Civ 7 Leader Reveal Gives First Look at Filipino Writer and Revolutionary

With the release of Civilization 7 drawing near, fans only have a few more details to learn about before they can try the game firsthand. The majority of civilizations and leaders set for the game at launch have been announced, but a few final reveals remain. The latest Civ 7 First Look featured José Rizal, a hero of the Philippines that likely wouldn't have made it in without the game's most significant change.

José Rizal joins leader roster thanks to a big change in Civ 7

When the anticipation reached a boiling point and Civilization 7 was finally announced, the biggest change everyone was focused on was the departure from locking leaders to a particular civilization. This had been standard in every mainline game up to that point, but Civ 7 is set to take the risk of breaking tradition in hopes of bringing previously difficult to include choices into the fold.

Their latest Civ 7 First Look at new leader José Rizal is the perfect example of what that choice allowed. For the most part, leaders connected to civilizations have usually been significant political figures, royalty, and heads of state. By expanding their choices in leaders, Civ 7 is set to have unique first appearances like Benjamin Franklin, Harriet Tubman, and Confucius.

José Rizal now joins that list, as it seems the Philippines wasn't able to make the cut as a civilization in the game at launch. While they could be in an upcoming Modern Age reveal or even part of post-launch plans, separating civs and leaders also allows the game to add José Rizal as a leader despite his impact being more as a revolutionary and writer than a traditional head of state.

Rizal was added to both Civ 5 and Civ 6 by fans in mods where he was a Filipino leader, but Civ 7 will be the first time he's officially been in the franchise. In a choice fitting of both his history and the ways Civ 7 is changing, Rizal's unique ability "Pambamsang Bayani" will link directly to the new Narrative Event system.

Only a handful of potential in-game Narrative Events have been shown, but these can have several different triggers and will push players to see a unique arc to the story of their civilization. Rizal will get additional culture and gold from Narrative Events, his own additional unique Narrative Events, and bonus happiness for extended celebrations.

Thanks to a cultural and diplomatic focus, Rizal also fits well with the changes made to diplomacy in Civilization 7. The First Look suggested pairing José Rizal with Hawai'i in the Exploration Age, but players could also look to rewrite history in a different way. Rizal fought for the rights of Filipinos and was executed by the Spanish for this, but players could choose to make José Rizal the leader of Spain in the Exploration Age to chart a different historical path for that connection. Once the game is available worldwide, fans are sure to discover many different ways to lead with Rizal in Civilization 7.