Massive expansion to sci-fi entry in Civilization franchise extends the Beyond Earth experience to new frontiers while ushering in a new age of diplomacy

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NEW YORK — (BUSINESS WIRE) — October 9, 2015 — 2K and Firaxis Games today announced that Sid Meier’s Civilization®: Beyond Earth™ – Rising Tide, the expansion pack for 2014’s turn-based strategy title, Civilization: Beyond Earth, is now available for download on Windows PC. Created by Firaxis Games, Rising Tide enriches the Beyond Earth experience by offering a robust array of expansion content, with even more strategic ways to shape humanity’s future on an alien planet. Rising Tide is also available today for Mac and Linux through Aspyr Media.

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2K and Firaxis Games today announced that Sid Meier's Civilization®: Beyond Earth™ – Rising Tide, the expansion pack for 2014's turn-based strategy title, Civilization: Beyond Earth, is now available for download on Windows PC. (Photo: Business Wire)

“After the launch of Beyond Earth, we were excited to hear our fans wanted us to further extend the science-fiction experience in this alien world,” said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “In Rising Tide, fans will enjoy seeing much of their feedback taken to heart through a series of new features, varied terrains and exciting new diplomatic options that offer new choices for players as they secure the fate of humanity on a strange world.”

Rising Tide pushes the boundaries of Beyond Earth across new alien terrains and oceans while adding more choices and diplomatic options as players build “one more turn” toward a new vision for humanity’s future. New aquatic gameplay allows players to explore the seas for colonization by dramatically extending the play space, while an overhauled Diplomacy system provides them with additional layers of dynamic choices and options to shape the diplomatic landscape. Players can also discover an assortment of additional updates, including visually-and behaviorally-distinct aliens that are now unique to each biome, as well as enormous, powerful Marvels that appear as part of the planet terrain and offer new quests to embark upon.

“Beyond Earth successfully proved there is an audience for a sci-fi spin-off to the Civilization franchise,” said Sarah Anderson, SVP of Marketing at 2K. “Over the last year, Firaxis has done a lot of work to ensure Rising Tide is an ambitious expansion that continues differentiating Beyond Earth from its historical predecessors while reviewing and implementing community feedback since the launch of the base game.”

Key new features of Rising Tide include:

• COLONIZE THE OCEAN: Build floating settlements and access natural resources hidden beneath the seas of the alien planet. Alien beasts with unique abilities inhabit the water and challenge the player in new ways. The ocean also provides a fully replayable map, new gameplay mechanics and strategic possibilities for players to reign supreme on their new world;
• DYNAMIC LEADER TRAITS: Players and AI Leaders alike unlock new Traits through gameplay and activate different combinations to respond to the changing world. These dynamic sets of Traits also provide benefits and add to the new Diplomacy system, which is governed by new Fear and Respect attributes;
• NEW, ENHANCED DIPLOMATIC OPTIONS: Shape the political landscape by using Diplomatic Capital to upgrade Traits, change diplomatic Relationships and leverage the benefits of allies’ Traits;
• NEW SPONSORS: Four new leaders and factions have been added to the game, including Arshia Kishk of Al Falah, Duncan Hughes of the North Sea Alliance, Lena Ebner of INTEGR and Han Jae Moon of Chungsu;
• NEW ARTIFACT SYSTEM: Collect and combine powerful Artifacts to unlock new perks, unit upgrades, Wonders, and buildings for factions on the new world;
• NEW HYBRID UNITS: Affinities are competing visions for the future of humanity. By investing in multiple Affinities, rather than specializing in just one, players can unlock special hybrid Affinity units and upgrades;
• NEW BIOMES: Two new world types have been added: Primordial worlds are rife in volcanic activity and the chaotic landscape of a world still forming. Meanwhile, Frigid worlds have cooled in their great age, causing their surfaces to be covered by icy oceans and frozen tundra.