Civilization 7 Will Feature the Least Trustworthy Leader in History

While there's more to come in the next Civilization 7 stream, a new First Look video has just dropped and revealed a leader making their series debut next year. Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli became so infamous for duplicity and treachery against even his closest allies that his own name got a new definition. Now, Machiavelli will be one of many Civ 7 leaders players can choose from. If you're looking to lie, cheat, and steal your way to victory, the king of that philosphy has arrived.

Civ 7 First Look Adds Machiavelli ss the Latest New Leader

Severing the connection between leaders and civilizations has opened a new doorway for Civ 7 to feature unique leaders which never quite made the cut in the past. While Italy has appeared in various scenarios in previous games, and Florence was a culture City-State in Civilization 5, the only instance with a leader attached to Italy featured Guiseppe Garibaldi.

While we don't yet have confirmation that Italy will be included in Civ 7, it seems very possible. Many civilizations have been revealed in First Look videos even as a vague mention, but all the current videos have only gone as far as the Exploration Age. With the Exploration Age livestream coming up, Italy might be an unrevealed Exploration Age civ or even a Modern Age civ.

In the exclusive First Look at Machiavelli, they suggest Greece in the Antiquity Age and the Normans in the Exploration Age as potential choices for this new leader. Whoever players choose, it's clear that Machiavelli will embody the still-present meaning of his name. Something or someone that's cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous (especially in politics) can still be described as Machiavellian today.

If you look forward to stabbing everyone in the back, Machiavelli is arguably the least trustworthy leader in history and one you can rely on for unique paths to betray allies. Here is the unique ability for Machiavelli in Civ 7:

• Il Principe: Gain additional Influence per Age. Gain a set amount of Gold per Age when your Diplomatic Action proposals are accepted, or even more Gold per Age when they are rejected. Ignore Relationship requirements for declaring Formal Wars. You can Levy Military Units from City-States you are not Suzerain of.

The ability to declare Formal Wars despite your relationship with another leader could become a major advantage, and gaining extra gold from rejected proposals will make pushing the boundaries of what other leaders will accept more worthwhile. Should your army need a boost, the option to levy units without being suzerain will also be huge. Whether you're looking for a fully diplomatic path or want to abuse diplomacy to earn gold and conquer enemies, there may not be a better fit in Civilization 7 than Machiavelli.