2K and Firaxis Games today announced that Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth™, a new science fiction-themed entry in the award-winning Civilization franchise, is currently in development by Firaxis Games for Windows-based PC. The game will also be coming to Mac and Linux via Aspyr Media. Scheduled for release this fall, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth will send players on an expedition from Earth to lead their people into a new frontier to explore and colonize an alien planet, and create a new civilization.

Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth will propel the development of human civilization beyond the traditional timeline of a Civilization game, by exploring humanity’s future on an alien world. For the first time, players will lead factions divided by contrasting cultures and evolve their new civilizations to reflect their chosen destiny. Players will experience an array of new gameplay possibilities, including nonlinear technological progression, deeper customization of chosen factions, and an entire alien world that will change the very identity of each faction based on their choices.

“Having celebrated its 23rd anniversary last year, Civilization has cemented its reputation as one of the greatest and longest running franchises in video game history,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth builds upon that success by pushing the series in new directions with players exploring an unknown future on an alien planet.”

“The Civ team was excited about the opportunity to continue the story of Civilization into the future, because it allows the team to break free of historical context,” said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “We’ve always let our fans create the history of mankind, and Civilization: Beyond Earth will now let them create the future.”