Civilization VII

Last updated
Civilization VII
Civilization VII cover.png
Developer(s) Firaxis Games
Publisher(s) 2K
Series Civilization
Platform(s)
ReleaseFebruary 11, 2025
Genre(s) 4X
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Sid Meier's Civilization VII is an upcoming 4X video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. The game is scheduled to be released on February 11, 2025, for Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Contents

Gameplay

Civilization VII, as a 4X game, has the player oversee the growth of a human civilization from early settlements to an advanced culture. The player uses various units, representing military and civilian units, to explore the map, grow their civilization through additional cities, culture, and technology, gather resources of the geography around their settlements, and defeat threats from foreign civilizations also attempting to grow their civilization. The player can win the game through a range of possible victory conditions, ranging from peaceful solutions to full military domination of the world.

Civilization VII will allow the player to select leaders and civilizations independently, with civilizations favoring leaders with certain attributes. [1] The criteria for who constitutes a "leader" has also been updated, with philosophers, religious leaders, and scientists who were not heads of state being included. The historical era system will be simplified into the antiquity, exploration, and modern eras, in comparison to the further divisions implemented by the game's predecessors. During antiquity era, independent factions—deliberately labeled to prevent perceived negative connotations of the term "barbarian" used in previous games in the series—will emerge. Depending on the player's interactions with them, some of them will evolve to become a city state. [2] The player must change their civilization when transitioning from one era to another at the end of each era. Following the end of the antiquity and the exploration era, players will be faced with a "crisis event" which will bring drawbacks in the subsequent eras. [3]

Development

In February 2023, Firaxis Games announced it was developing a sequel to Civilization VI (2016). [4] PCGamesN reported in August 2021 that Firaxis had posted a job opening for a narrative lead for the game. [5] Gwendoline Christie narrates the game's voiceovers. [6]

Firaxis Games collaborated with members of the Shawnee Tribe, including Shawnee chief Benjamin Barnes, to create a historically accurate depiction of Tecumseh in the game. Tecumseh is voiced by Dean Dillon, a Shawnee voice actor. As part of the partnership between Firaxis Games and the Shawnee Tribe, Firaxis and 2K donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to programs working to revitalize the Shawnee language. [7]

Civilization VII's opening cinematic "Rediscover Hope" and theme song "Live Gloriously" were revealed at the 2024 Game Awards. "Live Gloriously" is written by American composer Christopher Tin, who also composed the Grammy Award-winning song "Baba Yetu", theme main theme of Civilization IV , as well as Civilization VI's main theme "Sogno di Volare". The song's lyrics are derived from four ancient poems—the Iliad , Beowulf , Popol Vuh , and Ramayana —which are sung in their languages as originally written. [8]

Release

Civilization VII was announced at the Summer Game Fest on June 7, 2024. [9] 2K previously announced it would appear at Summer Game Fest in May to reveal the "next iteration in one of its biggest and most beloved franchises". [10] Hours before the presentation, the game was unintentionally announced on 2K's website. [11] Civilization VII is set to be released for Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S [12] on February 11, 2025. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sid Meier</span> American game programmer and designer (born 1954)

Sidney K. Meier is an American businessman and computer programmer. A programmer, designer, and producer of several strategy video games and simulation video games, including the Civilization series, Meier co-founded MicroProse in 1982 with Bill Stealey and is the Director of Creative Development of Firaxis Games, which he co-founded with Jeff Briggs and Brian Reynolds in 1996. For his contributions to the video game industry, Meier was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

XCOM is a science fiction video game franchise featuring an elite international organization tasked with countering alien invasions of Earth. The series began with the strategy video game X-COM: UFO Defense created by Julian Gollop's Mythos Games and MicroProse in 1994. The original lineup by MicroProse included six published and at least two canceled games, as well as two novels. The X-COM series, in particular its original entry, achieved a sizable cult following and has influenced many other video games; including the creation of a number of clones, spiritual successors, and unofficial remakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firaxis Games</span> American video game developer

Firaxis Games, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Sparks, Maryland. The company was founded in May 1996 by Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs and Brian Reynolds following their departure from MicroProse, Meier's earlier venture. They were acquired by Take-Two Interactive in August 2005, and subsequently became part of the publisher's 2K label. Firaxis Games is best known for developing the Civilization and XCOM series, as well as many other games bearing Meier's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4X</span> Genre of strategy-based video and board games

4X is a subgenre of strategy-based computer and board games, and includes both turn-based and real-time strategy titles. The gameplay generally involves building an empire. Emphasis is placed upon economic and technological development, as well as a range of military and non-military routes to supremacy.

<i>Civilization IV</i> 2005 video game

Civilization IV is a 4X turn-based strategy computer game and the fourth installment of the Civilization series, and developed by Firaxis Games. It was designed by Soren Johnson. It was released in North America, Europe, and Australia, between October 25 and November 4, 2005, and followed by Civilization V.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2K (company)</span> American video game publisher

2K is an American video game publisher based in Novato, California. The company was founded as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive in January 2005 through the 2K Games and 2K Sports sub-labels. The nascent label incorporated several development studios owned by Take-Two, including Visual Concepts and Kush Games, which had been acquired the day before. Originally based in New York City, 2K moved to Novato in 2007. A third label, 2K Play, was added in September 2007. 2K is governed by David Ismailer as president and Phil Dixon as chief operating officer. It operates a motion capture studio in Petaluma, California.

