Civilization 7 has hit the gaming world, but fans of the long-standing strategy series are asking a notable question: where is Gandhi? The Indian leader has been a staple in every base game of the Civilization series since its inception in 1991. Not only is he a familiar face, but he's also connected to one of gaming's most legendary myths—the 'Nuclear Gandhi' bug, which turned out to be just that, a myth.
Yet, in Civilization 7, Gandhi is conspicuously absent. To find out more, I reached out to Ed Beach, the lead designer of Civilization 7, who shed some light on the situation and offered hope to Gandhi enthusiasts. Beach assured that the team hasn't forgotten any past civilizations or leaders, mentioning the current discussions about missing nations like Great Britain or England.
Beach explained the broader strategy behind choosing civilizations for the game, stating, "So I would say we haven't forgotten about anybody who's been in our game before... But there's sort of a big, longer picture roadmap that we have, and some pieces fit better in the long picture roadmap they do in the short picture one."
He further elaborated on the decision-making process, noting that even iconic civilizations like Mongolia and Persia were once omitted from base games, yet they were significant historically. "So we always have to leave somebody out," Beach added. "There're just too many popular choices and we always want to have a few fresh ones that sound really new and exciting to people. So things are getting left behind, but we always are looking at the big picture, when we're going to bring leaders or civs into the fold. So there's hope for Gandhi, yet."
So, there you have it—Gandhi fans can hold onto hope for his return in future DLCs. Carthage and Great Britain are already set to join Civilization 7 as part of The Crossroads of the World Collection DLC in March 2025, followed by Bulgaria and Nepal.
In the shorter term, Firaxis might focus on improving Civilization 7's 'mixed' user review rating on Steam, which has been affected by community feedback on the user interface, map variety, and perceived missing features.
In an interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative reviews but remained optimistic, stating that the "legacy Civ audience" would appreciate the game more as they spend more time with it, describing Civilization 7's early performance as "very encouraging."
For those looking to conquer the world in Civilization 7, be sure to check out our comprehensive guides on achieving every victory type, understanding the significant changes from Civilization 6, and avoiding common mistakes. We also provide detailed explanations of all the map types and difficulty settings to help you navigate the game's challenges.
