There's no denying that the Civilization series is one of the most influential real-time strategy franchises ever created.
The game almost single-handedly popularized the genre, and even after decades of sales and sequels, the core series' fifth installment still managed to captivate gamers. It's a testament to how well-made these games are, even if some of the more recent spin-offs haven't been quite as successful.
Now, after nearly six years of waiting, the next numbered entry in the franchise is on its way. 2K Games has officially released the game's debut trailer, and ... well, if you were hoping to learn anything about the next Civilization game, you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
That's not to say that the trailer is bad: its focus on history and real-world events keeps it firmly rooted in the real world, and the narration helps add some drama to the proceedings — but in terms of actual information about the game, there's next to nothing.
Seriously: the entirety of the trailer is dedicated to showing fans images from historical periods and events, while any clues as to what the game will actually be like have been removed entirely. Just take a look for yourself:
It's almost as if 2K Games wasn't ready to talk about the game, so instead of giving players real information, they filled the trailer with inspirational quotes and historical photos.
Also, considering the response to the last few games in the series, information is exactly what fans have been hoping for. Civilization: Beyond Earth made some huge changes to the formula, and there were plenty of players who weren't happy with Firaxis Games — as such, fans are desperate to know if the series will return to its more grounded roots (as the trailer implies) or if the changes made in Beyond Earth will carry over to this new entry.
To be fair, it's likely that 2K Games is simply biding its time — E3 2016 is only a few short weeks away, and there's a good chance that Civilization VI will have a fully fleshed-out reveal during the show. Hopefully, fans will actually get to learn about the game next time — until then, all that's left to do is wait and see.
At the very least, the game has a solid release date: Civilization VI is due out on Oct. 21.
