Civilization VII
| Civilization VII | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Firaxis Games |
| Publisher | 2K |
| Composers | Geoff Knorr Roland Rizzo Christopher Tin |
| Series | Civilization |
| Platforms | |
| Release | February 11, 2025 Switch 2: June 5, 2025 iOS / iPadOS: February 5, 2026 |
| Genres | Turn-based strategy, 4X |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Sid Meier's Civilization VII is a 4X turn-based strategy video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. The game was released on February 11, 2025, for Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It was released on June 5, 2025 for Nintendo Switch 2, then on iOS and iPadOS via Apple Arcade on February 5, 2026.
Similar to previous installments, the goal for the player is to develop a civilization from an early settlement through many in-game millennia to become a world power and achieve one of several victory conditions, such as through military domination, technological superiority, economic prowess, or cultural influence over the other human and computer-controlled opponents. Players do this by exploring the world, founding new cities, building city improvements, deploying military troops to attack and defend themselves from others, researching new technologies and civics advancements, developing an influential culture, and engaging in trade and negotiations with other world leaders. A significant change from previous iterations of the game was the introduction of an ages system to break up gameplay with different civilizations for each era.
Reception to the game was mostly positive, though more divisive than previous entries in the series. It received praise for its visuals, music, and some of its new gameplay systems (specifically the diplomacy system overhaul); its user interface was highly criticized, however, with critics noting that very little information is readily explained to the player. Some gameplay systems received criticism as well, specifically the ages system due to it separating different civilizations into different eras rather than allowing a player to play as the same civilization throughout an entire campaign. As of 2026, Firaxis has announced that many gameplay changes are currently in development to address common criticisms, specifically allowing players to play as one civilization throughout a game.