Here are the changes to Civilization 7 after its release

Khizar Mundia Published 04/02/2025

After its release, some fans may wonder what changes have come to Civilization 7, especially compared to previous entries.

As one of the most iconic 4X franchises ever, Civilization has become synonymous with PC strategy games. From settling the land in the Ancient Era to reaching the stars in the future, these games take the players through a speedrun of humanity’s greatest hits. Firaxis looks to shake things up for the classic franchise with its seventh entry.

Across the board, Firaxis has updated and innovated the core mechanics of Civilization 7. Not only that, new features, leaders, and challenges await those who play the long-awaited sequel. Players who have been around a while may get confused by some of these changes, so it’s crucial to point them out.

Ages

Instead of the traditional campaign, Civilization 7 now tackles games through three distinct ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. While this may sound like the typical progression, the big change comes from how players will transition into each age. Upon the completion of an age, every single player can then change civilizations.

This is to ensure every civilization feels powerful in distinct stages. Depending on cultural overlap and geographical proximity, players can transition from Rome in Antiquity to the French Empire in the Modern Age. Some unique leaders unlock specific civilizations based on their heritage, such as Himiko to Modern Japan.

Mix and Match

Civilization 7 allows players to pick any leader for any civilization as a core feature. While this feature did exist as a fun option for Civilization 4, it was far from balanced. Firaxis has added changes to Civilization 7 to balance mix-and-match, which means Civ 7 leader attributes matter more than ever.

These changes are exciting players who have always wanted to lead Ancient Rome as Napoleon or the United States of America as Augustus Caesar. Leader combos, especially paired with Ages, can make for some fascinating meta-games in Civilization 7.

Streamlined Gameplay

One of the biggest complaints about previous Civilization games was feature bloat and micromanagement, especially in the late game. Civilization 7 looks to streamline all that micromanagement and features with a plethora of innovations.

The removal of builders, overhauling cities, and the introduction of Commanders for combat make things simpler without sacrificing complexity. Instead, these features exist to trim the fat from long games, while still being the familiar Civilization players know and love.

Choose-Your-Own-Adventure

One of the biggest changes in Civilization 7 is the Emergent Narrative system. While Civilization has nominally always been about players building their own stories, the actual narrative rarely acknowledged this. With Civilization 7, Narrative Events will unlock when players accomplish specific feats.

These could either be historically accurate events, such as the Mongol invasion, or interesting what-if scenarios, like if Persia had never fallen. These can make games feel more immersive even on a replay.

The Legends System

Finally, Civilization 7 has changed its progression system to reward players the more they accomplish in the game. Contrary to what people may assume, the Legends system is not a Battle Pass. There is no expiration date nor can players purchase anything with microtransactions.

The Legends system gives players even more of a reason to replay, as they can unlock fun cosmetics and equipment called “Mementos.” Mementos are in-game equipment that grants a small bonus or feature to leaders. They can also be turned off for balance in multiplayer games, especially when against newer players.

Khizar Mundia

About Khizar Mundia

Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.

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