What to expect from Civilization 7 in 2025

For fans of 4X strategy games, it's hard to deny that civilization Series is king. A new entry will be released on February 11th, giving strategy fans the opportunity to reshape the story: Sid Meier's Civilization 7.

But there is a lot Civilization 7 This will take a lot of getting used to for dedicated fans of the franchise – things like changes to the game's eras, scoring victories, combat, and even the way civilizations themselves function. With the release so close, fans can have clear expectations for the release and the rest of the year.

Do you think the major changes in Civ 7 will be good or bad for the game?

I honestly don't know what to think about the changes Civilization 7 is making to the traditional Civ formula. On the one hand, I really like some of the new mechanics and updates, such as the updated trading system, city versus city settlements, updated combat and commander mechanics, and perhaps controversially, the ability to change civilizations at the turn of the era. On the other hand, I fear that Civ 7 will over-streamline and simplify what makes Civ so fun to play. The removal of traders and builders is a major point of friction for me, as I really enjoyed these systems in Civ 6 and previous titles, and the lack of an Information Age and Religious Victory requirement in the release version of the game concerns me a little , to. Still, I hope it all improves the game, as I want to put hundreds of hours of my life into Civilization 7 – I'm just worried it won't captivate me as much as previous titles.

A revolution for civilizations

Something that players of civilization We have taken it for granted over the years that a leader and a culture are a complete package. If a player chooses Gandhi, he expects to play as India. The same goes for George Washington and America or Dido and Carthage. That's not true Civilization 7.

In Civilization 7Leaders and nations are not connected. In fact, players won't lead a single nation at all from ancient times to the end of the game. For example, to reflect the way the former Rome is now Italy, players choose a single leader, while the nation they lead changes with each one Civilization 7 Epoch. Pharaoh Hatshepsut can lead the Maya in ancient times, the Ming Dynasty in the Age of Discovery, and France in modern times without ever touching her historic homeland of Egypt.

This has also enabled greater diversity in leadership. People who were undoubtedly among the greatest leaders in history, but who never served as heads of nation like Harriett Tubman, Ibn Battuta or Benjamin Franklin, who could be included in the leadership pool Civilization 7.

In reality, the change of peoples is not a smooth process. Rome had to fall for Italy to exist. In order to go from the nation a player used in ancient times to the nation they will lead in the Age of Discovery, there would inevitably have to be some sort of crisis at the turn of the age. As the Age Transition approaches, the game confronts players with multiple crises that their civilization may face and that will herald the fall of Rome.

The new approach offers two major advantages over previous titles. First, they provide an important course correction point at the start of each era, where something that may not have worked in the first third of the game can be refined or replaced with a new strategy. Secondly, there is the problem of a particular civilization's strengths being concentrated in a particular era, which seriously hinders those civilizations in the rest of the game. In particular, a civilization's unique combat unit has traditionally only been useful during a small game window.

Sid Meier Civilization 7 Age of Discovery

Civilization 7 Combat Evolved

In Firaxis' upcoming entry, the battle doesn't stop until all orders are given. The new combat system also introduced alignment, making things like flank attacks and battle lines look more realistic and clear. There are also many cosmetic improvements built into this new continuous combat system, such as clearer visual demarcation between the same units from different nations to understand the intense clashes that the new system is designed to enable.

Eliminate everything else Civil Even military victories are no longer just about the players. Rather, the capture and defense of enemy cities plays an important role in the milestones a player must achieve over time to work toward military victory. Many military victory milestones involve controlling a vast empire, with conquered cities weighing more heavily than player-founded cities. In this way, military dominance is less about being the last man standing and more about being the preeminent superpower throughout history. This is also reflected in more complex victory conditions for other paths.

I await the game itself

Probably the biggest thing you can expect Civilization 7 is the game itself. Civilization 7 is set to release on February 11, 2025 and, somewhat surprisingly for the franchise, will be released on multiple platforms. The game's voice will also continue the proud legacy of distinctive, iconic voices that the franchise is known for. Joining the ranks of Sean Bean and the late Leonard Nimoy is Gwendoline Christie, known for her roles as Captain Phasma, among other things star WarsBrienne of Tarth in game of Thronesand Larissa Weems in Wednesday.

At launch, players will have numerous choices for leaders and nations, which will only increase over time given the pattern of Firaxis. Civilization 6 has released a plethora of DLC leaders, gameplay expansions, wonders, and more, so that's obvious Civilization 7 will do the same. Fans can expect more news on post-launch plans in the coming months. It's also likely that Steam Workshop content will be released in late 2025, adding more wonders, leaders, and nations over the lifecycle of the latest Sid Meier title.

Civilization 7 is certainly an experimental entry into the long-standing and proud 4X series, but with it arriving so early in 2025, players won't have to wait long to see if the game dominates or needs DLC for its own era transition.