A group of former Firaxis developers has just announced a new studio. Called Bit Reactor, the studio will focus on the same sort of "turn-based tactics" games its founders are known for, with a focus on "high-end production values, riveting storytelling, and innovative design". Bit Reactor already has unannounced games in development.
In a press release, co-founder and CEO Greg Foertsch says that Bit Reactor has "assembled an amazing group of talented, experienced and dedicated game developers to inject rich storytelling, immersive presentation and rock solid game mechanics to give this genre it's rightful time to shine - a golden age of turn-based games is upon us."
Bit Reactor's announcement materials focus heavily on the team's experience on XCOM, but members of the studio have also worked on the likes of Civilization and Elder Scrolls Online. Foertsch himself worked at Firaxis for over two decades, and served as art director from 2005 to 2019 on everything from XCOM and XCOM 2 to numerous games in the Civilization series.
RELATED LINKS:
Civ 6 tier list - a guide to civ 6 leaders in multiplayer
Civ 6 strategy guide: beginner tips and tutorials
The best Civ 6 mods
Earlier this year, Civilization VI players bade farewell to the 4X game's New Frontier Pass and its promise of continuous updates. There haven't been any further patches since Firaxis released a sweeping balance pass in April. Without the excitement of new Civ 6 leaders and game modes, nor any certainty around further patch support, veteran players may be running low on ways to keep the fun alive in their favourite strategy game.
Fortunately, there's no right way to Civ (except maybe don't lose). From meme strats to trying to plan out the perfect Panama Canal or generating those disgusting tile yields, there are plenty of ways you can challenge yourself when launching a game of Civ VI. The only limit is your imagination, although even that needs a hand every once in a while, which is where we come in.
As Civ fans await updates on the franchise's future (and dream about what they'd like to see in Civilization 7), there's plenty of time to explore new ways to play and win Civilization VI.
RELATED LINKS:
Civ 6 tier list - a guide to civ 6 leaders in multiplayer
Civ 6 strategy guide: beginner tips and tutorials
The best Civ 6 mods
Civilization and Humankind are great historical strategy games, but can you imagine getting to play them as part of an official class? High school students at a school in Maine in the US don't have to wonder, as these two 4X games are being used by their teacher for a class on world history.
Ryan Botting doesn't completely let his students play games all day, but the flexibility offered by his state's education system means he's able to fold these games into his syllabus. "I use Civilization and Humankind in my classroom similar to how a teacher might use a normal activity in the classroom: to have students engage in the material we go over in the class and get them excited about learning," Botting tells us.
"In the normal classroom we go over the primary theme of each era. Then, in the gaming portion they play a giant multiplayer game where they are given objectives of things their civilisation (or precursor civilisation) actually did in history. When students complete their objectives we go over them in class, using the real-life events as a case study to examine the primary theme of the era."
RELATED LINKS:
Civ 6 tier list - a guide to civ 6 leaders in multiplayer
Civ 6 strategy guide: beginner tips and tutorials
The best Civ 6 mods