Civilization 7 Outlines Crucial 1.1.1 Update as It Struggles to Compete on Steam Against Civ 6 and Even the 15-Year-Old Civ 5

Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has announced a significant update, version 1.1.1, at a time when the game is experiencing lower player counts on Steam compared to its predecessors, Civilization 6 and 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 in 2010, achieved a 24-hour peak of 17,423 players, while Civilization 6, released in 2016, saw a peak of 40,676 players, indicating that many fans are still loyal to the older titles.

In a 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 a comprehensive overview of these changes in a video, with full patch notes expected soon.

Civilization 7 Update 1.1.1 Patch Notes:

Quick Move is now an optional setting that can be toggled in the game's menu, allowing units to move to their destination instantly for a faster gameplay experience.

A significant update includes a new start position option for map generation. The default setting for single-player games is now Standard, offering more varied and less predictable continents, reminiscent of Civilization 6. For multiplayer, the Balanced setting remains to ensure a level playing field with consistent maps.

Players can now rename settlements and commanders, adding a personal touch to their gameplay. Additionally, a restart feature allows players to regenerate the map with new seeds while retaining their chosen leader and civilization.

UI improvements include a persistent city and town panel when purchasing items, new notifications for cities under attack, indicators for crises, and enhanced resource tooltips. The update also introduces significant pacing changes to enhance the overall gameplay experience.

Alongside these updates, the paid Crossroads of the World Collection introduces Bulgaria as a new civilization, alongside Nepal and the new leader Simón Bolívar, available as of March 25.

Rank Every Civilization Game

Civilization 7 has sparked controversy among series veterans due to its new mechanics and has struggled to maintain player numbers on Steam. The game currently holds a 'mixed' user review rating on Valve's platform and received a 7/10 from IGN's review.

In a recent interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative feedback from both press and players but remains optimistic, suggesting that the "legacy Civ audience" will grow to appreciate the game with more playtime. He described Civilization 7's early performance as "very encouraging." There's also hope for the return of fan-favorite leader Gandhi.

For those looking to master Civilization 7, our comprehensive guides cover everything from achieving every Civ 7 victory, understanding the biggest Civ 7 changes for Civ 6 players, avoiding the 14 crucial Civ 7 mistakes, to exploring all the Civ 7 map types and difficulty settings.