diff --git a/Unity/Assets/Scripts/TH1_Data/MapData.cs b/Unity/Assets/Scripts/TH1_Data/MapData.cs
index 53bf59325..3e53bbd26 100644
--- a/Unity/Assets/Scripts/TH1_Data/MapData.cs
+++ b/Unity/Assets/Scripts/TH1_Data/MapData.cs
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ namespace RuntimeData
             EnsurePlayerSlots(netMode);
 
             var changed = false;
+            System.Random random = null;
             var usedEmpires = new HashSet<(uint CivId, uint ForceId)>();
             foreach (var slot in MultiCivs)
             {
@@ -414,7 +415,8 @@ namespace RuntimeData
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                var option = GetAvailablePlayerOption(Math.Max(0, i - 1), usedEmpires, ShouldUseAllEmpiresForRandomSlot(slot, netMode));
+                random ??= CreatePlayerSlotRandom();
+                var option = GetRandomAvailablePlayerOption(random, usedEmpires, ShouldUseAllEmpiresForRandomSlot(slot, netMode));
                 slot.CivId = option.CivId;
                 slot.ForceId = option.ForceId;
                 slot.IsCivFixed = true;
@@ -449,6 +451,35 @@ namespace RuntimeData
             return options[preferredIndex % options.Count];
         }
 
+        private static System.Random CreatePlayerSlotRandom()
+        {
+            unchecked
+            {
+                var seed = Environment.TickCount;
+                seed = (seed * 397) ^ DateTime.UtcNow.Ticks.GetHashCode();
+                seed = (seed * 397) ^ Guid.NewGuid().GetHashCode();
+                return new System.Random(seed);
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static (uint CivId, uint ForceId) GetRandomAvailablePlayerOption(
+            System.Random random,
+            HashSet<(uint CivId, uint ForceId)> usedEmpires,
+            bool useAllEmpires)
+        {
+            var options = GetAvailablePlayerOptions(useAllEmpires);
+            if (options.Count == 0) return (0, 0);
+
+            var candidates = new List<(uint CivId, uint ForceId)>();
+            foreach (var option in options)
+            {
+                if (!usedEmpires.Contains(option)) candidates.Add(option);
+            }
+
+            if (candidates.Count == 0) candidates = options;
+            return candidates[random.Next(candidates.Count)];
+        }
+
         private static List<(uint CivId, uint ForceId)> GetAvailablePlayerOptions(bool useAllEmpires)
         {
             var result = new List<(uint CivId, uint ForceId)>();