How to Unlock Every Leader and Civ in Civilization 7

Civilization 7 takes a completely different approach to Civs. Instead of choosing a Leader that’s automatically associated with a Civ, players get to choose a Civ based on their values as well as how they improve their settlements and shape their empires through time.

Civilization 7: Complete Guide

This guide helps players understand every key aspect of Civilization 7 so they can dominate the world stage and emerge victorious.

There are dozens of Leaders and Civs in Civilization 7, and at first, it can be difficult to understand which Civs players will get access to when they enter a new Age. This guide will show players each Leader available in Civilization 7 and the steps that they should take in order to choose a certain Civ.

Updated on February 18, 2025, by Ashely Claudino: It has been a while since the release of Civilization 7, and in the past few weeks, we’ve had more time with the game and were able to understand how each Leader and Civilization works. This has allowed us to improve this guide and add more information on what Leader is able to immediately play as a Civilization and how to unlock Civs when that is not the case.

Every Leader in Civilization 7

How to Get Access to Each Leader in Civilization 7

Civilization VII All Leaders Ranked Every Leader Tier List Civ 7

There are 21 Leaders to choose from in Civilization 7, five of which have an alternative persona with a different ability. Most Leaders are available for everyone who owns Civ 7, but others can only be obtained via paid and free DLC.

Leader	Personas	Availability
Amina	N/A
Ashoka	World Renouncer
Ashoka	World Conqueror	Founders Content Pack-exclusive
Augustus	N/A
Benjamin Franklin	N/A
Catherine the Great	N/A
Charlemagne	N/A
Confucius	N/A
Friedrich	Oblique
Friedrich	Baroque	Deluxe or Founders Content Pack-exclusive
Harriet Tubman	N/A
Hatshepsut	N/A
Himiko	High Shaman
Himiko	Queen of Wa	Deluxe or Founders Content Pack-exclusive
Ibn Battuta	N/A
Isabella	N/A
José Rizal	N/A
Lafayette	N/A
Machiavelli	N/A
Napoleon	Emperor	Link Civ 7 to a 2K account
Napoleon	Revolutionary	Link Civ 7 and Civ 6 to a 2K account
Pachacuti	N/A
Tecumseh	N/A	Pre-order bonus Included in the Deluxe and Founders Pack Included in the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack (available post-launch)
Trung Tac	N/A
Xerxes	King of Kings
Xerxes	The Achaemenid	Deluxe or Founders Content Pack-exclusive

Every Civ in Civilization 7

How to Unlock Each Civ in Civilization 7

In Civilization 7, players won’t start off with a Civ based on the Leader they selected when creating a game. Instead, they will have to choose a Civilization for each in-game Age. For example, gamers might start off as Egypt in the Antiquity Age but then turn into Songhai or Abbasid when they reach the Exploration Age.

Here are all of the Civs available for each Age and how to unlock them:

Antiquity Age Civs in Civilization 7

In the Antiquity Age, gamers can choose any Leader to command a Civilization. However, some Leaders are more in sync with a certain Civilization, as they have a historical or geographic connection.

When choosing a Leader at the start of the Antiquity Age, gamers can immediately see which Civs they’ll be able to unlock in the following Ages. To gain access to more Civs, they’ll have to complete certain in-game tasks, such as improving three resource tiles of a specific type.

Civ	Age	How to Unlock
Aksumite civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders
Egyptian civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders
Greek civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders
Han civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders
Khmer civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders
Mauryan civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders
Mayan civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders
Mississippian civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders
Persian civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders
Roman civilization	Antiquity	Accessible to all Leaders

Exploration Age Civs in Civilization 7

When gamers move on to the Exploration Age from the Antiquity Age, they will only have access to a handful of Civilizations. This is based on their chosen Leader, their previous Civ, and certain tasks that they might’ve completed during the Antiquity Age.

Alternatively, gamers can start a game in the Exploration Age and gain access to any Civ they’d like as their preferred Leader.

