Sid Meier's Civilization VII: A VR Revolution on Meta Quest 3
Civilization VII (Civ VII) is making its VR debut this Spring 2025, exclusively on the Meta Quest 3 and 3S headsets. This marks the franchise's first foray into virtual and mixed reality gaming.
Meta Quest 3 Exclusivity and Developer Statements
2K Games and Firaxis Games announced the exciting news during the Civ World Summit Event on February 8, 2025. Dennis Shirk, Executive Franchise Producer, expressed enthusiasm for launching Civ VII and beginning "a new era of strategy excellence." Meta's Chris Pruett, Director of Games, highlighted the timing, calling it "an awesome time for mixed reality," and emphasizing Civ VII VR as a "genuine Civ experience" tailored for dedicated strategy gamers. Noteworthy is the absence of a PSVR2 release, despite the game's availability on PlayStation consoles.
Immersive Gameplay and Multiplayer Options
Civ VII VR immerses players in a detailed "Command Table" environment, allowing for strategic maneuvering and close examination of in-game details. Players can seamlessly switch between immersive VR and mixed reality modes. 2K Games describes the VR experience as being transported to "an ornate museum," while the mixed reality version adapts to the player's physical space.
The game supports single-player, co-op, and competitive multiplayer modes for up to four players using Meta Quest 3/3S headsets. Players can team up against AI opponents or compete directly against each other. The VR/MR experience allows players to see their fellow players as their chosen world leaders across the Command Table. Online multiplayer requires both a 2K and Meta account.
Addressing Player Feedback and Future Updates
Firaxis Games is actively addressing player feedback from the early access period (February 6th, 2025, for Deluxe/Founder's Edition owners). Their official Twitter (X) account confirmed a focus on UI improvements, including enhanced intuitiveness, map readability, and overall polish. Further updates will include community-requested features like multiplayer teams and expanded map types. A quality-of-life update in March is planned, addressing UI adjustments, AI balancing, diplomacy/crisis refinements, and bug fixes.
Release Information
Civilization VII VR is slated for a Spring 2025 release on Meta Quest 3 and 3S, with a precise date yet to be announced. The standard version of Civilization VII launched in early access and will have its full release on February 11, 2025, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. For more details, visit our Civilization 7 page.
