Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 has recently launched a series of updates meant to bring back its player-base and even potentially attract new players into the game. These include updates that address some of players’ biggest complaints since the game’s launch, such as Age Continuity and, most recently, a potential Single-Civ Gameplay option.
However, players such as William_Dowling on Reddit have noted that these recent updates have done nothing to move the needle on Civilization 7’s daily player count. Many have pointed out lately that Civ 7‘s player count (via SteamDB) is a fraction of Civ 6’s and less than half of Civ 5’s.
Fans like yahtzee301 have said in response to Civ 7‘s struggles, “I may even consider not buying Civ 8 if they never recognize why Civ 7 is so hated among fans,” while others such as drakun22 argue that this is simply part of a new Civ game’s growing pains, and “progress is being made.”
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While a recent Civ 7 update introduced a load of new content and updates, one of the key highlights was that developers at Firaxis are experimenting with a single-Civ gameplay option. The news raised eyebrows in the community, as it’s something players have been discussing since before the game’s launch.
Along with an update earlier this year that added a Continuity option, these changes clearly aim to address community feedback and bring back whatever player-base might still be salvageable. Unfortunately, as players point out above, it hasn’t had much of an impact, raising concerns over the fate of the franchise.
Civ 7‘s fundamental design decisions, such as Civ-switching and Age Transitions, have players questioning the direction of future Civilization games, and it’s unlikely a future project that veers farther away from the beloved formula will get much love among players.
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While things are looking bleak now for Civilization 7 despite a host of new content, UI improvements, and various updates, players also point to previous Civ games not hitting their stride fresh out of the gate. It’s worth remembering that Civ 7 is still in its first year of release and is still a relatively young game by Civilization standards.
Civ_and_Basketball points out that past Civilization games like Civ 6 “[seem] to release with a vanilla version that’s a little lacking and then improve” a sentiment echoed by most players familiar with the franchise. Ultimately, it’s hard to say if Civ 7 can be compared fairly against Civ 5 or Civ 6 because of how much its core design departs from the classic formula.
At the end of the day, Civilization 7 in its current state does not appear to be attracting players, even after attempting to remedy the biggest concerns. The future is uncertain for the Civilization franchise, and Civ 8 has a lot of ground to cover if it wants to avoid Sid Meier’s Civilization 7′s mistakes.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
9/10
- Released
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February 11, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ // Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
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Firaxis Games
- Publisher(s)
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2K
- Engine
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Gamebryo Engine