Civilization 7 has faced a challenging launch on Steam – that much is evident. The strategy sequel has struggled to retain players on Valve's platform since its February release. User reviews on Steam reflect a "mixed" reception. Despite numerous patches from developer Firaxis aimed at improving player sentiment, Civilization 7 finds itself in the unfortunate position of drawing fewer concurrent players on Steam than both Civilization 6 and even the 15-year-old Civilization 5.
Of course, Steam data alone doesn't tell the whole story. The game also launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch (a Nintendo Switch 2 version utilizing new Joy-Con mouse controls is coming soon). However, the PC platform has traditionally been the core market for Civilization, and it's here that Civ 7 is clearly facing difficulties.
Given these circumstances, one might assume that Firaxis's parent company, Take-Two, would be less than satisfied. Yet, in an interview with IGN ahead of the company's latest financial report, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed that he is "thrilled" with Civ 7's performance so far.
"I'm thrilled with Civ 7 so far," Zelnick stated. "That said, we did encounter some initial issues, and our team at Firaxis has done excellent work in addressing them. There is still more to be done. I am optimistic that this ongoing work will meet consumer expectations, and I believe we ultimately have a very successful title on our hands."
Zelnick went on to highlight the Civilization franchise's history of having a long sales cycle, especially when compared to many other games, and his confidence that Civ 7 will follow this pattern.
"The pattern with every Civilization release is that some of the changes we introduce initially cause concern among our dedicated fans because they hold the franchise in such high regard," he explained.
"Then, over time, players come to recognize that these changes are genuine improvements. This leads to strong performance over an extended sales period. I expect the same pattern to hold true here.
"Naturally, we faced some issues at the start. We've made progress in resolving them and will continue to do so."
Rank every Civilization Game
Rank every Civilization Game
At launch, players pointed out problems with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and a general sense that the game was missing several features they had come to expect from the series.
Zelnick's comment about hardcore Civ fans being initially apprehensive about Civ 7 undoubtedly refers to some of the significant changes Firaxis implemented.
A complete campaign in Civilization 7 spans all three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. When an Age concludes, all players and AI opponents simultaneously undergo an Age Transition. This transition involves three key steps: selecting a new civilization from the upcoming Age to lead your empire, choosing which Legacies to carry forward, and witnessing the evolution of the game world. This kind of system is entirely new to the Civilization series. Zelnick evidently believes that, in time, Civ fans will grow to appreciate it.
Take-Two has not yet released specific sales figures for Civilization 7. However, in its financial report, the company mentioned it is "exploring ways to broaden 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 Nintendo Switch 2.
