Proving once again that nothing is impervious to the lure of Battle Royale, developer Firaxis' 4X strategy game Civilization 6 just launched its own take on the omnipresent mode on PC.

Known as Red Death, Civ 6's new turn-based Battle Royale mode ditches the game's usual slow-and-steady expansion in favour a desperate last-person-standing grasp for survival across a post-apocalyptic wasteland, replete with ruined cities, corrosive waters, and a ring of radiation that slowly shrinks as a match goes on. It's designed to accommodate between two and 12 players, with each able to select from a range of beneficially differing factions - including mad scientists, mutants, jocks, and pirates - in their attempts to stay alive.

There are no civilisations to guide through the ages, however, and building is entirely out too. Instead, each participant is tasked with protecting a single civilian unit on the map at all costs. If a player's unit is killed or captured, then they're out of the game - but if they're the last unit alive, they'll be whisked off into space to start a new life among the stars.

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At first, with the radiation ring posing little threat, players will mostly battle against AI opponents on their travels, using a single infantry unit and machine gunner unit for protection. Through exploration, however, players can encounter raider camps, ruined cities, and supply crates, offering rewards that range from XP to new units that can help in their quest for survival. It's even possible to uncover nukes and really make a mess of the map for other players.

Red Death is available now on PC as part of Civilization 6's free September update, which also includes a variety of improvements and fixes, as detailed in Firaxis' patch notes.