Be ready to boldly go where no man has gone before in Civilization: Beyond Earth's upcoming Rising Tide expansion.

Firaxis Games and 2K have announced the Rising Tide expansion for Civilization: Beyond Earth, which will add all kinds of new features to the game. In particular, new, aquatic-based gameplay will drastically vary the ways you can expand your exploratory colonies — just because humanity has taken to deep space doesn't mean they've lost their sea legs

“Firaxis Games has an impressive track record of delivering robust and innovative expansions that radically change player experience while adding extensive replay value,” said Sarah Anderson, SVP of Marketing at 2K. “Rising Tide is no exception, offering new features and overhauled gameplay systems that will challenge players embarking on a quest for planetary domination.”

Here are some of the main features coming in this new expansion:

  • Building floating settlements and accessing natural resources hidden beneath the seas of the alien planet, while alien beasts with unique abilities inhabit the water and challenge players in distinctive ways;
  • Shaping the diplomatic landscape by upgrading traits, changing diplomatic relationships, and leveraging the benefits of your allies, all with political capital;
  • Unlocking a dynamic set of Diplomatic Traits while activating different combinations in response to the changing world;
  • Playing as one of four new factions, including the Al Falah, a group of nomad explorers descended from wealthy and resilient Middle Eastern states;
  • Investing in multiple Affinities to unlock hybrid Affinity units and upgrades for the first time;
  • Collecting and combining alien relics via a new Artifact System that unlocks powerful benefits;
  • Exploring one of two new biomes, Primordial world, an untamed biome rife with volcanic activity and indicative of a chaotic landscape still forming in the new world.

Rising Tide builds upon the lore of Beyond Earth, breaking away the historical boundaries of the original franchise and furthering mankind’s search for a new home in outer space,” said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “Whether colonizing the planet’s oceans, acquiring new Affinities or meeting exotic new leaders, aliens and units for the first time, Rising Tide offers more ways for players to write their own stories on a new world.”

Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide will be launching this fall for PC, Mac and Linux.

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