Civilization 7 Outlines Crucial 1.1.1 Update as It Struggles to Compete on Steam Against Civ 6 and Even the 15-Year-Old Civ 5

Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has released details on the significant update 1.1.1, arriving at a time when the game is seeing lower player counts on Steam compared to its predecessors, Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5. On Steam, Civilization 7's 24-hour peak player count stands at 16,921, which doesn't rank it within the platform's top 100 most-played games. In contrast, Civilization 5, launched in 2010, has a 24-hour peak of 17,423, while Civilization 6, from 2016, boasts a peak of 40,676 players, indicating that many fans are still loyal to the older titles.

In a Steam post, Firaxis detailed the "additions and refinements" slated for Update 1.1.1, which include:

• Quick Move Functionality
• New Natural Wonder Mount Everest
• Additional UI Updates & Polish
• Settlement & Commander Renaming
• And more!

Lead designer Ed Beach provided a detailed walkthrough of these changes in a video, referencing the full patch notes, which are due 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 menu, allowing units to reach their destination instantly for a faster gameplay experience.

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

Players can now rename settlements and commanders, adding a personal touch to their game. A restart option is available to generate a new map with different seeds, while retaining the same leader and civilization choices as in Civilization 6.

UI enhancements include a persistent city and town panel when making purchases, a new notification for cities under attack, updated crisis indicators, and improved resource tooltips. The update also introduces significant pacing adjustments.

Alongside the update, a new civilization, Bulgaria, joins Nepal and the new leader Simón Bolívar, available today, March 25, as part of the paid Crossroads of the World Collection.

Civilization 7 has stirred controversy among series veterans due to its new mechanics and has faced challenges on Steam, where it holds a 'mixed' user review rating and received a 7/10 from IGN. In a recent IGN interview, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative feedback but expressed optimism that the "legacy Civ audience" would embrace the game over time, describing its early performance as "very encouraging."

For players looking to conquer the world in Civilization 7, our comprehensive guides offer insights into achieving every victory type, understanding the significant changes from Civilization 6, and avoiding common mistakes. We also provide detailed explanations of the various map types and difficulty settings to help you navigate the game with confidence.