Microsoft’s Civilization 7 competitor escalates tensions with Firaxis’ embattled 4X, announcing that nukes are coming with its impending diplomacy update

Ara: History Untold was a decent attempt by Microsoft to snatch some strategic territory from Firaxis’ Civilization series, but all its sabre-rattling didn’t seem to come to much when it launched last September. Perhaps this is due to the fact its pleasingly modular city construction was undermined by hefty micromanagement. Or maybe it’s because it launched without some key features, like a diplomacy system deeper than a puddle, and more specifically, the ability to annihilate rival cultures in a flash of nuclear fire.

Both will be addressed by Ara’s impending Diplomacy Update, which Oxide Games recently announced is “coming soon”. Patch 1.3 adds a bunch of features to Ara, including new diplomatic options, new diplomatic events, and, of course, the ability to build and launch nuclear weapons.