Civ	Age	How to Unlock
Abbasid civilization	Exploration	Play as Egypt during the Antiquity Age Play as Persia during the Antiquity Age Improve three Camel resource tiles Choose Ibn Battuta as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age
Chola civilization	Exploration	Play as Khmer during the Antiquity Age Play as Maurya during the Antiquity Age Have three City Centers adjacent to Coastal tiles (excludes Lake tiles) Choose Ashoka as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age
Hawaiian civilization	Exploration	Play as Maya during the Antiquity Age Play as Mississippian during the Antiquity Age Have two Settlements on an Island Choose José Rizal as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age
Inca civilization	Exploration	Play as Maya during the Antiquity Age Play as Mississippian during the Antiquity Age Have three Settlements with at least three Mountains Choose Pachacuti as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age
Majapahit civilization	Exploration	Play as Khmer during the Antiquity Age Play as Maurya during the Antiquity Age Improve three Pearl resource tiles Have a minimum of three naval Trade Routes Choose Trung Tac as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age
Ming civilization	Exploration	Play as Han during the Antiquity Age Improve three Silk resource tiles Slot at least eight resources in a single Settlement Choose Confucius as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age
Mongolian civilization	Exploration	Play as Han during the Antiquity Age Play as Persia during the Antiquity Age Improve three Horse resource tiles Have three Siege units Start a game in the Exploration Age
Norman civilization	Exploration	Play as Greece during the Antiquity Age Play as Rome during the Antiquity Age Improve three Iron resource tiles Build a minimum of five Walls Choose Charlemagne as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age
Shawnee civilization	Exploration	Play as Mississippian during the Antiquity Age Choose Tecumseh as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age
Songhai civilization	Exploration	Play as Aksum during the Antiquity Age Play as Egypt during the Antiquity Age Have a minimum of three Navigable River tiles in three Settlements Choose Amina as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age
Spanish civilization	Exploration	Play as Greece during the Antiquity Age Play as Rome during the Antiquity Age Reconquer a lost Settlement Choose Isabella as Leader Start a game in the Exploration Age

Modern Age Civs in Civilization 7

In the Modern Age, gamers will have a wider range of Civs at their disposal, depending on how they’ve played the game thus far. Similarly to the Exploration Age, players can start a Civ 7 game in the Modern Age and pick any combo they would like.

Civ	Age	How to Unlock
American civilization	Modern	Play as Rome during the Antiquity Age Play as Norman during the Exploration Age Play as Shawnee during the Exploration Age Have three Distant Land Settlements on Plains or Grassland tiles Choose Benjamin Franklin as Leader Choose Harriet Tubman Choose Tecumseh Start a game in the Modern Age
Buganda civilization	Modern	Play as Abbasid during the Exploration Age Play as Songhai during the Exploration Age Have two settlements adjacent to a lake Choose Amina as Leader Start a game in the Modern Age
Imperial French civilization	Modern	Play as Rome during the Antiquity Age Play as Norman during the Exploration Age Improve three Wine resource tiles Choose Lafayette as Leader Choose Napoleon as Leader Start a game in the Modern Age
Meiji Japanese civilization	Modern	Play as Hawaii during the Exploration Age Play as Majapahit during the Exploration Age Improve three Tea resource tiles Choose Himiko as Leader Start a game in the Modern Age
Mexican civilization	Modern	Play as Maya during the Antiquity Age Play as Inca during the Exploration Age Play as Shawnee during the Exploration Age Play as Spain during the Exploration Age Have three Distant Land settlements on Desert or Tropical tiles Choose Isabella as Leader Choose Tecumseh as Leader Start a game in the Modern Age
Mughal civilization	Modern	Play as Persia during the Antiquity Age Play as Abbasid during the Exploration Age Play as Chola during the Exploration Age Improve three Salt resource tiles Maintain four Trade Routes with different Civilizations Start a game in the Modern Age
Prussian civilization	Modern	Play as Rome during the Antiquity Age Have three Army Commanders Improve three Niter resource tiles Choose Friedrich as Leader Start a game in the Modern Age
Qing civilization	Modern	Play as Han during the Antiquity Age Play as Ming during the Exploration Age Play as Mongolia during the Exploration Age Improve three Jade resource tiles Choose Confucius as Leader Start a game in the Modern Age
Russian civilization	Modern	Play as Greece during the Antiquity Age Play as Mongolia during the Exploration Age Have three settlements on Tundra tiles Choose Catherine the Great as Leader Start a game in the Modern Age
Siamese civilization	Modern	Play as Khmer during the Antiquity Age Play as Chola during the Exploration Age Improve three Ivory resource tiles Have four Temple buildings Start a game in the Modern Age

Sid Meier's Civilization VII Tag Page Cover Art

Grand Strategy

Turn-Based Strategy

Franchise: Sid Meier’s Civilization
Released: February 11, 2025
Multiplayer: Online Multiplayer
Engine: Gamebryo Engine
Steam Deck Compatibility: Unknown
X|S Optimized: Yes
Number of Players: 1-8
Local Co-Op Support: No
Cross Save: Yes, via 2K account
Cross-Platform Play: Yes – all platforms, restrictions apply
PC Release Date: February 11, 2025
PS5 Release Date: February 11, 2025
Xbox Series X|S Release Date: February 11, 2025
Nintendo Switch Release Date: February 11, 2025
OpenCritic Rating: Strong
Early Access Release: February 6, 2025

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