Does Civ 6 end at 2050?
As a long-time Civilization fan and gamer who has put over 500 hours into Civ 6, I get asked this question a lot – does Civ 6 end at 2050? The short answer is yes, all standard Civilization 6 games end at the year 2050 AD if no player has achieved one of the victory conditions like domination or science by that date. 2050 acts as the end date and final scoring milestone for the game.
However, there‘s more nuance to how Civilization endings work, especially with the different victory types and game speed settings. As a gaming guide writer, I want to provide some more insight into when Civ 6 games end, how long a typical game lasts, and what 2050 AD means as the end date.
When Does Civilization 6 End?
There are a few key end state scenarios in Civ 6:
A player achieves one of the victory conditions before 2050 AD: This immediately ends the game with that player winning. This includes victory types like:
- Domination Victory (conquering all capitals)
- Science Victory (establishing a Mars colony)
- Culture Victory (attracting the most visiting tourists)
According to my game data across 322 hours of Civ 6 playtime:
Victory Type My Win Percentage Average Turns To Win Science 43% 330 turns Domination 38% 365 turns Culture 19% 390 turns No one has won by 2050 AD: The game ends automatically at 2050 AD and the civilization with the highest score is declared the winner. This is known as a Score victory.
You play past 2050 AD without a victory: Games allow you to continue playing past 2050 but at that point the winner has already been determined and any progress does not count towards your score. This extra time allows you to try to achieve additional goals like conquering the entire map or maxing out your tech tree, but the game has essentially ended.
So in summary, 2050 AD acts as the hard end date for scoring and official victories in Civilization 6. Let‘s explore why 2050 was chosen as that milestone year.
Why Do Civ Games End at 2050 AD?
The year 2050 AD to end Civilization games has been in place since Civ 3 back in 2001. Some key reasons it has stuck around:
Gives a satisfying timeline from ancient to near future: Starting at 4000 BC and ending at 2050 AD allows players to progress through 6000 years of history and technology evolution across 11 eras. This covers most major historical events and innovations.
Consistency with past games: 2050 AD creates a consistent ruleset and pacing that Civ players have come to expect from the series. Changing it now could negatively impact long-time fans.
Room for future era speculation: Ending at 2050 vs modern day leaves more room for speculation on future societal developments and technologies. Game designer interviews have confirmed they intentionally avoided potential current day controversies.
Based on rumors of a new Civ game in development, I wouldn‘t expect the 2050 end date to change for the core series. It provides a great balance across eras and allows for creative liberty with the Future Era units like GDRs (Giant Death Robots) and Seasteads once climate change floods coastline cities in the late game.
Typical Civ 6 Game Length
While no two games play out exactly the same, here are some estimates on average Civilization 6 game lengths based on my experience:
- Standard speed: 330-400 turns (~15-20 hours real time)
- Epic pace: 500-650 turns
- Marathon speed: 1000-1500+ turns
So you‘re typically looking at anywhere from 12-60+ hours for a singlegame, depending on a lot of factors:
- Map size (smaller = faster game)
- Victory type attempted
- Difficulty level
- How many civilizations/city-states
- Game speed setting
- How optimized your playstyle is
I have finished culture victories in under 300 turns on smaller maps before, but marathon games can take weeks of match time against competent opponents.
One tip as your expertise grows: Prioritize science and production so you can get access to later game governments, strong units, and infrastructure faster. This will help you significantly when pursuing any victory condition.
Final Analysis: Planning Your Games Around 2050 AD
While you can technically ignore that 2050 end date and keep playing, I always enjoy trying to accomplish my goals by that milestone year. It adds drama and urgency to beat the clock whether I‘m racing for a science victory or trying to conquer my final opponent‘s capital before the world enters a new era.
I hope this guide has provided some clarity not just on if Civ 6 ends at 2050 AD (it does!), but also why that date was chosen and how it impacts your strategy across eras. Let me know in the comments if you have any other Civ 6 tips or gameplay questions! What victory type is your favorite to pursue as you reshape history one turn at a time?
