Civilization 7 Unveils Vital 1.1.1 Update Amidst Competition from Civ 6 and Civ 5 on Steam

Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has announced a significant update, version 1.1.1, for the strategy game. This update comes at a time when Civilization 7 is experiencing lower player counts 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 the 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 much higher 24-hour peak of 40,676 players, indicating that many fans are still loyal to the older titles.

In a detailed post on Steam, Firaxis outlined the enhancements coming with Update 1.1.1, which include:

• 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 walkthrough of these changes in a video, with full patch notes expected to be released soon.

Civilization 7 Update 1.1.1 Patch Notes:

The Quick Move feature is now an optional setting that can be toggled in the game’s menu, allowing units to reach their destination instantly, thus speeding up gameplay.

A new start position option related to map generation has been introduced. For single-player games, the default setting is now Standard, offering more varied and less predictable continents similar to Civilization 6. Multiplayer games will continue to use the Balanced setting to ensure fair play on consistent maps.

Players can now rename settlements and commanders, adding a personal touch to their game. Additionally, you can restart the game with a single click to achieve the ideal first settlement, similar to Civilization 6, where the map is recreated with new seeds but retains your chosen leader and civilization.

UI enhancements include a persistent city and town panel when making purchases, new notifications for city attacks, indicators for crises, and improved resource tooltips. The update also introduces significant pacing changes to enhance the overall gameplay experience.

Alongside the update, the paid Crossroads of the World Collection will introduce new civilizations Bulgaria and Nepal, as well as a new leader, Simón Bolívar, available today, March 25.

Rank Every Civilization Game

Civilization 7 has sparked debate among series veterans due to its new mechanics and has faced challenges on Steam, with a 'mixed' user review rating and a 7/10 score from IGN. Despite the initial lukewarm reception, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick remains optimistic, suggesting that the core Civilization audience will grow to appreciate the game over time. He described the early performance of Civilization 7 as "very encouraging."

For players looking to dominate the world in Civilization 7, IGN offers comprehensive guides on achieving every victory type, understanding the major changes from Civilization 6, avoiding common mistakes, and exploring different map types and difficulty settings.