Next week, Civilization VII will get a "hotseat" mode

Firaxis studio keeps tinkering with Sid Meier’s Civilization VII. Patch 1.4.1 is penciled in for the wk of June 22 and brings an extra map type, reworked systems, and a "hotsit" mode — yes, the thing many players have been asking for.

• "Hotsit" is one of the most desired features among Civilization VII players. The idea: several people share a single device by swapping a gamepad or keyboard between turns — devs say it should make couch multiplayer less of a contortion act.
• The new map type is archipelago. According to the devs, it was rebuilt from scratch and now generates with much greater randomness. The older archipelago layout won't disappear; it will be renamed — hemisphere archipelagos.
• Updated government, happiness, and celebration systems. New stages of happiness are being added to better mesh with empire-level mechanics, governments gain fresh "passives" and celebrations, and players can unlock unique government traditions that persist across eras and "leave a permanent mark in the history of your civilization."
• A batch of smaller adjustments and bug fixes is coming too — full patch notes will appear closer to release.

At the same time, a paid expansion, Brush & Blade, will be released, exploring the histories of Korea and Japan. It includes:

• Two leaders — Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Yi Sun-sin.
• Four new civilizations —
  • Heian Japan
  • Sengoku Japan
  • Goryeo
  • Joseon
• Four wonders of the world —
  • Nachi Waterfall
  • Mireuksa Temple
  • Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace
  • Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak

The expansion is split into two drops. Part one, focused on Japan, will arrive with patch 1.4.1; part two, centered on Korea, is scheduled for July.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is available on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation (PS), Xbox (XB), and both Nintendo Switch (NS) consoles, with full Russian localization.