The developer of the iconic Civilization series, Firaxis, has announced a significant milestone for Civilization 7, coinciding with the franchise’s 35th anniversary. Despite facing criticism since its launch two years ago, the game is set to receive substantial updates, including a free update and its first paid expansion, scheduled for next year.
Atomic Age and Free Updates
The upcoming free update, Arc of Tomorrow, will extend the Civilization 7 timeline into the Atomic Age, bridging the gap from the 1950s to the near future. This update introduces modern-era gameplay with new civilisations, leaders, buildings, and units. Players will experience enhanced nuclear gameplay, including new multilateral agreement options that address nuclear stockpiles through disarmament or escalation. Furthermore, players can transform Settlements into City-States, encouraging limited conflict instead of full-scale war.
Firaxis emphasised the importance of reflecting historical uncertainty and global conflict through proxy warfare and nuclear threats, while also highlighting human achievements like spaceflight and social justice movements. Arc of Tomorrow also offers unique opportunities for players to produce Great Works of Film, with benefits varying by the film’s quality and the film crews’ location scouting abilities. An added feature is the combination of specific commodities to create new resources like Enriched Uranium. Playtesting for this update is set to begin this year.
Earthrise Expansion
Looking to the future, Firaxis will expand Civilization 7 with its first paid expansion, Earthrise. This space-race-themed expansion takes players from the Antiquity Age to the near future, integrating space exploration into civilisation progress. Players might engage in celestial observations and early orbital missions, establishing space agencies and conducting interplanetary missions during the Atomic Age to discover and exploit new planetary resources.
Additionally, Earthrise will address environmental concerns, allowing players to alter terrain, gain biome bonuses, and construct civil engineering structures designed to combat global warming. These structures could potentially reverse climate change effects, adding a strategic element to environmental management.
Both Arc of Tomorrow and Earthrise are slated for release in 2027, with Arc of Tomorrow arriving first. Meanwhile, Civilization 7 is poised for an imminent update, version 1.5.0, set to launch later this month. This update features new maps, including the True Start Location Earth map, Terra Incognita, and Shuffle Voronoi maps, alongside improvements in diplomacy, resource generation, and the user interface.
Reporting based on coverage first published by eurogamer.net.