Civilization 6 is coming to PC on Oct. 21, 2016, and the game looks and feels pretty stunning so far. It’s a truly exciting game with a host of new features and major gameplay evolutions from Civ V (also, check out our two hands-on previews of Civilization 6!). As new iterations of the series always are, Civ 6 will immediately become a new benchmark and measuring post for the entire strategy genre. It’s one of the most exciting games of the fall. But what about the Mac version? How long will we have to look on in envy?

Civilization 6 Mac Release Date: It’s Definitely Coming, But When?

Firaxis has saved us all some suspense by confirming that Civilization 6 will indeed be coming to both Mac and Linux (as for consoles? Don’t hold your breath—better stick to your Steam Machine). The company confirmed the platforms in May, which is—honestly—very much appreciated. Macs have become a more viable gaming platform over the last five years, and flagship games like Civ 6 are what keeps it that way.

Unfortunately, we probably can’t expect a day-and-date release for Civilization 6 on Mac and PC. That would require substantial extra resources and, effectively, a delay in the PC release date just for the sake of the Mac one. Much as we might like that, it isn’t happening. In the past, Firaxis has partnered with other companies for the Mac ports of the Civilization series. The venerable Mac porter and developer Aspyr handled Civilization V and Beyond Earth, but we don’t know whether the company is on deck for Civilization 6. Either way, because Firaxis outsources the Mac development, it’s even less likely that the two would come out simultaneously.

Civilization V, and the standalone Beyond Earth, both had staggered Mac release dates, although some of the Civ V expansion packs came out simultaneously for both platforms. Civ V came out in September 2010, with the Mac version following a few months later on November 23. For Beyond Earth, the window was even shorter: it came out on October 24 for Windows and November 26 for Mac. In both cases, that’s a quick turnaround—although it’s certainly not as satisfying as a day-and-date release.

Look on the bright side: Sure, us Mac gamers will miss out on the first month or two of Civilization 6, and may have to wait even longer to play as the Aztecs if we don’t pre-order, but the game will probably get a major balance patch or two before Civ 6 comes to Mac, so the gaming experience we get will be more fair and hopefully comparatively freer of bugs. It’s a small comfort, but it’s all we’ll get. Civ 6 Mac will likely come out in the last quarter of 2016 or the first half of 2017, considering past trends, and it’ll certainly be tough to wait—but hopefully it won’t be too long.