Civilization 7, developed by Firaxis, has just released a pivotal update, version 1.1.1, at a time when the game is seeing fewer players on Steam compared to its predecessors, Civilization 6 and even the 15-year-old Civilization 5. On Valve's platform, Civilization 7's 24-hour peak player count stands at 16,921, which falls short of making it into Steam's top 100 most-played games. In contrast, Civilization 5, released back in 2010, had a 24-hour peak of 17,423 players, while Civilization 6, launched in 2016, boasts a significantly higher peak of 40,676 players.
In a recent Steam post, Firaxis detailed the "additions and refinements" included in Update 1.1.1, which encompass:
- 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 look at these changes in a video, alongside the full patch notes, which are set to be released soon.
Civilization 7 Update 1.1.1 Patch Notes:
Quick Move Functionality: This new optional setting, which can be toggled in the game's menu, allows units to move instantly to their destination, speeding up gameplay.
Map Generation: A new start position option has been introduced. The default setting for single-player games is now 'Standard,' offering more varied and less predictable continents, similar to Civilization 6. Multiplayer games retain the 'Balanced' setting for consistent map layouts.
Renaming Options: Players can now rename settlements and commanders, adding a personalized touch to the game. Additionally, a restart feature enables players to generate new maps with different seeds while keeping the same leader and civilization selections.
UI Enhancements: The city and town panel remains open during purchases, new notifications alert players when cities are under attack, and there are new indicators for crises along with improved resource tooltips. The update also includes significant pacing adjustments.
New Content: Alongside the update, new civilizations Bulgaria and Nepal, as well as the new leader Simón Bolívar, are being introduced today, March 25, as part of the paid Crossroads of the World Collection.
Civilization 7 has faced mixed reviews from both players and critics, earning a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam and a 7/10 from IGN. In an interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative feedback but expressed optimism about the game's future, citing the "legacy Civ audience" and describing the early performance as "very encouraging."
For players looking to enhance their gameplay, IGN offers a variety of guides, including strategies for achieving every victory type in Civilization 7, an overview of the game's changes from Civilization 6, tips on avoiding common mistakes, and explanations of the different map types and difficulty settings.
