Civilization V expansion, Gods & Kings, brings faith and espionage in spring of 2012

Thought you were finished with Civilization V just because you've already put 500 hours into it? Ha! Think again. Today, 2K Games revealed that an expansion, entitled Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods & Kings, is set for a late spring 2012 release. It comes with an absolute Caravel-load of new content, including nine new wonders, nine new playable civilizations, and a completely reworked combat system. And while those features sound substantial (because, well, they are), the biggest additions are religion and espionage.

2K says that religion is "quite possibly the most requested major addition to the game is coming in the Gods & Kings expansion." From the sounds of things, religion is going to be added in a big way, with a new "Faith" resource that will allow players to found their own religion. This will infiltrate every element of the game, including city-states, which will have their own religions that interact with yours in interesting ways.

Speaking of infiltration, diplomacy has been enhanced as well thanks to the addition of espionage. Now you'll be able to send spies that can steal advanced tech, influence city-states, and even keep watch other cities.

An enhanced AI and combat system wraps up the list of features for the expansion, making this something Civ fans are likely going to want to keep their eyes on. We’re already brainstorming the possibilities of being able to found our own religion – hopefully it’s expansive enough so that we can name the deities? We can see it now: all hail our lord and savior, Bobby Kotick!

The expansion is due out late spring. You can check out some images below, or hit the official website for the full press release.