Civilization 7 has made big changes to the franchise’s core gameplay, with players needing to understand what a leader attribute does.
After eight years, Firaxis finally launched the latest entry into the iconic Civilization franchise. Unlike every entry before, Civilization 7 looks to shake things up with a plethora of new mechanics and leaders. Customization makes Civilization 7 one of the most interesting strategy games of 2025, and that is reflected best in how leaders can be built.
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Leader attributes are traits that provide in-game bonuses for specific playstyles. As with previous games, victories can achieved in multiple ways, whether through scientific breakthroughs or military domination. One of the most interesting aspects of Civilization 7 is how leaders specialize in two attributes, giving them distinct playstyles.
The Cultural attribute focuses on the global influence a civilization has through its culture. In the game, this manifests as potent culture gain from Palaces, City Halls, Wonders, and Alliances. Those who want to roleplay as leaders dedicated to sharing the unique aspects of their culture with the rest of the world will want to follow this path.
Notable cultural leaders include Augustus and Jose Rizal. Cultural playstyles will have to play nicely with others and will benefit greatly from having as many alliances as possible. It is essentially a “soft power” victory, which should prove satisfying for those who like a non-violent approach to global domination.
The Diplomatic attribute encourages a peaceful playstyle geared towards alliances and keeping the people happy. These will manifest as bonuses to Happiness from Palace and City Halls, better relationship bonuses from other factions, and a higher amount of influence for certain decisions.
Diplomatic leaders include Machiavelli and Ashoka. Diplomatic playstyles, much like Cultural, have to focus on playing nice with others and gaining multiple alliances. The difference lies in diplomacy having a bit more “shadiness”, such as espionage abilities and bribes. It’s far more populist as opposed to changing people’s way of life through cultural influence.
The Economic attribute is solely focused on the generation of wealth. That means bonuses in gold gained from buildings, trade routes, resources, and masteries. The gains are simple, but a lot of gold makes much of the game’s economic struggles much more manageable.
Economic leaders include Queen Isabella and Queen Amina. The Economic playstyle is a lot more flexible in its playstyle, and the secondary leader trait will likely dictate how that gold gain is used. Economic-Cultural may use that gold to build more Wonders while Economic-Militaristic may use that gold to fuel the war machine.
The Expansionist attribute is all about growth through people. They gain bonuses to production when training settlers, have a faster growth rate for cities, generate far more food, and establish more settlements. Naturally, this gives Expanionists a strong early game.
Expansionist leaders include Confucius and Ibn Battuta. In Civilization 7, the Expansionist attribute lets players go “tall” (few but potent settlements) or “wide” (multiple smaller settlements). That flexibility gives players a lot of freedom in how to grow their lands. Much like Economics, the boosted resource gain makes it a great boon for any secondary attribute.
The Militaristic attribute hones in on combat and military might. These aggressive players will have bonus Combat Strength, War Support, and can even ignore Happiness penalties from captured settlements. They also have a more efficient war machine, with easier-to-manage combat units.
Militaristic leaders include Napoleon and Charlemagne. The Militaristic playstyle is naturally geared towards domination through combat, making them dangerous to everyone on the board. Of course, militarism doesn’t have to mean no alliances. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
The Scientific attribute explores research and scientific innovation. They have significant Science gains in buildings, faster technological innovations, and the ability to build more of them faster. Buildings are the cornerstone of Science playstyles, as they also provide gold gain and happiness for settlements.
Science leaders include Benjamin Franklin and Catherine. In a Scientific playthrough, the technological gains make you a force to be reckoned with. The main goal is to reach space and start colonizing the stars, making it one of the most unique victories in the game.
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