The Pirate people (or Flying Gang) represent the Republic of Pirates (and Caribbean pirates in general during the Golden Age of Piracy), an Exploration Age civilization in Civilization VII. They are available with the Republic of Pirates Pack within the Tides of Power Collection, which was released on November 4, 2025.
The Pirates' civilization ability is Flying Gang, which gives them increased yields from Pillaging and Coastal Raiding with 
Naval Units, prevents them from training or purchasing Settlers (but allows them to capture other civilizations' Settlers), and allows their Naval Units, Treasure Convoys, and Buccaneers to move into other civilizations' borders without being at 
War or having Open Borders. Their associated 
Wonder is Havana Harbor, and their unique components are as follows:
Unique Units: Sloop (military), Buccaneer (civilian)- Unique Buildings: Naval Arsenal, Naval Station
- Unique Quarter: Haven
- Unique Civics: Articles of Agreement, Ports of Call, Enemy of All Nations
- Traditions: Press Gangs, Merry Life and a Short One, Black Flag
Intro[]
Ahoy, bucko! Ye’ve gone on account with those who ken no lord but the sea and the salt. Weigh anchor, then, an see if it be gold or Jack Ketch at the end of yer gangway. The writ’s been signed, an the devil’s afoot.
Tips and hints[]
Since the Republic of Pirates are unable to train Settlers, unlock the Ports of Call Civic to give the Buccaneer Unique Commander a charge to create a new Town.
Strategy[]
|
Share your wisdom!
How do you use the Republic of Pirates? |
Civilopedia entry[]
Trade in the 17th and early 18th century moved immense amounts of wealth through uncontrolled, unpredictable regions. Galleons, however fearsome, were the mercy of wind and water… and whoever was bold enough to attempt to seize them. Were this not already an enticement to piracy, the powers of the day fostered independent raiders – privateers - as a means of cutting off their rivals’ revenue. But these privateers could just as quickly turn pirate if the opportunity presented itself.
In 1694, the Charles II waited in port in the Spanish city of Corunna, and its crew grumbled. The Spanish crown had promised a letter of marque enabling the Charles II to attack and plunder Spain’s rivals, but the letter had yet to arrive. When the crew’s wages, too, failed to come, the crew mutinied and, under former first mate Henry Every, seized the ship and sailed it to attack and plunder with or without a letter. They, in other words, “went on account,” went pirate.
The Fancy, as the Charles II was rechristened, sailed to the Indian Ocean and took an impressive prize: the Ganj-i-Sawai and Fateh Muhammad, Mughal vessels carrying a fortune in gold and jewels. Every took this wealth and sailed to Nassau (in the present-day Bahamas), where he bribed the English governor to turn a blind eye towards the pirates. Not that the governor had much of a choice - he was the administrator of a distant colony of a minor (at that point) European power, and here under Every was a battle-hardened force armed to the teeth, offering him a fortune to simply do nothing.
But with this new deal, pirates flooded into Nassau and, as the civilian population dwindled, Nassau (called, more often, Providence) became a pirate town. Benjamin Hornigold, an English privateer, formed the “Flying Gang”, a band of pirates that operated out of the city and flew the death’s head flag, and whose members boasted names such as Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, “Calico” Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, Henry Jennings, Mary Read, as well as the republic’s self-appointed governor, Thomas Barrow.
The ”republic” (its name comes from a 2007 book by the historian Colin Woodard; its members referred to their city as Providence and their ships as the Flying Gang) operated on a certain code, one shared by many in the sea at that time. This was a system of consensual autocracy: the captain was the sole dictator of their ship, but, upon enlisting, potential crewmembers agreed to follow and expect certain terms: sharing of all plunder, a system of insurance for those wounded in battle, a vote in important matters, equal access to food and drink. But there were limitations as well: lights onboard were to be put out by eight PM, gambling and the bringing of women onboard ship were forbidden (though Bonny and Read’s presence suggests that this was not universal), and the forbidding of music on Sundays were common.
The pirates of the Republic were drawn mostly from English ships, and Hornigold’s refusal to attack English vessels was a common cause for complaint by many pirates under him. However, in addition to Englishmen (and a few women), there were a sizeable number of pirates from the United States, from Caribbean settlements or Europe, or even from the East Indies. The makeup of pirate crews was more diverse than navies at the time; estimates suggest that roughly 25-30 percent of pirates were of African ancestry and, although pirates considered enslaved people found in the holds of ships to be cargo that could be stolen and sold, free Black crewmembers seem to have been treated relatively equally.
Providence proved an embarrassment for England, and a threat to all legal commerce in the region. King George I sought its destruction via two means: a pardon for all who turned themselves in, and a relentless counterattack towards all who would not. Upon hearing this, roughly half of the pirates surrendered, including Hornigold – who immediately was placed in charge of hunting his former proteges.
The shattering of the Republic led to the “Golden Age” of piracy in the Caribbean, as the now-decentralized pirates dispersed to make their fortune in every corner of the sea.
Cities[]
Citizens[]
| Males | Females |
|---|---|
| Edward | Grace |
| Bartholomew | Mary |
| William | Anne |
| Henry | Charlotte |
| Charles | Rachel |
| Stede | Jacquotte |
| John | Flora |
| Samuel | Martha |
| Benjamin | Sarah |
| Francis | Christina |
Trivia[]
- The Pirate civilization's symbol is a skull and crossbones, which appeared on the Jolly Roger.
- The Pirate civilization's ability is the name of a group of pirates that operated in the Caribbean in the Golden Age of Piracy.
Soundtrack[]
| Original Track | № | Based on | Credits | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Republic of Pirates (Exploration Age)" | Down Among the Dead Men A-Roving Neptune's Raging Fury |
Traditional, arranged by Roland Rizzo Patrick McAvinue, fiddle |
4:34 |
Gallery[]
.jpg "Pirate city in-game (Civ7).jpg (1.88 MB)")
.jpg "Pirate Background (Civ7).jpg (471 KB)")
Videos[]
See also[]
- Pirate in other games
External links[]
| Civilization VII Civilizations [edit] | |
|---|---|
| Antiquity | |
| Exploration | |
| Modern | |
| 1 Requires DLC | |