When will we see the first expansion?

[WillowBrook]

Given recent comments by Ed Beach about things to improve in Civ VI, it seems very likely that an expansion is in the works. When do you think it will be released? Guess the month.

If I remember, I'll revive this thread and congratulate those who guessed correctly once Firaxis announces a release date.

Poll is open for 4 weeks, but I'll try to have it closed early if we get an official announcement with a date before the 4 weeks is up.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I think it will be announced in March and released in June.

 

[WillowBrook]

Feel free to comment on your reasons for your guess or provide related speculation.

I'm guessing we'll have to wait until April or May for an announcement and it won't be out until September, mostly because I'm feeling pessimistic at the moment.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

My guess is July but of course I wouldn't mind June with an announcement in March.

 

[leif erikson]

Firaxis seems to like schedules. Following Civ5, G&K was announced on 16 February and released on 19 June. Curiously, the month of June 2018 appears to be strikingly similar to the month of June 2012. I'll bet on the past as a guide to the future.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Feel free to comment on your reasons for your guess or provide related speculation.

I'm guessing we'll have to wait until April or May for an announcement and it won't be out until September, mostly because I'm feeling pessimistic at the moment.

They announced Civ VI in May of 2016, then did a media day in late May, and a big to-do at E3. I figure, they announce in March, then have a big to-do at PAX East in April. G&K came out in June, and Ed Beach inferred they would be following a similar schedule to Civ V's expansion.

However, they announced the XCOM expansion right at E3, so they might wait till PAX East too. That expansion came just two months later, which in this case is in June.

Additionally, it stands to reason there will be a comparable number of civs (9) and some alt-leaders in the expansion. I'll be generous and say 3 alt-leaders. That would be 12 First Looks. Sara Darney told me she intended to keep doing First Look voice-overs, which means they intend to keep that marketing model. So, if I take mid-late June and subtract 12 weeks, that puts us at the end of March and beginning of April.

 

[Vahnstad]

I hope as many civs and as many leaders as possible. I would be happy with 9 + 3, but i'm more considering 8 + 1 or 8 + 2.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

I think it will be announced in March and released in June.

That's pretty much the pattern for Firaxis games/expansions. Announcement between February and April, release between June and October.

I hope as many civs and as many leaders as possible. I would be happy with 9 + 3, but i'm more considering 8 + 1 or 8 + 2.

Now that they finally added two Southeast Asian civs, I'm more interested in additional alt-leaders than new Civs. I still want Ethiopia, Carthage, Byzantium, Mali and indigenous American civs, but I also really want a Tang dynasty emperor, a proper ancient pharaoh, a Sassanid shahanshah, an ancient Indian ruler (preferably a Maurya) and Bismarck.
And Charlemagne as a leader for France and Germany.

 

[Katakanja]

I think it will be announced in March and released in June.

Could we just have an "I agree with whatever Eagle Pursuit says" option on the poll?

Also who has voted for never? Good to know that the forum doomsayers are voting promptly

 

[Hakan-i Cihan]

Also who has voted for never? Good to know that the forum doomsayers are voting promptly

Not necessarily doomsayers. They could believe that for civ6 only dlc's will be released. Not that I see that as an likely option.

 

[Katakanja]

Not necessarily doomsayers. They could believe that for civ6 only dlc's will be released. Not that I see that as an likely option.

Aha, an interesting interpretation, though as you say it's pretty unlikely. Particularly given that Ed has more or less informally confirmed that an expansion will happen sooner or later in interviews. I think the only situation that could cause an expansion to never be released would be some kind of catastrophic failure at 2K.

 

[Leyrann]

Could we just have an "I agree with whatever Eagle Pursuit says" option on the poll?

Also who has voted for never? Good to know that the forum doomsayers are voting promptly

Can I give this post two likes for the two different parts of it?

Also I went for April, exactly 1.5 years after release. Maybe a tad optimistic, but I like optimism.

 

[Uberfrog]

Going back to Civ IV Warlords, every Civ expansion has been released in July, with the exception of Civ V Gods & Kings in June.

So I'd bet July 2018, but June is also a distinct possibility.

 

[WillowBrook]

Also who has voted for never? Good to know that the forum doomsayers are voting promptly

It's a public poll - click on the number of votes and you can see who voted for the option

 

[Leyrann]

It's a public poll - click on the number of votes and you can see who voted for the option

Uh... Never heard of that guy... (no offense)

 

[Vahnstad]

We need more love for december 2018

 

[Browd]

Uh... Never heard of that guy... (no offense)

That poster just joined CFC a month or so ago. Even newcomers get a vote.

 

[Art Morte]

Spring or Summer, I guess. Not looking forward, though, the base-game AI is too bad and the way every patch introduces new bugs don't make me keen on throwing more money at this thing. It's like happily paying the full fare for a taxi that leaves you half-way from your destination.

 

[Katakanja]

We need more love for december 2018

What makes you think it will take that long?

I mentioned this in another thread, but it applies here so I'll throw it out again. As far as we are aware Firaxis doesn't have any other games in development at the moment, so if they wait for a whole year before releasing the expansion that means they have to rely on what is probably going to be a fairly small trickle of DLC sales to make profit for the next year.

Obviously they have the support of 2K as their publisher and parent company, so its not like they can go bust out of nowhere, but I'm sure the execs and finance guys would prefer them to have a new product released at least every 12 months, so since the XCOM expansion came out in August, I feel like August/September 2018 is the absolute latest we will see the expansion for Civ VI - barring a release delay for some reason.

 

[Guandao]

I voted for July 2018. Gods and Kings was released in June, but Warlords was released in July. I think Firaxis will want to take some time to complete this expansion. I also see August 2018 as likely too.

As for when we start hearing news about it, maybe March or April.