Zelnick Excited About Civilization 7 Despite High Playership of Civ 6 and 5 on Steam

Since its launch in February, Civilization 7 has faced a challenging reception on Steam. Despite being one of the most anticipated entries in the iconic strategy series, the game has struggled to attract and retain players on Valve’s platform. User reviews reflect a “mixed” response, and although developer Firaxis has rolled out multiple patches aimed at improving performance and player satisfaction, the numbers tell a sobering story: Civilization 7 currently draws fewer concurrent Steam players than both Civilization 6 and even the 15-year-old Civilization 5.

Of course, Steam isn’t the only platform where Civilization 7 is available. The game also launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, with an upcoming enhanced version for the Nintendo Switch 2 that will support new Joy-Con mouse controls. Still, PC remains the core audience for the franchise — and it's precisely here that Civ 7 is underperforming.

You might expect Take-Two Interactive, Firaxis’ parent company, to be concerned by this rocky start. However, during an interview with IGN ahead of the company’s latest financial report, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed confidence in the title’s trajectory.

“I'm thrilled with Civ 7 so far,” Zelnick stated. “There were some issues initially, but our team at Firaxis has done a great job addressing them. There's more work to be done, but I'm optimistic that we'll continue making improvements that satisfy consumers — and ultimately, we have a very successful title on our hands.”

Zelnick also pointed to the unique lifecycle of Civilization games, noting that early reactions often don’t reflect long-term success. He emphasized how fans tend to resist change at launch, only to warm up over time as they experience the depth and innovation in each new installment.

“The history of all the Civilization releases is that initially, some of the changes we make cause consternation among our consumers because they love the franchise so much. Then people realize, oh, this really is an improvement, and over a long sales cycle, we do really well. I think that's what'll happen here too.”

At launch, players criticized Civ 7 for a range of issues, including a confusing user interface, limited map variety, and the absence of features many had come to expect from previous installments. These concerns were amplified by major design shifts introduced in this sequel — particularly the Age Transition system.

In Civilization 7, gameplay spans three distinct Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. After completing each Age, all players — human and AI alike — undergo a synchronized Age Transition. During these transitions, players select a new civilization for their empire, choose which Legacies to carry forward, and witness the world evolve around them. It’s a bold departure from past entries and represents one of the most dramatic structural changes in the series' history.

Although early feedback has been lukewarm, Zelnick remains confident that fans will eventually embrace these innovations — just as they’ve come to appreciate past evolutions of the series over time.

Take-Two has not yet released official sales figures for Civilization 7, but the company continues to invest in expanding the game’s reach. Recent initiatives include the release of Civilization 7 VR for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, as well as the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 port — moves clearly aimed at broadening the game’s appeal and long-term viability.