Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has announced a significant update, version 1.1.1, aimed at enhancing the experience of the recently launched strategy game. This update comes at a time when Civilization 7 is facing challenges on Steam, with lower player counts compared to its predecessors. Over the last 24 hours, Civilization 7 reached a peak of 16,921 concurrent players, which falls short of making it into Steam's top 100 most-played games. In contrast, Civilization 5, despite being released in 2010, saw a peak of 17,423 players, while Civilization 6, released in 2016, had a much higher peak of 40,676 players.
In a Steam post, Firaxis detailed several "additions and refinements" coming with Update 1.1.1, including:
- Quick Move Functionality
- New Natural Wonder Mount Everest
- Additional UI Updates & Polish
- Settlement & Commander Renaming
- And more!
Lead designer Ed Beach provided an in-depth look at these changes in a video, alongside a full set of patch notes that are set to be released soon.
Civilization 7 Update 1.1.1 Patch Notes:
- Quick Move is now an optional setting you can toggle on in the game’s menu. This feature allows units to move to their destination immediately, speeding up gameplay.
- A new start position option related to map generation has been introduced. For single-player games, the default setting is now 'Standard,' which offers more varied and less predictable continents, reminiscent of Civilization 6. Multiplayer games will retain the 'Balanced' setting to ensure a level playing field with consistent maps.
- Players can now rename settlements and commanders, adding a personal touch to their game (historical accuracy be damned!). Additionally, a restart button allows you to recreate the map with new seeds while keeping your leader and civilization selections, similar to Civilization 6.
- UI improvements include the city and town panel staying open when purchasing items, new notifications for cities under attack, indicators for crises, and enhanced resource tooltips. The update also brings significant pacing changes to improve the overall flow of the game.
- Alongside the update, a new civilization, Bulgaria, joins Nepal and new leader Simón Bolívar in the paid Crossroads of the World Collection, launching today, March 25.
Civilization 7 has stirred controversy among series veterans due to some of its new mechanics, and its performance on Steam has been underwhelming. The game currently holds a 'mixed' user review rating on Valve’s platform and received a 7/10 from IGN. In a recent interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative feedback but remains optimistic, suggesting that the "legacy Civ audience" will warm up to the game with more playtime. He described Civilization 7’s early performance as "very encouraging."
For those looking to master the game, check out our comprehensive guides on achieving every Civ 7 victory, understanding the biggest Civ 7 changes for Civ 6 players, and avoiding the 14 crucial Civ 7 mistakes. Additionally, our explanations of Civ 7 map types and difficulty settings will help you navigate the game more effectively.
