The Civpocalypse Is Here: Civ 6's New Monthly Challenge Explained

It's the end of days in the new monthly challenge for Civilization 6, which just launched on December 10 to keep players occupied over the holidays as they gear up for Civ 7's release next February. Civ 6's monthly challenges are unique scenarios that incorporate specific rules or limitations, and players can access them even if they didn't purchase the Civ DLC used in the challenge. This month's new challenge throws players into a literal apocalypse - a Civpocalypse to be exact - and will test their patience and resilience against an onslaught of natural disasters, barbarian hordes, and rising sea levels.

During the Civpocalypse, players will test their skills as Tamar of the Georgian Empire and face devastating floods, tornadoes, and comets raining calamity across the map. If players manage to survive the end times and this is their first challenge, they will unlock a special in-game Hall of Fame Badge that shows off their skills. However, this is no easy feat, and players will need all the skill - and luck - they can muster to pull it off. Here's a closer look at everything there is to know about Civilization 6's Civpocalypse challenge for December.

Players Have Until January To Survive The Civpocalypse

The Civpocalypse monthly challenge officially launched on Tuesday, December 10 and will run until Wednesday, January 15. This will be among the most difficult challenges of the year and promises to test players' patience and skill. There are two difficulty levels to choose from - Prince or Emperor - by navigating to the "main menu in-game and [clicking] on the 'Challenge of the Month' image in the rotating marquee for your desired difficulty level," according to the official Civilization website. The challenge isn't easy, regardless of players' difficulty selection, due to the extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and comets that will wipe out entire cities in a single turn.

Leader Tamar, Georgian Empire Map Pangea Speed Quick Rules Gathering Storm Start Era Information Era World Age New Resources Sparse Start Position Standard Rainfall Wet Sea Level High

The scenario's other challenges stem from the Gathering Storm "Apocalypse Mode" that was rolled out with the Maya & Gran Colombia DLC Pack. This mode engages Hyperreal Disaster Intensity, making disasters worse and more frequent throughout the encounter, especially in the endgame. There are two unique disasters in this Civ 6 game mode, Solar Flares and Comet Strikes, both of which are even more extreme when entering Level 7 Climate Change. Solar Flares affect the entire map, while Comet Strikes wipe out the tiles they hit and leave literal craters, or Impact Zones, in their wake. Climate change and sea level rise rates are also increased.

The Civpocalypse's Leader, Unique Unit & Competition, And Main Challenges

Appeasing The Gods May Be Tamar's Only Hope

Players will start as Tamar of Georgia in the Information Era, meaning there will be no access to religion or any sort of religious victory, which is already a major impediment to the Georgian Empire's Faith-based bonuses. There are, however, unique Soothsayer units purchased with Faith that function in Apocalypse mode as purveyors of disaster. They can be used offensively to enter enemy territory and cause an immediate disaster on certain eligible tiles, potentially destroying entire cities. The Appease the Gods competition rewards Soothsayers with additional promotions, but requires making a combat-unit sacrifice to the Gods, tossing them into a volcano.

Civpocalypse Feature Type Description Soothsayer Unit An Apocalypse-mode-specific support unit. Can use the Cause Disaster action to begin a random disaster in the hexes near the unit. Doing so destroys the Soothsayer if it has no more charges. Solar Flare Disaster A burst of solar radiation lights the atmosphere, disabling advanced technology. Comet Strike Disaster Asteroids pummel the planet.

The biggest challenge of this scenario is surviving the final turns - this pretty much boils down to luck. Comet Strikes will become so frequent that players will be lucky to survive with a single city intact. The beginning is no treat either, as the early game includes barbarian hordes en masse that will pillage cities while players attempt to set up their initial civilization. There are also "regular" disasters - floods, tornadoes, dust storms, volcanic eruptions, etc. - and these happen more regularly as the game progresses, though once the Apocalypse starts, only Comet Strikes and Solar Flares will occur.

Tips For Surviving The Civpocalypse In Civ 6's Monthly Challenge

There's No Easy Way To Survive The Civpocalypse

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Surviving the Civpocalypse requires players to be both strategic and lucky. For example, it's possible to lose a capital city on the first Comet Strike, which is sheer bad luck. They may also face an onslaught of Soothsayers from opponents, and will certainly face a slew of barbarian hordes. Starting in the Information Era can be limiting as well, and the Georgian Empire isn't necessarily well-suited for the scenario. The beginning of this challenge can seem uneventful or even eerily peaceful, but don't be mistaken - the end is nigh, and comets will undoubtedly rain down from the heavens.

Comet Strikes in Climate Change Level 7 will leave behind nuclear fallout in the Impact Zones, and those areas will be impassable and useless for the remainder of the game.

This month's challenge will test players' patience, will, and survival skills, and making it through the Civpocalypse will not be easy. Some tips for surviving include pursuing a Scientific Victory and launching the exoplanet expedition as soon as possible. If pursuing a Domination Victory, utilize the Soothsayer units to damage enemies where it hurts the most. Additionally, Climate Change can be mitigated slightly by only using renewables, though this won't matter much in the end. With these tips, players might stand a chance at surviving the Civpocalypse for Civilization 6's monthly challenge.

Source: Civilization