Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has announced the crucial Update 1.1.1 for the recently released strategy game. This update comes at a time when Civilization 7 is struggling to attract players on Steam, with a 24-hour peak player count of just 16,921. This number falls short of making it into Steam's top 100 most-played games and is even lower than the 15-year-old Civilization 5, which saw a peak of 17,423 players in the same period. In contrast, Civilization 6, released in 2016, boasts a significantly higher 24-hour peak of 40,676 players, indicating that many fans are sticking with the older title.
In a detailed post on Steam, Firaxis outlined the key "additions and refinements" included in Update 1.1.1. These updates encompass:
- Quick Move Functionality
- New Natural Wonder: Mount Everest
- Additional UI Updates & Polish
- Settlement & Commander Renaming
- And more!
Lead designer Ed Beach provided a comprehensive walkthrough of these changes in a video, also pointing to the full patch notes, which are 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. This allows units to move to their destination instantly, enabling faster 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 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. Additionally, a new restart feature allows players to recreate the map with new seeds while keeping their chosen leader and civilization.
UI improvements include a persistent city and town panel when making purchases, new notifications for city attacks, indicators for crises, and enhanced resource tooltips. The update also introduces significant pacing changes to enhance the gameplay experience.
Alongside Update 1.1.1, the paid Crossroads of the World Collection will be released on March 25, featuring new civilizations Bulgaria and Nepal, and the new leader Simón Bolívar.
Civilization 7 has received mixed reviews from series veterans and a 7/10 from IGN, reflecting some controversy over its new mechanics. On Steam, the game holds a 'mixed' user review rating. Despite this, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick remains optimistic, suggesting that the "legacy Civ audience" will grow to appreciate the game with more playtime, and described its early performance as "very encouraging."
For players looking to master Civilization 7, IGN offers comprehensive guides covering every victory type, significant changes from Civilization 6, common mistakes to avoid, and detailed explanations of map types and difficulty settings.
