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If you've ever wanted to chart outer space with the names of the people (or entities) you love most, then look no further than Civilization VII: Earthrise. The next expansion in the Civilization series will take gamers to the stars as you lead your people "from humble stargazers to pioneers of spaceflight." You'll be able to create your own "space agency" so you can "launch missions into the solar system, and survey nearby moons and planets," according to the game's description on Steam. 

So, because you're here, reading Popverse, you're probably wondering how weird you can get with naming new planets and other formations in outer space in Earthrise. While you could go with a few suggested options that came from historians with doctorates who consulted on the game, the Earthrise team purposefully left things open-ended for players. 

At PAX West 2026, game designer Ed Beach spoke about the naming options in Civilization VII: Earthrise. "Actually, this is something we did use our Ph.D historians for. Those guys are busily researching what all the civilizations of the world would have named their planets, and we're coming up with a wide variety of celestial body name lists, sort of like the city name list that you're used to in Civilization. And so those are going to be the things that get suggested to you as the default name for planets," Beach began. 

"Now, if you want to just name the planet after your cat or your dog, that's fine too, right? I mean, everyone's seen crazy religion names in Civilization before. So we're gonna let you do that as well," Beach said. 

Listen, I modeled my own Palico in Monster Hunter Wilds off of my dead cat, Fleury. So you bet I'll name some celestial body after him in Earthrise. 

Currently, there is no release date specified for Civilization VII: Earthrise. 

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

• All upcoming games in 2025 and beyond
• Gamify My Life, our weekly gaming column designed
• Popverse Picks: The best Assassin's Creed protagonists
• How to play every GTA game in order
• Why the GTA 6 budget isn't as crazy as you think
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And be sure to check Popverse regularly for the latest gaming news.