Civilization V Announced?! No Way....

2K Games just made the day a little brighter with the announcement of a brand new title in the best-selling Civilization series. Sid Meier's Civilization V, currently in development at Firaxis, will feature an "entirely new combat system, deeper diplomatic interactions, and a cavalcade of expanded features that deliver a fully immersive experience providing hours of enteratainment as players build and defend their empire on their quest to become the greatest ruler the world has ever known."

Perhaps most significantly for fans, the series is making the jump to hexagons rather than square tiles to "allow for deeper strategy, more realistic gameplay, and stunning organic landscapes." The entire game is being built on an entirely new engine that's being built from the ground up to bring players "closer to the Civ experience than ever." Diplomacy is handled full screen now, with full leader animations and appropriate languages. Players who aren't inclined towards negotiations will find that war feels "more massive" and includes ranged bombardment from behind front lines.

Civilization V will also include an "extensive suite of community, modding and multiplayer elements," and an "in-game community hub where Civ fans can share content and compete against each other." Quotes courtesy of Gamespy.