Civ 7 Leader Returns to Franchise After Two Decades, Completes Launch Roster

While post-launch DLC is expected to continue expanding what players have to work with, the final base game Civilization 7 leader reveal has officially been released. Featuring an alternate persona, one of five on the base roster, this brings Civilization 7 to a total of 26 different leaders at launch. After last being seen as a German leader two decades ago in Civilization 4, Friedrich the Great joins the lineup for Civ 7 with two unique personas.

Friedrich the Great returns in Civilization 7

The final pre-launch Civ 7 First Look revealed Friedrich the Great as the last core leader. While his alternate persona, as well as a few others, are locked to DLC or other methods, Friedrich joins the base game and brings the standard edition launch lineup to 21 different leaders. Four alternate personas are available at launch in DLC packs included with non-standard editions of Civilization 7, and one persona is linked to connecting your 2K account to both Civ 6 and Civ 7.

Several leaders in Civ 7 are making their debut in the series or as leaders, but Friedrich is in a unique position. Last featured two decades ago in the release of Civilization 4, this is actually the first time he's been named Friedrich. In the past, he'd been given the anglicized version and just dubbed Frederick the Great. On top of that, all past versions were leaders tied to Germany.

While leaders aren't tied to civs in the same way in Civilization 7, the King of Prussia will actually have the option of leading Prussia in the Modern Age in Civ 7. Friedrich will be playable with the Oblique persona in the base game, and the Baroque persona is included in the Deluxe Content Pack DLC. The two personas have plenty of similarities, but the divide really comes down to focusing on culture or science. In either case, military might is key.

Both personas have abilities linked to military units, but they can feed into very different strategies. Friedrich, Oblique is a scientific powerhouse with the "Berlin Academy" ability. That will automatically give Army Commanders the Merit Commendation upgrade for increased command radius range, and players will gain a free infantry unit every time a science building is constructed. This could bolster a potential science victory, but they also go hand-in-hand should players be looking for a military victory.

Friedrich, Baroque instead focuses on culture with the "Hohenfriedberger Marsch" ability. This includes the same bonus infantry unit but instead for construction culture buildings. Perhaps most impactful, players will gain a Great Work after capturing any settlement for the first time. That's an incredibly versatile power, as it will also make Friedrich's Baroque persona a fantastic pick for players that would rather work towards both a culture and military victory at the same time. Many more strategies are sure to be discovered once Civ 7 arrives, but Friedrich is finally at home in the game with the chance to lead Prussia to greatness.