Civilization 7 has experienced a challenging launch on Steam, with the strategy game struggling to attract players since its February release. The game has garnered 'mixed' reviews from Steam users, and despite numerous patches from developer Firaxis aimed at improving player sentiment, Civilization 7 has fewer players on Steam than both Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5.
While the Steam performance is a significant concern, it's important to note that Civilization 7 also launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. A version for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, which will utilize the new Joy-Con mouse controls, is set to release soon. However, the franchise's core audience is on PC, where Civilization 7 is clearly underperforming.
In an interview with IGN ahead of Take-Two's latest financial results, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed his enthusiasm for Civilization 7, stating, "I'm thrilled with Civ 7 so far. However, there were some issues initially, and our team at Firaxis has done a great job addressing those issues. There's more work to be done. I'm optimistic that work will be done and will suit consumers, and ultimately that we have a very successful title on our hands."
Zelnick also highlighted the Civilization franchise's history of having a long sales cycle, suggesting that Civilization 7 will follow a similar pattern. He noted, "The history of all the Civilization releases is that initially some of the changes that we make cause consternation among our consumers because they love the Civilization franchise so much. And then people realize, oh, this really is an improvement and over a long sales cycle, we do really well. I think that's what'll happen here too. But undoubtedly, we had some issues in the beginning, which we've addressed partially and continue to address."
At launch, players pointed out several issues with Civilization 7, including problems with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and the absence of expected franchise features. Zelnick's comments about the initial nervousness of hardcore Civ players likely refer to the significant changes Firaxis implemented in the game.
A full campaign in Civilization 7 spans three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Upon completing an Age, all players and AI opponents undergo an Age Transition. During this transition, players select a new civilization from the new Age to represent their empire, choose which Legacies to retain, and witness the game world evolve. This system is a novel addition to the Civilization series, and Zelnick believes that fans will grow to appreciate it over time.
Take-Two has not yet disclosed sales figures for Civilization 7, but in its financial report, the company mentioned efforts to expand the game's audience. This includes the recent launch of Civilization 7 VR for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, as well as the upcoming port for the Nintendo Switch 2.
