Whether you’re playing right from the beginning of Civilization 7 and starting in the Antiquity Age or diving into a single-Age game with the Modern Age, having the right Civ to pair with your chosen Leader can help you secure a win.
Each Civ has a different level of synergy with each Leader, offering unique perks and different paths to victory. Some will be unlocked automatically depending on your Leader, while others will require a little more work in-game—so we’ve gathered every Civ 7 unlock requirement for you below.
All Civilization VII unlock requirements, explained
Games in Civ 7 are played in three separate Ages, with your Leader staying the same as your Civ evolves and changes. Your Civ choice in the Antiquity Age will not stay with you throughout the whole game, but it will impact your choices in the Exploration Age and so on.
It’s a new gameplay style for the franchise, making it more important than ever to consider your build and desired route to victory.
While you’re looking at how to unlock each Civ, it’s worth considering the different Leader traits and agendas on offer too, as these can play into your experience significantly and influence which Civ is the most logical pick to work towards.
Exploration Age Civ unlocks
There are currently 11 unique Civs to pick from in the Exploration Age, all of which can be unlocked through a variety of means. Simply picking the associated Leader can get you your chosen Civ, while completing tasks during the Antiquity Age can also do the trick.
Hitting just one of the requirements will unlock the Civ, so there’s no need to tick off the entire list.
Abbasid
There are four ways to unlock this Civ:
- Play as Ibn Battuta in the Antiquity Age
- Improve three camel resources
- Choose either Egypt or Persia
Chola
You can unlock the Chola Civ by:
- Playing as either the Ashoka, World Renouncer persona or Ashoka, World Conqueror persona
- Choosing Khmer or Maurya
- Having three Settlements with city centers adjacent to a coastal tile, not including adjacencies only to lakes
The World Conqueror persona is available via DLC, but the other persona is a base game option.
Hawai’i
To unlock Hawai’i, you need to:
- Have two Settlements on an island
- Choose Maya or Mississippian
- Play as José Rizal
Islands are defined as being land masses that are 15 tiles or less.
Inca
Unlocking Inca in the Exploration Age requires:
- Have at least three Settlements with three mountain tiles each
- Play as Pachacuti
- Choose Maya or Mississippian
Majapahit
To unlock Majapahit, you’ll need to:
- Improve three pearl resources
- Have three naval trade routes
- Play as Trung Trac
- Choose Khmer or Maurya
Ming
This Civ requires the following unlock tasks:
- Improve three silk resources
- Have at least eight resources slotted into one Settlement
- Choose Han
- Play as Confucius
Mongolia
To unlock Mongolia, you’ll need to:
- Have three siege units
- Improve three horse resources
- Choose Han or Persia
Norman
Unlocking the Norman Civ requires:
- Improving three iron resources
- Building five walls
- Playing as Charlemagne
- Choosing Greece or Rome
Shawnee
To unlock the Shawnee Civ, you’ll need to:
- Play as Tecumseh
- Improve three hides
- Choose the Mississippians
- Be suzerain of two City-States
This Civ is unlocked via the Tecumseh and Shawnee DLC pack.
Songhai
Unlocking Songhai for the Exploration Age requires:
- Having three Settlements with at least three navigable river tiles each
- Playing as Amina
- Choosing Aksum or Egypt
Spain
Spain’s unlock requirements are:
- Reconquering a lost Settlement
- Choosing Greece or Rome
- Playing as Isabella
Some of the unlock requirements for the Exploration Age overlap, so you’ll have plenty of choices when the transition occurs.
Modern Age Civ unlocks
Having the right Modern Age Civ to work alongside your Leader’s playstyle is crucial for securing a win in the final Age. There are currently 10 options available, and as with the Exploration Age options, you can unlock them in a few different ways.
America
To unlock America, you need to:
- Play as Harriet Tubman, Tecumseh, or Benjamin Franklin
- Have three Distant Lands Settlements in plains or grassland tiles
- Choose Rome or the Shawnee
Buganda
Buganda’s unlock requirements task you with:
- Play as Amina
- Have two Settlements with city centers that are adjacent to a lake
French Empire
To unlock the French Empire, complete these tasks:
- Play as Lafayette or either of Napoleon’s personas
- Improve three wine resources
- Choose Rome
Meiji Japan
Unlocking Meiji Japan requires you to:
- Play as either of Himiko’s personas
- Choose Khmer
- Improve three tea resources
Mexico
To play as Mexico in the Modern Age, you need to:
- Have three Distant Lands Settlements in desert or tropical tiles
- Choose the Maya or the Shawnee Civs
- Play as Isabella or Tecumseh
Mughal
Unlocking Mughal requires:
- Having four trade routes with unique Civilizations
- Improving three salt resources
- Choosing Persia
Prussia
To unlock Prussia, you must:
- Have three Army Commanders
- Improve three niter resources
- Play as either Friedrich persona
- Choose Rome
Qing
To access the Qing Civ in the Modern Age, you need to:
- Improve three jade resources
- Choose Han
Russia
To play as Russia in the Modern Age, you must:
- Play as Catherine the Great
- Have three Settlements on Tundra tiles
- Choose Greece
Siam
Siam’s unlock requirements are:
- Having four Temples
- Improving three ivory resources
- Choosing the Khmer Civ
There are several ways to unlock Civs in Civ 7, so if you find the gameplay unlock requirements to be arduous or inconsistent with your strategy, then make sure to check which Leaders or earlier Civs can help you unlock them.
At the time of writing, the only Civ that requires a DLC purchase is the Shawnee Civ, although this will not be the case for long. More DLC is planned with the Crossroads of the World Collection and Right to Rule Collection, which are currently due to come out in March 2025 and Sep. 2025 respectively.
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