Civilization 7 enthusiasts have been buzzing with excitement following recent datamining efforts that hint at the introduction of a fourth, previously unannounced Age in the game. This news comes alongside an insightful interview with IGN, where Firaxis, the game's developer, teased their future plans for the title.
In Civilization 7, players navigate through a comprehensive campaign spanning three distinct Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Each Age concludes with a simultaneous Age Transition for all players and AI opponents. During this transition, players select a new civilization from the upcoming Age, choose which Legacies to carry forward, and witness the game world evolve. This innovative system marks a significant departure from previous iterations of the Civilization series.
Currently, the Modern Age in Civilization 7 concludes before the onset of the Cold War. Lead designer Ed Beach confirmed this timeline in the IGN interview, explaining that Firaxis chose to end the game at the close of World War 2. Beach elaborated on the decision-making process behind the Age divisions, highlighting the importance of historical accuracy and global perspective in defining these transitions.
Beach noted, "We spent a lot of time looking at the ebbs and flows of history. Once we knew that our game would benefit by breaking it up into chapters, obviously the first thing we ask ourselves is, 'well, when does a chapter start and when does a chapter end?' And our senior historian on the project, Andrew Johnson, was working very closely with me, comes from a study of Southeast Asian history. My tendencies are way too focused on Western history, but he's very good at making sure that we're looking at the whole picture worldwide."
He further explained that the end of the Antiquity Age aligns with the fall of major empires worldwide around the 300 to 500 CE period. The transition from the Exploration to the Modern Age reflects the challenges faced by established monarchies due to revolutions in the 18th and 19th centuries. Finally, the Modern Age concludes with the pivotal changes brought about by the World Wars, stopping short of the Cold War era.
The possibility of a fourth Age has sparked curiosity among fans, especially after executive producer Dennis Shirk hinted at future expansions. Shirk remarked, "You can imagine the possibilities with this, honestly. The way that the design team set it up so that each age is chockfull of systems, visuals, units, Civs, all specific to that age, and what you could do with that and where you could take it… we can't talk about the specifics. We can just talk about it in generalities. We're excited for where this is going to go."
Following this tease, dataminers have uncovered references to an "Atomic Age" within the game files, which are accessible to those with advanced access. Redditor ManByTheRiver11 shared findings about unannounced leaders, civilizations, and mentions of the Atomic Age, suggesting that Firaxis might be planning to expand the game into this new era, fitting seamlessly with where the current Modern Age ends and Shirk's hints.
In the short term, Firaxis is focusing on addressing community feedback to improve the game's reception, which currently sits at a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the initial negative reviews in an interview with IGN but expressed confidence that the "legacy Civ audience" would grow to appreciate Civilization 7's offerings, describing its early performance as "very encouraging."
For players eager to master Civilization 7, our comprehensive guides offer valuable insights on achieving every victory type, understanding the significant changes from Civilization 6, and avoiding common pitfalls. Additionally, we provide detailed explanations of all map types and difficulty settings to help you strategize effectively.
