Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has announced a significant update, version 1.1.1, at a time when the game is experiencing lower player counts on Steam compared to its predecessors, Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5. On Valve's platform, Civilization 7 has seen a 24-hour peak of 16,921 concurrent players, which falls short of making it into Steam's top 100 most-played games. In contrast, Civilization 5, released in 2010, achieved a 24-hour peak of 17,423 players, while Civilization 6, released in 2016, boasts a significantly higher peak of 40,676 players, indicating that many fans are still loyal to the older titles.

In a detailed post on Steam, Firaxis outlined the "additions and refinements" that will be introduced with Update 1.1.1. These include:

• 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 video walkthrough of these changes, with full patch notes expected to be released soon.

Civilization 7 Update 1.1.1 Patch Notes:

The Quick Move feature is now an optional setting that can be toggled in the game's menu, allowing units to move to their destination instantly for a faster gameplay experience.

A new start position option related to map generation has been introduced. The default setting for single-player games is now 'Standard,' which offers more varied and less predictable continents, reminiscent of Civilization 6. For multiplayer games, the 'Balanced' setting remains in place to ensure a level playing field with consistent maps.

Players can now rename settlements and commanders, adding a personal touch to their gameplay. Additionally, a restart feature allows players to regenerate the map with new seeds while retaining their chosen leader and civilization.

UI improvements include a city and town panel that remains open during purchases, new notifications for cities under attack, indicators for crises, and enhanced resource tooltips. The update also brings significant pacing changes to enhance the overall gameplay experience.

Alongside the update, a new civilization, Bulgaria, will be introduced as part of the paid Crossroads of the World Collection, joining Nepal and the new leader Simón Bolívar, available from March 25.

Rank Every Civilization Game

Civilization 7 has sparked controversy among series veterans due to its new mechanics and has struggled to maintain player numbers on Steam. The game currently holds a 'mixed' user review rating on Valve's platform and received a 7/10 from IGN's review.

In a recent interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative feedback from both press and players but expressed optimism that the "legacy Civ audience" would eventually embrace the game. He described Civilization 7's early performance as "very encouraging." There's also hope for the return of fan-favorite leader Gandhi.

For players looking to master Civilization 7, our comprehensive guides cover everything from achieving every victory type, understanding the significant changes from Civilization 6, avoiding common mistakes, to exploring the various map types and difficulty settings.