Civilization is a series of turn-based strategy video games, first released in 1991. Sid Meier developed the first game in the series and has had creative input for most of the rest, and his name is usually included in the formal title of these games, such as Sid Meier's Civilization VI. There are six main games in the series, a number of expansion packs and spin-off games, as well as board games inspired by the video game series. The seventh installment in the series is slated for release on Feb 11, 2025. The series is considered a formative example of the 4X genre, in which players achieve victory through four routes: "eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate".

<i>Civilization Revolution</i> 2008 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is a 4X, turn-based strategy game developed in 2008 by Firaxis Games with Sid Meier as designer. It is a spin-off of the Civilization series. The video game was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Windows Phone, and iOS. A Wii version was originally expected but was cancelled. The absence of a PlayStation Portable version was attributed to a lack of development manpower.

<i>Civilization V</i> 2010 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization V is a 4X turn-based strategy video game in the Civilization series developed by Firaxis Games. The game was released for Windows in September 2010, for Mac OS X on November 23, 2010, and for Linux on June 10, 2014.

<i>Civilization IV: Colonization</i> 2008 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization is a remake of the 1994 turn-based strategy game Sid Meier's Colonization. Players control settlers from one of four European nations – Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands – that are trying to conquer/colonize the New World in the period 1492–1792. The victorious player is the first to build up his colonies and army, declare independence from the mother country, and defeat the military force that the king inevitably sends to crush the rebellion.

<i>Civilization World</i> 2011 video game

Civilization World was a massively multiplayer online Flash game in the Civilization game series, developed by Sid Meier and Firaxis Games. It was launched on July 6, 2011 on Facebook with the original name Civilization Network; the game title was changed to Civilization World on January 6, 2012. On February 28, 2013, it was announced that the game would be discontinued and was shut down on May 29, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Shafer</span> American video game designer (born 1985)

Jon Shafer is an American designer and programmer of video games. He was the lead designer of the strategy game Civilization V, developed by Firaxis.

<i>Civilization: Beyond Earth</i> 2014 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth is a turn-based strategy, 4X video game in the Civilization series developed by Firaxis Games, published by 2K Games and released for Microsoft Windows on October 24, 2014, the Mac App Store on November 27, 2014 and for Linux on December 18, 2014. The game's premise is that Earth became uninhabitable due to an undescribed disaster known as "the Great Mistake", forcing humanity to colonize space. As a spiritual successor to the 1999 game Alpha Centauri, Beyond Earth shares much of its development team and some concepts, most notably its setting on an exoplanet in the future.

<i>Civilization VI</i> 2016 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization VI is a turn-based strategy 4X video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. The mobile and Nintendo Switch port was published by Aspyr Media. The latest entry into the Civilization series, it was released on Windows and macOS in October 2016, with later ports for Linux in February 2017, iOS in December 2017, Nintendo Switch in November 2018, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2019, and Android in 2020.

<i>Civilization VI: Rise and Fall</i> 2018 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall is the first official expansion pack for the turn-based strategy video game Civilization VI. Released on February 8, 2018, the expansion adds new features, civilizations, and leaders.

<i>Marvels Midnight Suns</i> 2022 video game

Marvel's Midnight Suns is a 2022 tactical role-playing game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. The game features comic book characters from multiple Marvel Comics properties, such as Midnight Sons, Avengers, X-Men, and Runaways. Players are able to create their own superhero named "The Hunter" with a choice of over 40 different powers.

<i>Ara: History Untold</i> 2024 video game

Ara: History Untold is an turn-based grand strategy video game developed by Oxide Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game was announced during Xbox and Bethesda Showcase 2022. It is about building and leading a nation throughout alternate history. The game was released for Microsoft Windows on September 24, 2024.

References

  1. Parrish, Ash (August 20, 2024). "Civilization 7 lets you mix and match history — and it's a blast". The Verge . Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  2. Benson, Julian (August 20, 2024). "A new age begins: Civilization 7 captures the chaos of human history in manageable doses". The Guardian . Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  3. Wilde, Tyler (August 20, 2024). "Civilization 7 hands-on: Huge changes are coming to the classic strategy series". PC Gamer . Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  4. Dinsdale, Ryan (February 17, 2023). "Next Civilization Game Officially Announced by Firaxis". IGN . Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  5. Boudreau, Ian (August 13, 2021). "It sure looks like Civilization 7 is getting underway at Firaxis". PCGamesN . Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  6. Yin-Poole, Wesley (August 21, 2024). "Civilization 7 In-Game Narrator Revealed — and the Game of Thrones Line of Succession Continues". IGN . Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  7. Brewer, Graham Lee; O'Brien, Matt (October 4, 2024). "Civilization 7 makers work with Shawnee to bring sincere representation of the tribe to the game". AP News . Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  8. McNally, Paul (13 December 2024). "Want to spoil the start of Civilization VII before launch? Watch the game's opening cinematic to get yourself in the mood". ReadWrite . Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  9. Webster, Andrew (June 7, 2024). "Civilization 7 is launching in 2025". The Verge . Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  10. Bailey, Kat (May 16, 2024). "2K Games Will Reveal Sequel to One of Its 'Biggest and Most Beloved Franchises' at Summer Game Fest". IGN . Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  11. Yin-Poole, Wesley (June 7, 2024). "Civilization 7 Leaks via 2K Games Website". IGN . Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  12. McWhertor, Michael (June 7, 2024). "Civilization 7 announced, coming in 2025". Polygon . Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  13. Parrish, Ash (August 20, 2024). "Civilization 7 launches in February". The Verge . Retrieved August 20, 2024.

Further reading