The Nintendo Switch version of Civilization 6 will be getting a new multiplayer mode soon. 2K Games has announced that Civilization 6 Switch multiplayer is coming but maybe not how you were expecting it. The port will receive a “hotseat” multiplayer mode, which will let multiple players play on a single console.
In a Reddit post, 2K Community Manager RxKing announced that the hotseat multiplayer mode was coming with a future update. This new mode will let multiple players take turns playing the game on a single Nintendo Switch console, taking the “hotseat,” so to speak.
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While Switch version developer Aspyr Media is giving the game a new offline multiplayer mode, it will not however, be adding online multiplayer to is anytime soon. According to an Aspyr community representative on the same Reddit thread, adding online multiplayer to the Switch port is more complex than it seems.
The big issue is that adding online multiplayer will require a lot of back end work. With the PC version, Steam handles all of the back end work: the matchmaking, friends lists, server lists, and the like.
“Implementing these things per unique system takes considerable effort,” they stated. “I’m aware the Switch has some of those systems, but it’s still requires custom implementation.”
In addition to this, they also acknowledged that the game’s Mac App Store and iOS versions also do not have online multiplayer for “similar reasons.”
While the lack of online multiplayer is lamentable, this new hotseat mode may take better advantage of the Switch’s hybrid form factor. With just a single Switch unit and a copy of the game, players can set up Civilization 6 play sessions with friends, similar to a table-top game.
In addition to the upcoming hotseat mode, Civilization 6 on Switch will be getting the two expansions that have been added to the PC version. Recently, the official Civilization series Twitter account confirmed that Firaxis and Aspyr are working to bring both the Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm expansions to the Nintendo Switch this year.
