Civilization 7 update 1.3.1 drops today, rolling out a new island-filled map and knocking Egypt off the top of the pyramid

Plus immoderate different civ balancing tweaks and biome improvements

This month's Civ 7 update, 1.3.1, volition stone up today, December 9th. Following connected from the beefy 1.3.0 update, which added successful a clump of caller navally-themed bits and revamped battling astatine sea, this update's comparatively compact, but inactive packs a caller representation benignant and immoderate civ balancing tweaks which are good worthy being alert of if you're gonna beryllium Civving implicit the holidays.

As outlined by Firaxis QA pb Shaun Wilson successful the developer update video above, the update introduces the Shattered Seas map, a setup aimed astatine ensuring you tally into plentifulness of naval action. Basically, it takes a emblematic Pangea representation and splits the cardinal landmass up into a clump of sizable islands separated by constrictive watery dividers.

"Every subordinate gets their ain chiseled defensible onshore mass, but each onshore masses are connected chiefly by extended stretches of shallow coastal waters," Wilson explained. "Distant lands islands volition inactive spawn separated by heavy oceans, conscionable similar a emblematic Pangea map." It looks similar a bully acceptable for folks keen to bash immoderate island-hopping oregon purpose to acceptable up a larboard fortress to defend, but I ideate it'll person to beryllium it's antithetic capable to the basal game's archipelago maps to go the go-to for watery warfare. Alongside deploying the caller map, Firaxis person updated each mini-maps to item coastal tiles.

World generation's besides undergone immoderate tweakage. "We've accrued the size variance of biomes and the reliance connected rainfall," Wilson said. "Rivers and rainfall shadows adjacent mountains present person a overmuch stronger power connected the surrounding terrain. This means biomes volition beryllium little striped on lines of latitude. Instead, you'll acquisition patchier, much realistic, and yet much absorbing planetary patterns for you to navigate and explore."

Finally, the civ balancing tweaks this clip astir are led by a nerf of Egypt, with the likes of yields from insignificant rivers being pegged back. Rome, meanwhile, has had its Auxilia and Cursus Honorum contented revamped truthful there's an inducement to support them progressive extracurricular of periods erstwhile you're grooming up tons of troops. Russia's serfdom civic has besides been tweaked, present helping summation wonderment gathering velocity by 10%.

This update besides brings with it the 2nd portion of the Tides of Power DLC, which includes 16th period Moroccan privateer Sayyida al Hurra arsenic a leader, positive Ottoman and Icelandic civs. The afloat DLC, including the spot with Blackbeard that arrived with past month's update, is presently claimable for escaped until January 5th. Meanwhile, bigger changes similar the quality to play arsenic 1 civ for the full crippled are inactive successful the works.