The latest installment in the iconic strategy series, Civilization 7, has hit the market, and fans are buzzing with one notable absence: the beloved Indian leader, Gandhi. A staple in every base game of the Civilization franchise since its inception in 1991, Gandhi has become synonymous with the series, even spawning the legendary (though mythical) 'Nuclear Gandhi' bug.

However, fans eager to see Gandhi in Civilization 7 might have to wait a bit longer. According to lead designer Ed Beach, Gandhi is not part of the initial release but there's a silver lining. Beach assures fans that Gandhi is on the radar for future DLC, signaling hope for his inclusion down the line.

Image credit: Firaxis

“So I would say we haven't forgotten about anybody who's been in our game before,” Beach stated, acknowledging the community's concerns about missing civilizations like Great Britain or England. He further elaborated on Firaxis’ strategy for selecting civilizations, noting that even iconic ones like Mongolia and Persia were omitted from previous base games but later added.

“One thing I always think about is, we've had the same situation where iconic civilizations haven't been in our base game before,” Beach explained. “We had both Mongolia and Persia missing from the base game of either Civ 5 or Civ 6, and both of those were just massive conquerors who ruled huge chunks of Asia during their time period. So we always have to leave somebody out. There're just too many popular choices and we always want to have a few fresh ones that sound really new and exciting to people. So things are getting left behind, but we always are looking at the big picture, when we're going to bring leaders or civs into the fold. So there's hope for Gandhi, yet.”

In the meantime, Civilization 7 has already planned some exciting additions. Carthage and Great Britain will join the game as part of The Crossroads of the World Collection DLC in March 2025, followed by Bulgaria and Nepal.

As Civilization 7 navigates its initial reception, it's grappling with a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam. Community feedback has highlighted issues with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and the absence of several expected features. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, in an interview with IGN, acknowledged these criticisms but remained optimistic about the game's future, citing the "legacy Civ audience" and describing the game's early performance as "very encouraging."

For those looking to dominate in Civilization 7, there's a wealth of resources available. Check out our comprehensive guides on achieving every Civ 7 victory, understanding the biggest Civ 7 changes for Civ 6 players, and avoiding the 14 crucial Civ 7 mistakes. We also provide detailed insights into the various Civ 7 map types and difficulty settings to help you strategize effectively.