El Presidente wants your help. It’s not that he needs it, he is El Presidente after all, but with the upcoming release of Tropico 7 he wouldn’t mind some help shaping the world of Tropico as he gets ready for his next regime. Today developer Gaming Minds Studio and publisher Kalypso Media announced a closed beta for the upcoming city builder.

The closed beta will begin on March 31st and go on for 2 weeks on PC and Xbox PC. During this period a select number of players will be allowed to playtest the game and give valuable feedback to El Prez for Tropico 7’s core gameplay systems and political mechanics.

The beta will be of 2 campaign missions and two scenario missions across multiple historical periods, from the colonial times to modern times.

Applications are open now and will close on March 20th. Participants will receive an invitation, followed by Closed Beta access keys and entry to the Discord testing mandate channel (If you do not have a Discord account, El Prez adds that you have no right to vote… uh, participate in the test) – where all opinions will be carefully reviewed by the authorities.

The Tropico series has long been amongst my favourites in gaming so I can’t wait to see what Gaming Minds has cooked up. It shot up my most anticipated list the moment it was announced. Tropico 7 is expected to release sometime in 2026 for Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5 and PC. The game will also launch day 1 into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Tropico 7 Features

• Lead your nation to new heights: Tropico 7 tells El Presidente’s continuous success story across 5 campaign maps – starring himself, Penultimo and a new nemesis: Victoria Guerra.
• More is more: Archipelagos, with the biggest islands ever in the series, await your rule, expanded with 10 extra scenarios, more than 20 sandbox maps, and endless possibilities with a random map generator.
• Move mountains – literally: Erase them, create beaches, or even create entirely new islands! The new terraforming feature brings your megalomaniac dreams to life. Start that mammoth project – NOW!
• Bollocks uhm… Politics: Navigate the snares and pits of internal politics, when you summon the different factions to your council, a new way to meet them face to face while you pulverize their dreams – or use them for a BIG DEAL to your own advantage.
• Make the world your playground: Elections, election speeches and a vast portfolio of edicts depending on your political standing spice up your daily rule while you juggle foreign affairs and occasionally steal… uhm relocate a landmark to revel in its benefits.
• Built to prosper: Strategically place buildings to make use of synergy effects, keep citizen satisfaction high, and fill any unused plots of land with beautiful parks in a freely customized size.
• Generalissimo No. 1: Eliminate those pesky rebels and fend off foreign threats with a reworked military system enabling more direct control of your military units.
• Always judge a book by its cover: Customize the appearance of your palace and El Presidente with new and creative options.