Crossroads of the World and Right to Rule DLC - themed predictions based on what we know

[Evolena]

Interesting explanations, thoughts and assumptions ... A question that has not yet been raised: When might Crossroads of the World be released? Immediately after the release of CIV7? Before Right to Rule? Or sometime in 2026 ... ?

Right to Rule "planned to release on or by September 30, 2025", as for the FAQ on the official site. Crossroads of the World before that, possibly in the 2 months after launch.

 

[Xandinho]

I think whoever is left out of the base game between Germany and Russia will come in 'Crossroads of the World,' and both fit well for a DLC with that name. By the way, we’ve already seen the wonders from both, which raises the suspicion that this DLC will feature civs whose wonders are already in the game.

 

[RedCourtJester]

I think whoever is left out of the base game between Germany and Russia will come in 'Crossroads of the World,' and both fit well for a DLC with that name. By the way, we’ve already seen the wonders from both, which raises the suspicion that this DLC will feature civs whose wonders are already in the game.

Well we already know that is how Crossroads is being marketed, separate from Right to Rule, and why we have good reason to suspect Assyria and/or Babylon (or even Nabataea) may be in Crossroads.

I think, depending on what the base game looks like (I still think Germany and Russia will be in the game at launch, leaders and everything), it would make a lot of sense to just get Assyria and Babylon out of the way together. There are so many more exciting things this game can be doing with DLC than spending its first year releasing Germany, Russia, Assyria, Babylon, etc.

 

[RedCourtJester]

Right to Rule "planned to release on or by September 30, 2025", as for the FAQ on the official site. Crossroads of the World before that, possibly in the 2 months after launch.

Right to Rule said its six DLC packs were planned to release through that time period.

Which really makes me wonder if it is indeed a single "DLC" being trickled out, or if it is, in fact, a set of 6 DLC packs ala New Frontier.

 

[marius_kaparius]

Crossroads of the World makes me think of Samarkand, UNESCO lists it as the “Crossroad of Cultures” so that would be the Sogdian or Timurid empire?

 

[Zaarin]

Crossroads of the World makes me think of Samarkand, UNESCO lists it as the “Crossroad of Cultures” so that would be the Sogdian or Timurid empire?

We should be so lucky. I think the theme of both DLC is going to be "filling in awkward patches in the base game civ roster."

 

[RedCourtJester]

We should be so lucky. I think the theme of both DLC is going to be "filling in awkward patches in the base game civ roster."

I'm hoping we don't get Sogdia/Timurids/Samarkand in Crossroads, if Crossroads happens to be more about Babylon/Assyria.

I would prefer both regions get a full four-civ/two-leader pack instead of haphazardly mashing them together into one:

* Pack 1: Babylon -> Seljuk/Artukid/Zengid; Assyria -> Outremer (modern options are whatever, Mamluks or Ottomans really)
* Pack 2: Sogdia/Kushan -> Hephlalite/Kidarite/Kabul -> Durrani; Timurids (or Scythia)

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Here's what I roughly think might happen:

Crossroads of the World:
4 civs: Assyria, Byzantines, Ottomans, Russia (if not in base game) or Armenia
Leaders: Sargon, Catherine the Great (if Russia is in this DLC) or Roxelana.

Right to Rule
4 civs: Poland, Aztec, Prussia/Germany (if not in base game) or Goths, Edo Japan
Leaders: Charlemagne, Taizong

Edit: Changed Shammuramat to Sargon and Franks to Goths

 

[Zaarin]

Franks

Ed's comments make me think Franks are not high on their to-do list.

Shammuramat

I'll be deeply, deeply disappointed if our only Ancient Near Eastern leader in the game for possibly years is Shammuramat.

 

[Sirimiri]

Not saying I think this is particularly likely, but 'the Crossroads of the World' has also been attributed to Southeast Asia.

The representation in the base game makes me think it's a little less likely, but certainly Champa and Burma come to mind.

There are also currently no natural wonders from SWANA or SEA, so maybe it's possible it will be a mix from the land and maritime trade routes.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Ed's comments make me think Franks are not high on their to-do list.

I was thinking of tying it to Charlemagne, but I did remember the Goths being likely so I might change the Franks to that.

Also, Sargon instead of Shammuramat.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Crossroads of the World makes me think of Samarkand, UNESCO lists it as the “Crossroad of Cultures” so that would be the Sogdian or Timurid empire?

Not only.
Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in central Asia, dating back to at least the 7th - 8th centuries BCE. Archeology indicates the city already had artificial canals supplying water and stone city walls by the 7th century BCE. It was not only one of the primary cities of the Sogdian civ, but also the Achaemenid Persian capital of their Sogdian Satrapy.

After Alexander conquered it, the Greeks called it Maracanda, and as Maracanda or Marakhanda it was an important city of the Greco-Bactrian, Seleucid, and Kushan states.

