Civilization 6's next update lets you learn to live with those pesky barbarians Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Civilization 6's next update lets you learn to live with those pesky barbarians Clan you believe it? News by Wesley Yin-Poole Deputy Editorial Director Updated on 16 Feb 2021 21 comments In Civilization 6, barbarians are a pretty simple obstacle to understand: kill or be killed. In the game's next update, the barbarians are getting a complete overhaul that makes them more than just empty-headed gold pinatas. In the video below, developer Firaxis goes into detail on how it all works. Watch on YouTube The February update, set for 25th February and free for all players, adds the new Barbarian Clans game mode. This completely changes how barbarians work in the game, adding six barbarian clans that can be found living on or near different map conditions, and each specialising in a different type of unit. You'll find the camps of the Hills Clan near hills, for example, and the Rover Clan near horses resources. Clans can claim and build unique units from major civilisations not present in that game. These clans accumulate progress each turn to convert to a city-state. You can hinder their progress, or actually help the barbarians, learning to live together and eventually become their Suzerain. If you destroy a clan you'll wipe it off the map, as usual. But if you raid a clan, you'll earn some gold and knock down some of their progress towards becoming a city-state. You can stop a clan from attacking your cities by paying a bribe, and even hire a clan to add its strongest unit to your army. If a clan abducts one of your units, you can get it back by paying a ransom. You can also spend gold to incite a clan into attacking another civilisation. Exchanging gold boosts the clan's progress towards converting into a city-state. Meanwhile, the February update adds the leader selection pool, which lets you customise the pool of leaders that can be used in-game. There are AI tweaks and balance changes, too (the bulk of AI adjustments focus on air units and air combat where they deploy anti-air defenses and engage in air strikes more frequently). Expect the patch notes alongside the update on 25th February. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store