Civilization Mobile: World Origin is a new Civ game for smartphones, but it’s only available in China

• Civilization Mobile: World Origin is a new game in the Civ series made specifically for the Chinese market
• It’ll feature all the well-known 4x features of the original games, as well as a strong focus on multiplayer
• The marketing looks to be full of shout-outs to major figures of the series’ past

While we’ve been eating well with some great releases this year, there are still quite a few games that have slipped under the radar. And many of these new releases tend to do so because they’re in markets we don’t usually cover, but there’s one that did stick out to us, which is a new mobile game in the hit Civilization franchise.

The only catch? It’s only available in China.

As spotted by the folks over at GamingonPhone, Civilization Mobile: World Origin has announced a closed beta test in China for mid-July. They also broke down many of the features, since virtually all the info we have on the game is in Chinese.

Naturally, the game is billed to include the land, sea and air expansion and strategy core to the series. But one thing that stood out to us was the inclusion of the so-called Four Emperors system and the seemingly higher focus on multiplayer.

Of course, if this is a mobile game, that’s a given, especially in the multiplayer-heavy market of China, but those hoping this might be a breakout take on Civ that puts the single-player experience in the palm of your hand might be disappointed.

A true heir?

A glance at the game’s Weibo page does indicate a high degree of authenticity to the game, what with the focus on the music and appearances by composer Christopher Tin. But it does remain to be seen just whether or not Civilization Mobile can live up to the series’ lofty pedigree. This is, after all, the game series that practically started 4x.

But in the meantime, while Civilization Mobile: World Origins may not be available to play where you are, there are plenty of games that are. Take a dip into our list of the best mobile games of 2024 (so far) to see our top picks!