Firaxis and 2K Games have set a release date for Civilization 7, the latest installment in the venerable empire-building series. It will be released on February 11, 2025. Check out a new trailer below, featuring a quick and dirty montage of historical units, buildings, and celebrities posing. Don’t worry, there are still hexes.
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It's been a while since I've played Civ, and there are a lot of Civs to remember, so I'm not sure I can pick out the new features here, but I think the unit animations are more elaborate this time around, with tank battalions and herds of spearmen that could almost have been lifted from Total War. There's also a lot of bad weather, with continent-sized whirlwinds and electrical storms.
That said, to a certain extent, this all feels like normal business. You'll found cities, harvest resources, colonize the lands around them, send out armies, build wonders, and celebrate the end of a game with a cathartic exchange of nukes or a trip to another planet. Maybe both.
Oh wait! There's plenty more information on the Steam page, including details on the new leader selection (“one of the most diverse rosters in Civilization to date”). For the first time in the series, “you can choose your leader separately from your civilization, giving you the freedom to create entirely new strategies by mixing and matching gameplay bonuses.” We can also expect “a wide and diverse range of cultural styles, represented through building architecture and unit design.” The civilizations in the trailer certainly look quite diverse.
“With over 30 years of franchise heritage, Civilization VII delivers a wealth of gameplay improvements that will delight series veterans and newcomers alike,” the Steam page summarizes. “The redesigned tutorial experience and refined gameplay systems make getting into Civilization easier than ever, while returning players will enjoy a massive suite of gameplay improvements. Move your army as one under the leadership of a commander, unlock bonus progression for your leaders across multiple game sessions, cross navigable rivers, and much more!”
Again, it's coming out in February. I wonder if Gandhi is still a comic book super villain in this one.
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