capital begin with a road. Trade routes provide additional gold for each Roman city they pass through | Trajan's Column All cities start with one free building in the city center. | Legion | Bath |
| Russian | Peter | ||||
| Indian | Gandhi | Dharma Cities gain the follower beliefs of all religions practised within them. | Satyagraha Gains faith per turn for each civilization he has met which has founded a religion and is not at war. Civilizations at war with Gandhi suffer an additional happiness penalty. | Varu | Stepwell |
| Sumerian | Gilgamesh |
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