A recent live-action trailer for the upcoming game Civilization VII has ignited a strong negative reaction from players. The source of the controversy is the depiction of a black woman shown commanding a Mongolian army, which many gamers found historically inaccurate and displeasing.
The backlash is evident on platforms like YouTube, where the trailer reportedly received a stark imbalance of negative reactions, gathering approximately 102 likes against 3,000 dislikes shortly after its release.
A significant number of comments expressing criticism have accumulated more positive votes than the video itself. Among the frequent points raised by users is the question of why developer Firaxis Games chose to allocate resources to producing such a video “instead of focusing on improving the game.” Some disgruntled players have even stated their intention to boycott Civilization VII, citing what they perceive as the developers` dismissive attitude towards the player community.
Comments reflecting the community`s reaction include:
“A black woman leading the Mongolian army is peak comedy.”
“Why wasn`t the time/money spent on this directed towards improving the game?”
“The creator of this video definitely has malicious intent towards the average gamer, and this video should be treated accordingly.”
“She`s a strong and independent black woman who doesn`t need any gamers.”
“Netflixification of Civ 7”
Interestingly, from a potential gameplay perspective within Civilization VII itself, the scenario of a non-Mongolian leader commanding the Mongolian army might be possible. Reports indicate that in the new installment, leaders are no longer strictly tied to a specific civilization they represent, and players may need to swap between different empires as they progress through the game`s historical eras.
Finley Holt