With the release of Beyond Earth right around the corner — the latest entry into Sid Meier’s genre-defining series that takes the franchise into the final frontier — Firaxis Games has confirmed that those who have access to a Steam account can play Civilization V free of charge until Thursday, October 23rd.
Specifically, the incentive runs until 10am Pacific Time, at which point Civilization: Beyond Earth will be ready to download and install. And while forty-eight hours isn’t nearly enough time to experience the full range of features within Civ 5, it’s still a nice incentive for the studio to offer to fans in the build-up to Thursday’s new release.
Speaking of which, Firaxis’ recently unveiled the opening cinematic for the space-faring adventure, which will see humanity push out into the dark recesses of the stars in search of a new planet to terraform and colonise. As a matter of fact, we understand that players will be able to create entirely new civilizations in space.
Billed as the spiritual successor to Alpha Centauri — another Sid Meier title that was published by EA back in 1999 — Beyond Earth can currently be pre-ordered through Steam, which will entitle budding emperors to the free Explonets expansion pack containing six unreleased maps.
Civilzation: Beyond Earth will release on Thursday, October 23rd, at which point the free trail for Civ 5 will expire. For more on the tactical strategy title, check out the official synopsis for Civilization V below.
Firaxis Games will take this incredibly fun and addictive strategy game to unprecedented heights by adding new ways to play and win; new tools to manage and expand your civilization; extensive modding capabilities; and intensely competitive multiplayer options. Civilization V will come to life in a beautifully detailed, living world that will elevate the gameplay experience to a whole new level making it a must-have for gamers around the globe!
