Summary
- Civilization 6 adds monthly challenges to improve replayability and test players' skills using one leader and a specific win condition.
- The current challenge, Seven Seas, requires players to win using Harald Hardrada in Prince or Emperor Difficulty and the Heroes & Legends game mode.
- The challenge parameters, including the map type and sea level, make it difficult to maintain cities on land, but Harald Hardrada's abilities make coastal raids and a Domination victory easier.
Once a player gets the basic mechanics of Civilization 6, they may find it pretty hard to put down. The game adds even more to its replayability by adding monthly challenges to the Steam version of Civ 6, with the current one being called Seven Seas. These limited-time events allow players to test their mettle using one leader in distinct scenarios. They’ll be rewarded with a Hall of Fame badge for every challenge they complete. The Civilization 6 Seven Seas challenge, featuring Norwegian King Harald Hardrada (Konge), launched on December 12, 2023, and ends on January 9, 2024.
The first Civilization 6 challenge was Age of Abundance, which dared players to get a Cultural victory using Pericles on Prince difficulty. This is the basic premise of the game’s newly added challenges. They give players one leader to work with, a specific win condition to work towards, and a difficulty level range to complete. To make this more doable, the game gives players some advantages. For example, the very first challenge gives players two cities and 1,000 gold right off the bat and no barbarians to foil their plans.
Civilization 6: Varangian Harald Hardrada Leader Guide
One of the first Civilization 6 leaders now has a new persona, and here's how to master it.
The Conditions of Civilization 6’s Seven Seas Challenge
Players who want to earn the Hall of Fame Badge for the Seven Seas challenge must win at all costs using Harald Hardrada in Prince or Emperor Difficulty. While this event does not specify a win condition, it does require players to use the Heroes & Legends game mode. This Civ 6 mode allows players to use heroic figures of different Civilizations, which developers describe as stronger Great People. This is because Heroes, apart from having special abilities, can also be recalled and respawned multiple times. This mode comes from a November 2020 DLC, which players can access for free during the challenge period if they don’t have it yet.
Game Parameters of Civilization 6’s Seven Seas Challenge
Each Civilization 6 challenge will also have unique parameters that players need to work around. Players need to consider the following if they want to achieve victory while sailing on the Seven Seas.
| Parameter | Value |
| Speed | Standard |
| Map Size | Large |
| Map Type | Island Plates |
| Rainfall | High |
| Resources | Standard |
| Ruleset | Gathering Storm |
| Start Era | Classical |
| Start Position | Standard |
| Sea Level | High |
| Temperature | Standard |
| World Age | New |
The notable parameters for this challenge are the Map Type, Sea Level, and Ruleset, as they all force players into venturing into the sea. The map type gives players small islands to build their cities. Civilization 6's Gathering Storm ruleset also introduces environmental effects like climate change, storms, and floods. As such, the tiny islands can get flooded and unusable, a problem which is only made worse by this challenge’s high sea level and rainfall.
Harald Hardrada Makes Civilization 6’s Seven Seas Challenge Easier
The Seven Seas’ perimeters may make it difficult for players to build and sustain cities on land, but the challenge gives them a lifeline by making Harald Haradra the leader. This is because Hardrada's Konge Persona has an ability called Thunderbolt of the North, which offers a 50% production bonus for naval melee units. He also has the Viking Longship, which replaces the Galley. It can perform coastal raids, moves faster in coastal waters, and bypasses enemy zone control.
Thunderbolt of the North provides more rewards when Hardrada's units pillage coastal improvements. Since the map type comprises small islands, players will have a blast raiding and plundering their enemies, who are surrounded by water and beaches. While this challenge does not require a specific win condition, its parameters and selected leader steer players toward a classic Civilization 6 Domination victory. Hardrada is a Viking king after all, so dominating enemies through unrelenting coastal raids only makes sense.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- October 21, 2016
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Drug Reference, Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Firaxis Games
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Games
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Franchise
- Civilization
