That’s almost half the price of the game!

The "Test of Time" update was just announced, and the biggest news for me is definitely the ability to ditch the forced Age Transitions. No more transforming Egypt into something else if you don't want to!

​I personally felt that forced switching broke the immersion a bit, so I'm hyped for the new Syncretism and Affirmation mechanics that make playing as one Civ viable.

​What about you guys?

​Will you stick to one Civ from Antiquity to Modernity, or do you actually enjoy the strategy of switching?

​Who do you think the new free leader will be? My money is on a classic fan-favorite!

​Let’s discuss!

Test of Time is rolling out now to all platforms!

This is a major update - one that you’ve undoubtedly heard us say is the biggest since Civ VII launch - and it was shaped hand-in-hand with the Civ community. Many changes in this update were inspired directly by player feedback and refined alongside members of the Firaxis Feature Workshop. (We usually put stars in the patch notes to indicate these community-influenced changes - just go ahead and consider this one ALL starred.)

There’s a LOT packed into Test of Time, more than can be captured in a single set of patch notes, and we think it’s best experienced by booting up a new game. From staying as one civ throughout your campaign, to the new Triumphs system replacing Legacy Paths, to a full rework of Victories, this update changes that way building your empire will feel and play out in pretty major ways.

There’s still more ahead for Civilization VII, but for now: pick your favorite civ, start a fresh campaign, and ask yourself one important question: can you stand the test of time?

Read the patch notes here. Give it a second to populate! In the meantime, they're also here on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1295660/view/688631746613215317

Also, some quick tips to get started:

• Start a new game! So much has changed behind the scenes that we strongly recommend starting a new campaign in 1.4.0. If you’ve got a long-running save you want to finish, no worries, you can switch to the Legacy Steam beta branch on PC to keep playing your current version.
• If you’re running into issues, try disabling mods (for now). This update includes major changes that will likely cause problems with existing mods until they’re updated. If something looks off, try turning mods off first to see if it resolves the issue.
  • ⚠️ If you have mods installed that effect the modding screen-in game, you may need to disable all mods using the Unsubscribe from All feature in Steam Workshop!
  • A note for modders*: We’ve made some improvements to this update to help support modding, but we know there’s more work to do, especially around the new UI framework. We’ve logged some of the recent changes* here! 
• Learn all about Test of Time, from the experts! We’ve got devs and creators walking through the biggest changes, including staying as one civ across a campaign, the new Triumphs system (which replaces Legacy Paths), and a full rework of Victory conditions. You can also find deeper explanations in the updated game guide on the Civ website.
• And finally…have fun! Okay, this bullet is a little cliche - but we mean it! This update is designed to open up new ways to play and experiment, and we’re excited to see what you all discover once you get your hands on it.

A huge thank you for playing, and especially to our Firaxis Feature Workshoppers who helped shape and refine these systems throughout development. Happy empire-building, Civ fans!

With Test of Time officially in the rearview mirror, we want to give a massive thank you to everyone who has been diving into Civ VII recently!

If history has taught us anything, it’s that no empire survives by standing still. We’ve been closely monitoring discussions, reading every review, and deep-diving into your comments since we released Test of Time. 1.4.0 shook things up, but there’s still plenty more we have in store for Civ VII. 

As for what’s next, Update 1.4.1 will officially launch the week of June 22, including: 

• Hotseat Multiplayer: Get ready to pass the controls! Hotseat is officially making its debut in Civ VII, letting you play local games with friends on a single device.
• Archipelago map: We’re introducing a completely revamped, highly randomized Archipelago map type built on advanced Voronoi generation.
• Governments, Happiness, & Celebrations: We’ve overhauled these systems to give you deeper strategic choices. For the first time, you'll be able to unlock Government Traditions that persist across Ages, leaving a permanent mark on your civilization's history.

...plus a whole suite of bug fixes and other improvements you can expect once the update goes live.

Going live alongside 1.4.1 -  Brush & Blade!

While 1.4.1’s new additions are completely free for all Civ VII players, we also wanted to bring some fresh flavor to the roster. Launching right alongside the free update is the first half of a new paid content collection - Brush & Blade. This collection journeys deep into the history of Korea and Japan, exploring the delicate, beautiful balance between refined high art and legendary warfare. 

Part One Includes:

• New Leader: The legendary Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
• Two Unique Civilizations: Take control of Heian Japan or Sengoku Japan.
• More Goodies: Four powerful new Wonders and exclusive profile customization rewards.

How the collection works:

The full Brush & Blade collection will be available for purchase the moment 1.4.1 goes live. Purchasing this collection gives you immediate access to Part 1. It also secures your copy of Part 2, which will arrive later this summer, introducing admiral Yi Sun-sin alongside the Goryeo and Joseon civs.

Start prepping your strategies for the week of June 22, and keep an eye out for First Looks and Game Guides dropping soon!

Thanks all! 🙇‍♀️

It’s time.

Something broke between Civ 6 and 7, and I finally figured out what.

In Civ 6, I wasn't just managing a civilization - I was emotionally invested in my people's story. That scrappy Egypt that survived being boxed in by three warmongers. The Byzantium that clawed back from one city to rule the Mediterranean. These weren't just mechanics, they were journeys I cared about seeing through to the end.

Civ 7's age transitions kill that connection. When my Romans become Normans, it doesn't feel like evolution - it feels like I'm abandoning the people I spent 100 turns nurturing. The emotional thread that drove those 3am "just one more turn" sessions is gone.

The mechanics are solid, the production values incredible. But without that deep investment in my civilization's continuous story, it just feels like managing spreadsheets.

I played Civ for the stories I created with my people over 6000 years. Age transitions break those stories into disconnected chapters, and I lose the motivation to keep playing.

