One of the toughest choices when working on Humankind was which cultures to include. We knew we would only be able to include 60 cultures in the game at release, but there are so many fascinating cultures across the globe and all of history to choose from! So even while we were working on the game, we already knew that we would want to come back after release and add more cultures.
Today, we are announcing the first DLC for Humankind, featuring six remarkable cultures from Africa (no, they are not all Merchant cultures):
So, who are the cultures included in the “Cultures of Africa” DLC?
- Era 1 – Bantu (Expansionist): The first Bantu speaking peoples began their migration across Central Africa 6,000 years ago, creating many population centers. This phenomenon, referred to as the Bantu Expansion, made their language family one of the most spoken on the continent.
- Era 2 – Garamantes (Agrarian): Between the 17th and 14th centuries BCE, a major ecological mutation changed the environment of the Sahara. True farmers of the desert, the Garamantes fully adapted to this hostile environment thanks to their mastery of underground waters, ensuring a thriving culture between the 4th century BCE and the 3rd century.
- Era 3 – Swahili (Merchant): Scattered all along the East African coastline, the Swahili settlements were deeply connected to the trade routes running across the Indian Ocean. These lasting contacts with the world made their cities and culture flourish between the 10th and 15th centuries.
- Era 4 – Maasai (Agrarian): Between the 16th and 17th centuries, the Maasai established themselves as one of the main groups among the pastoral societies that dominated the land between the Great Lakes, the Great Rift and the coasts adjoining the Indian Ocean. This is where they led their herds on the vast plains of present-day Kenya and Tanzania.
- Era 5 – Ethiopians (Militarist): From the 19th century onwards, Ethiopia benefited from the reigns of great rulers which allowed a significant territorial expansion. The increase in its military capacities were the basis of the Empire's resounding military successes which guaranteed its independence.
- Era 6 – Nigerians (Agrarian): Nigeria has the peculiarity of bringing together in the same State an immense diversity of peoples and cultures. Since its independence it has been Africa's largest oil producer, but also one of the biggest agricultural producers, thanks to its diverse and fertile lands.
In addition to these six cultures, the DLC includes over a dozen new events (and their consequences), as well as five new wonders:
- Lake Natron
- Mount Kilimandjaro
- Victoria Falls
- Zuma Rock
- The Great Mosque of Djenne
The “Cultures of Africa” DLC will be available for $8.99/8.99€/£6.99 on Humankind.game, Steam, Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store, though you can already pre-order it for a 10% discount between now and January 20th!
We’re excited to hear your stories of these cultures in Humankind,
The Amplitude Team
Note to Mac Users: The DLC is currently not available to Mac Users as we are investigating the reports of Mac users being unable to access DLC content they bought. Once this problem has been resolved, the DLC will be available on Mac.
EDIT: Fixed typo in the price in Pound.
EDIT 2: It has been pointed out that the Stadia logo is present on the end slate of the trailer. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that this does not mean that this DLC will be available on Stadia (yet).