This is a step-by-step guide for creating your own background art mod for Project 6T - Grand Eras. Following this guide will give you a "new" mod that you can even upload without issues. However, it does *not* cover how to make the artwork itself. Before you upload your mod, you must ensure that you're not infringing on copyright protections or the like with the images you chose.


a) Find this mod in your Steam installation directory: Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\289070\2772567858

b) Copy this folder (named "2772567858") into your *local* mod directory: Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Mods

c) Give the folder a proper name to recognize it better. All following steps take place in this new/copied mod folder.


a) Each mod has a unique ID. If you have two mods with the same ID installed, you will get issues, so we have to change it. In the mod's folder, open 6T_Backgrounds.xml with a text editor (e.g. Notepad++, but even the default windows "Editor" will do, but *not* Microsoft Word or such) and give the mod a new ID in line 2.

b) The ID has to be a so-called GUID. You can generate one here: https://www.guidgenerator.com/ (leave all settings on default and just click "Generate some GUIDs!").

c) Still in 6T_Backgrounds.xml, change name, description, teaser, and author accordingly.


a) In the mod's folder, open the "Textures" folder. Here you find 20 .dds images files, one for each era for the tech tree and one for each era for the civics tree.

b) Open these images and change them as you wish. Overwrite the old ones but keep the .dds file type (must choose RGBA8 format when you save as dds).

c) The images will be stretched and squeezed automatically to fit ingame, but if you want to avoid any stretching that could make the images look weird, do not change the resolutions of the images. Be careful, they have different sizes!


If you wish to share your own background art with other players (or just your friends), you can upload the mod with the Civ VI mod tools.

a) Download the "Civilization VI SDK" in Steam's "Tools" section.

b) Open the mod tools and select "Steam Uploader" and let it guide you through the upload process.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask them here in this thread.