Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has recently announced a significant update, version 1.1.1, aimed at enhancing the gameplay experience of this latest installment in the iconic strategy game series. This update comes at a pivotal moment as Civilization 7 currently faces lower player numbers on Steam compared to its predecessors, Civilization 6 and even the 15-year-old Civilization 5.
On Steam, Civilization 7 has seen a 24-hour peak concurrent player count of 16,921, a figure that falls short of reaching Steam's top 100 most-played games. In comparison, Civilization 5, which was released in 2010, boasts a 24-hour peak of 17,423 players. Meanwhile, Civilization 6 from 2016 significantly outperforms both with a 24-hour peak of 40,676 players, indicating that a large portion of the Civilization fanbase continues to favor the previous game.
In a detailed post on Steam, Firaxis highlighted several "additions and refinements" included in Update 1.1.1, such as:
- Quick Move Functionality
- New Natural Wonder Mount Everest
- Additional UI Updates & Polish
- Settlement & Commander Renaming
- And more!
Lead designer Ed Beach provided an in-depth overview of these changes in a video, emphasizing the upcoming patch notes, which are set to be released soon.
Civilization 7 Update 1.1.1 Patch Notes:
The Quick Move feature is now an optional setting that can be toggled in the game’s menu, allowing units to move to their destinations instantly for a faster-paced gameplay experience.
A new start position option related to map generation has been introduced. For single-player games, the default setting is now Standard, offering more varied and less predictable continents reminiscent of Civilization 6. Multiplayer games retain the Balanced setting to ensure fair and consistent maps for all players.
Players can now rename settlements and commanders, adding a personal touch to their civilizations. Additionally, a restart feature allows players to regenerate the map with new seeds while keeping their leader and civilization choices intact, much like in Civilization 6.
UI enhancements include a city and town panel that remains open during purchases, new notifications for city attacks, indicators for crises, and improved resource tooltips. Significant pacing changes have also been implemented to improve the overall flow of the game.
Alongside these updates, a new civilization, Bulgaria, along with Nepal and the new leader Simón Bolívar, will be introduced as part of the paid Crossroads of the World Collection, launching on March 25.
Despite these efforts, Civilization 7 has sparked mixed reactions among series veterans due to its new mechanics and has struggled to maintain player engagement on Steam. The game currently holds a 'mixed' user review rating on the platform and received a 7/10 from IGN's review.
In a recent interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative feedback but remained optimistic, suggesting that the "legacy Civ audience" would gradually warm to Civilization 7. He described the game's early performance as "very encouraging."
For players looking to master Civilization 7, IGN offers a comprehensive guide to achieving every victory type, a breakdown of the major changes from Civilization 6, and a list of 14 crucial mistakes to avoid. Additionally, detailed explanations of the various map types and difficulty settings are available to help players navigate the game's complexities.
