diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/entities/combat_utils.gd b/src/game/engine/src/entities/combat_utils.gd
index a6b56d18..81816042 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/src/entities/combat_utils.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/entities/combat_utils.gd
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ static func capture_city(
 
 	city.owner = attacker.owner
 	city.is_capital = false
+	city.captured_turn = GameState.turn_number
 
 	for tile_pos: Vector2i in city.owned_tiles:
 		var layer: Dictionary = GameState.get_primary_layer()
@@ -134,7 +135,10 @@ static func capture_city(
 
 	EventBus.city_captured.emit(city, old_owner, attacker.owner)
 
-	if old_player != null and old_player.cities.is_empty():
+	if old_player != null and old_player.cities.is_empty() and not old_player.is_eliminated:
+		# Latch dedupes against victory_manager._reconcile_eliminations,
+		# which sweeps the same condition each turn.
+		old_player.is_eliminated = true
 		EventBus.player_eliminated.emit(old_owner)
 
 
diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/entities/player.gd b/src/game/engine/src/entities/player.gd
index beca1efb..681d96ea 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/src/entities/player.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/entities/player.gd
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ var race_id: String = ""
 var gender_preset: String = "male"
 ## True for the local human player; AI otherwise.
 var is_human: bool = true
+## True after this player has been eliminated (no cities AND no living
+## founder unit). Set by `victory_manager._reconcile_eliminations` on the
+## first turn the transition is observed; latches forever (eliminated
+## players cannot recover under current rules). Used to ensure
+## `EventBus.player_eliminated` fires exactly once per player per game.
+var is_eliminated: bool = false
 ## Assigned UI color; populated by `GameState.add_player`.
 var color: Color = Color.WHITE
 
diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/modules/combat/combat_utils.gd b/src/game/engine/src/modules/combat/combat_utils.gd
index 66602f84..5ec70a53 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/src/modules/combat/combat_utils.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/modules/combat/combat_utils.gd
@@ -136,7 +136,12 @@ static func capture_city(
 
 	EventBus.city_captured.emit(city, old_owner, attacker.owner)
 
-	if old_player != null and old_player.cities.is_empty():
+	if old_player != null and old_player.cities.is_empty() and not old_player.is_eliminated:
+		# Latch dedupes against victory_manager._reconcile_eliminations,
+		# which sweeps the same condition each turn. Either path may fire
+		# first (combat for instant-kill, reconciliation for end-of-turn
+		# starvation etc.); whichever wins, the other is silent.
+		old_player.is_eliminated = true
 		EventBus.player_eliminated.emit(old_owner)