When Civilization Online will launch, and other things you need to know

Civilization Online was announced two years ago, and we just told you more about how the game will work, but there are definitely many more questions left unanswered. Here are some of them, or at least, what you need to know.

Key personnel interview from G-Star 2014

When will Civilization Online launch?

“Very soon” for South Korea, 2K Games producer Garrett Bittner says, albeit “next year soon”. However, he also adds that there are no plans to share for now regarding publishing the game for the rest of the world. Bittner also says that 2K Games will look for publishing partners for other territories, rather than do it itself.

Why is Korea getting it first?

XL Games is based in South Korea, so that’s probably the best answer. However Bittner adds that the game studio provided an “interesting opportunity” with “talented developers.” XL Games knows the online space well, and loves the Civilization franchise. “It was a nice mix of talents that presented an opportunity to do something new in the space,” Bittner says.

XL Games’ Ki Choul Cho and Ji Liang Kim at G-Star 2014.

Is it free-to-play?

Yes, yes it is. While Bittner says the team will focus on the game’s fun-factor first before diving further into monetization mechanics, Civilization Online has been developed with the free-to-play model as a foundation. There are monetization points and ideas already planned. However, work is still being done on these systems to make sure they’re not pay-to-win.

Bittner adds that the team is open to considering the subscription model, as its priority is to find a business model that will fit the game. “If the game changes or the audience changes,” he says, “it’s something we would certainly look into.”

2K Games’ Garrett Bittner.

Which Civilization features from the PC games are going to be included?

Apart from familiar victory conditions, more features from the premium Civiization series are going to make an appearance. XL Games says that while espionage won’t be available in the upcoming closed beta test for Korea, it will feature in the full game, presumably along with more similar, straightforward features.