It was important again under the Sassanids, where it became a center of Manichaeism and a point from which that religion spread accross central Asia.

At various times, the city was part of the Kidarite, Hephtalite Hun, Turkic Khaganate states, finally captured by the Umayyad Caliphate in the early 8th century CE. The Abbasids lost it again, to the Karakhanids, Seljugs and Khwarazmshahs in that order.

It was a Mongol conquest after 1220, but the following century Timur made it his capital.

Basically, everybody who tried to control central Asia between Persia and India held it at one time or the other. That means it was important as a trade center for the Sogdians, Persians, Bactrian Greeks, Kushans, various Hunnic and Turkic tribal federations, and the Timurids.

They could build a whole DLC around this one city, if they chose.

 

[Evolena]

Right to Rule said its six DLC packs were planned to release through that time period.

Which really makes me wonder if it is indeed a single "DLC" being trickled out, or if it is, in fact, a set of 6 DLC packs ala New Frontier.

There are "collections". One of them mention 6 DLC. The Nintendo DLC list lists 7 packs for each. I can totally see each Leader or Civ being its own DLC.

 

[moysturfurmer]

There are "collections". One of them mention 6 DLC. The Nintendo DLC list lists 7 packs for each. I can totally see each Leader or Civ being its own DLC.

Yeah it’s the Fighting Game model of DLC. You could buy M Bison, Terry, Mai, and Elena, 2 Stages, and some Costume 3s for like 60 bucks piecemeal, or you can buy a Season Pass for like 40 bucks. I expect buying a Collection will end up being more financially sound than buying every individual element individually.

Plus, the drip feed method of doling out DLC is probably mandated by the money men as it’s a straightforward way of keeping people checking in w/ your product over a longer stretch of time.

 

[RedCourtJester]

There are "collections". One of them mention 6 DLC. The Nintendo DLC list lists 7 packs for each. I can totally see each Leader or Civ being its own DLC.

It could be. Each DLC pack could also have more than one civ or leader. We really don't know enough yet.

 

[Evolena]

It could be. Each DLC pack could also have more than one civ or leader. We really don't know enough yet.

We know each collection will have 2 leasers and 4 civs. I highly doubt the "and more" part will increase that number (or they would not have given a number to start with).

 

[Black Gate]

Interesting explanations, thoughts and assumptions ... A question that has not yet been raised: When might Crossroads of the World be released? Immediately after the release of CIV7? Before Right to Rule? Or sometime in 2026 ... ?

The Switch eShop suggests all six pieces of the pack (4 civs 2 leaders) will be out by March 25, six weeks after launch. Right to Rule would begin on April 15 and have its final piece released on September 2. CotW releases in "sets" while RtR has one release each month, which makes me think that the former will have leaders related to the civs, and the latter will not.


Crossroads of the World to me suggests it's not *just* the middle east, but anywhere with a big mix of culture and trade. So yes, Byzantium, Ottomans, Assyria, they're all great options. But the Greco-Bactrians, Afghanistan, Swahili/Kilwa, Singapore, can all fit that nexus of trade and culture. I'd definitely expect an Ottoman sultan as leader.

Right to Rule invokes both divine rights and martial rights to me. I'd expect to see something like the Holy Roman Empire, l'Ancient Regime France, Shogunate Japan (especially if it focuses more on the Sengoku/Tokugawa periods), Aztecs, *also* Assyria. Charlemagne feels like a great fit for this theme, and the entire concept of the Mandate of Heaven does too, although I don't expect another Chinese leader this early.

 

[stealth_nsk]

We could guess, what one pack will contain 2 antiquity, 1 exploration, 1 modern civ, while the other one will contain 1 antiquity, 1 exploration, 2 modern, to bring total number to 13 per age. My guesses are:

Crossroads of the World:
Antiquity: Phoenicia/Carthage and Assyria
Exploration: Byzantium
Modern: Ottoman

Right to rule:
Antiquity: Gauls
Exploration: Aztec
Modern: Poland and Mexico (providing it's not part of the base roster, otherwise the European civ from the guessed roster which it replaces)

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

I'm more and more leaning towards 9-9-12 distribution across the ages, with Persia dropping out from antiquity, Hawaii being moder rather than exploration alongside Qing, Britain, Germany, Mexico and Russia to be confirmed.

Then that leaves Persia for the crossroads DLC alongside babylonia, Assyria and Nabatea, all antiquity

 

[stealth_nsk]

I'm more and more leaning towards 9-9-12 distribution across the ages, with Persia dropping out from antiquity, Hawaii being moder rather than exploration alongside Qing, Britain, Germany, Mexico and Russia to be confirmed.

Then that leaves Persia for the crossroads DLC alongside babylonia, Assyria and Nabatea, all antiquity

In Ashoka reveal video, Persia was presented as an option compared to Maurya. I really doubt Persia is not in antiquity.