Firaxis Was So Careful about 1 New Native-American Leader They Approached His Tribe for Proper Representation

Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 is all set to drop upon us at the beginning of next year, finally bringing an end to years of wait. By the time this game debuts, it would have been nearly eight years since the last entry in the franchise, which makes the launch of Civilization 7 even more exciting!

To say that the next Civilization game is highly anticipated would be a major understatement; it has a lot of pressure on its shoulders. Developer Firaxis can make or break a number of trends in the series’ history with this game, but it’s already ensuring authentic in-game representation by working closely with one Native American tribe.

Firaxis Approached Shawnee Tibe Leader For Accurate Representation in Civilization 7

Firaxis has decided to partner with the Shawnee Tribe to ensure an accurate in-game representation for the group in the upcoming Civilization 7 game. With this collaboration, the developers will be able to feature the tribe’s historical leader, Tecumseh, as a playable character.

This surprising crossover kicked off when Firaxis itself approached the Native American Tribe’s Chief, Ben Barnes. For Barnes, this was an exciting opportunity to allow the Shawnee people to witness their culture and history on a global platform.

What’s even more shocking is the fact that Barnes has been a longtime fan of Sid Meier’s Civilization series and has spent hundreds of hours constructing empires in the iconic franchise. So, when Firaxis approached him to with the idea to make Tecumseh playable in the upcoming title, he couldn’t say no to offering his support!

“For us, it’s really about a cultural expression of cultural hegemony,” Barnes said. “Why not us? Why not? Of course we should be in a video game title. Of course we should see ourselves reflected in every media. So we took advantage of the opportunity to make our star shine.”

Firaxis’ historian also revealed that academics had initially wanted the studio against including Tecumsesh, but they ended up getting in touch with Shawnee leaders to figure out what they thought.

The partnership between the Shawnee Tribe and Firaxis comes after an acknowledgment by the Civilization‘s creator, Sid Meier, and other developers of the past mistakes in the franchise’s history of tribal representation.

If you’ve forgotten, in 2010, the developers had to abandon their plan to add a Pueblo leader after tribal leaders opposed the addition. Similarly, even the inclusion of a Cree leader caused outrage in Canada for spreading misconceptions about the values and culture of the Indigenous people.

When is Civilization 7 Releasing?

It hasn’t been that long since Civilization 7 was revealed, but now, we finally have the details for the game pouring in. Thanks to an incredible reveal at Gamescom 2024, we finally know about the release date for the long-running simulations series.

It’s confirmed that the next chapter in the Civilization series will be released on February 11th, 2025. This means there’s only a handful of months until we get to experience the game in its glory.

For the first time in the franchise’s history, the game will be released simultaneously for consoles and PCs. Gamers can enjoy the title on Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

With the developers going the extra mile to bring an accurate representation of the Shawnee Tribe into the game, there’s no doubt that this title will certainly shake up the industry and set new standards once it eventually releases.

With that said, are you excited about Civilization 7? If so, let us know in the comments below.