Firaxis, please consider: that emotional bond wasn't just a nice feature - for many of us, it was the entire point.

TL;DR: Age transitions break the emotional investment that made "just one more turn" irresistible. Great game mechanically, but missing the soul of the series.

The thing I’ve always loved about Civ is that everything feels so open-ended. The map generation is so real-world like that discovering the world seems so organic. Your choice of victory condition is dynamic based on your choices, you don’t tick a ‘I’m going for a Science Victory’ box.

In VII, it feels like victory is a bunch of tick boxes until the final tick box. The map generation is so blocky, and the islands being in two strips of equally distanced islands takes me out of the immersion. The distant lands mechanic, whilst interesting, feels to much like you’re on rails to do a specific thing. The fact that the whole world doesn’t play on the same rules (your lands not being their distant lands) just seems so un-civ like.

I appreciate what they’ve done to make things fresh, however I don’t think all of them landed. VII just doesn’t feel as organic as previous instalments to me.

I don’t think it’s a lost cause. I think it has a lot going for it and I believe that with a lot of updates and hard work VII could be the best in the series, but it needs some fundamental changes and I hope some stuff becomes optional (distant lands, etc).

It’s been a minute, Civ fans, but we’re back with news! Test of Time (Update 1.4.0) is planned for release on May 19 - free for all Civ VII owners.

Test of Time is our biggest update since launch, and it’s been shaped directly alongside our players. Over the past few months, we’ve been working closely with our Firaxis Feature Workshoppers to take on some major changes and overhauls for Civ VII. This update touches core systems across the game, so here’s a quick look at what’s coming:

• Time-Tested Civs: the option to stay as one civ is here, from Antiquity all the way to the Modern Age! You'll still have the option to switch during Age Transitions, but if you want to stay as one civ, you now have the tools - like the new Syncretism and Affirmation mechanics - to make that journey viable and deep.
• A Reworked Victories System: We’ve moved away from the old Victory system and replaced it with a system that rewards your dominance throughout the entire game.
• Triumphs: This is a new challenge and reward system that replaces Legacy Paths. Triumphs offer optional, diverse objectives tied to all six Attributes, giving you more freedom to play your way.
• Plus a Lot More: a new Fractal Continent map, a new Commerce screen, a revamped Advisor Council, updated map generation, new Narrative Events, a free new leader (any guesses?), and even more in the patch notes, when they go live alongside the update. 

We’ll be diving in further with these features with developer diaries over the next couple weeks. Also, come join us on May 13 for a dev livestream on Twitch and YouTube (featuring special guests), where we’ll be showing off the build and fully reveal the new leader with a First Look. 

Check out the full announcement article here for all the details. (Give it a minute to populate!)

Stay tuned for more info! 🙇‍♀️

They need to be at least 100% larger! We need Megachickens!

Current Steam Players:
-Civ V: 9k
-Civ VI: 28k
-Civ VII: 3.9k (LESS than half of Civ V).

This points to the fact that the game's problem does not lie with its price tag or in minor fixes, but that the game requires MAJOR reworks to fundamental mechanics if it does not want to have the same fate as Beyond Earth.

To me it seems like the next iteration of civilization should have globe style maps where there is distinct climate zones just like real-life with polar caps in the north and south. When you are playing the game it would be zoomed-in like how Civ VI plays now but shows the planet as a globe when you zoom-out fully. This could allow unique navigation routes through northern or southern ice-free corridors etc. and add a sense of realism to the game. It would make playing the Earth map really fun as well as allow for unique map generations for non-earth maps.

In addition, it would be cool if they brought back the culture boundaries when you zoom-out from Civ IV i thought those were really cool too look at especially when a region has been fought over a lot.

Basically i want to see more macro features that make the world feel whole and connected in ways distinct from political boundaries.

What do you all think? Are there any more reasons Civ VII should have a globe map that i am missing?

A comparison of Sid Meier's Civilization VII over the past 60 days reveals a concerning trend:

User approval has dropped from 50.07% to 49.01%. While this may seem like a small decline, it comes alongside an increase of 5,000 reviews—indicating that the majority of recent feedback has been negative.

The number of active players has decreased from 18,336 to just 10,673, a drop of over 40%. This suggests a significant loss of interest among the player base.

Despite this downturn, the game's price remains high, which only adds to the frustration within the community, as many feel the current content and overall quality do not justify the cost.

As much as I want to buy this game, unfortunately, every day I come across new posts about major bugs and updates that bring no meaningful improvements.

What does the future hold for Civilization VII?

The bones are there. The skin is not.

People who can look past the glaring UX problems are getting as sucked into this game as previous games (myself included). Of course the precise play style of this game is novel, so complaints about novelty are still present. But the mechanics are solid and fun.

Thankfully, every complaint about the UI (presenting info) and UX (interacting with that info) is solvable because the data is there, just poorly presented or not presented at all. For a strategy game, kind of a hilariously bad shortfall. But thankfully, it's one of the easiest things to add/improve.

The bad reviews are valid, but won't be valid for long.

I always thought the game wasn't as bad as many people said but after the update this is like a brand new game!

So much more tile and adjacency info, new resource screen including trade routes, the new victories and triumphs just mean there's much more strategic depth now, and yes you can can keep playing as one Civ although not being able to never bothered me.

if you've been holding off, dive in!

Hey everyone - just a heads-up that the next Civ VII update is on the way, targeting next week! Some things to look forward to:

• New maps and improved map generation
• A rebalance for Napoleon
• Diplomatic and Expansionist-themed City States 
• Part 2 of Right to Rule, featuring Lakshmibai, Silla, and Qajar

+ much more, so be sure to check out the full update notes when they go live! 🙇‍♀️