The massive Civilization 6 April balance patch is finally here, and it’s a whopper. The update introduces three new military units, four new map types, and makes a host of other tweaks and changes. On top of that, 27 Civ 6 civs (and in some cases, leaders) have been given a balance pass to try and refresh the game’s meta as the New Frontier Pass comes to the close.
And that's not all: 44 units from across the game’s 10+ unit types have received tweaks to stats such as costs, combat strength and in certain cases, what techs are used to unlock them. The inclusion of the Trebuchet, Line Infantry and Men-at-arms has also caused a slight shift in military progression, and many civilisation’s unique units have changed what vanilla unit they’re replacing. For example, the British’s Redcoat infantry and France’s Garde Impériale both now replace the new Line Infantry.
The thrust of the update seems to be aimed at legacy content stretching back to launch and the earlier expansion, although plenty of new elements from the New Frontier Pass have also had a touch-up in the April patch.
The Heroes and Legends game mode, for example, has received a raft of changes, and the most recent Barbarian Clans mode has also had a quality of life pass. You should read the official patch notes to get the full picture.
This update marks the official end of the New Frontier ‘season’, which has seen six micro-expansions and six major free patches released in the space of 12 months. It’s been a bit of an experiment, but one that the developers have since confirmed has been a success.
Buy now: There’s never been a better time to play Civilization 6
What’s coming next for Civilization, we don’t know. We could see a new season pass, a new major expansion (especially as there are still some advantages to releasing a bigger self-contained add-on), or it might finally be time for Civilization 7’s debut.