2K announced today that Gilgamesh, the hero of the oldest work of literature (the epic that’s named after him), is the in-game leader for Sumeria in Civilization VI. That turn-based strategy game is coming out for PC on October 21.
Now, 2K has been slowly revealing the in-game leaders for Civilization VI for months. Gilgamesh is interesting, though. Most of these characters are based on people known for their deeds in history, like Teddy Roosevelt for the U.S. and Gandhi for India. People best know Gilgamesh because of the fictional stories we hear and read about him. However, many scholars believe that he was a real man.
“Scholars generally concur that Gilgamesh was in fact a real person, as several individuals referenced in the epic are confirmed to have lived in the region at the time, between 2800 and 2500 BC,” 2K notes on its site. “An ancient manuscript, called the Sumerian King List, posits that Gilgamesh ruled over the city of Uruk for 126 years.”
Still, it’s interesting to see a person who may not have even existed represent an entire people in Civilization VI. This would be like having King Arthur lead the English. You can learn more about Gilgamesh and the Sumerians in Civilization VI by watching the trailer below.
Note that he is not be confused with the awesome character from the Final Fantasy series.