Civilization 7's launch on Steam has undoubtedly faced challenges. Since its February release, the strategy sequel has seen lower player engagement on Valve’s platform compared to expectations. User reviews on Steam reflect a "Mixed" reception overall. Despite multiple patches from developer Firaxis aimed at improving player sentiment, Civilization 7 currently finds itself in the difficult position of attracting fewer Steam players than both Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5.
Of course, Steam player counts alone don’t tell the whole story. The game is also available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch—with a Nintendo Switch 2 version, featuring new Joy-Con mouse controls, scheduled to launch soon. However, the PC platform remains the series' core audience, and here Civilization 7 is clearly underperforming.
Given these circumstances, one might expect parent company Take-Two to be less than satisfied. But in an interview with IGN ahead of the latest earnings report, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed that he is actually "thrilled" with Civilization 7’s performance so far.
"I'm thrilled with Civ 7 so far," Zelnick stated. "That said, we did face some initial hurdles, and the Firaxis team has done an excellent job addressing them. More work remains, but I'm confident we'll meet player expectations and, ultimately, deliver a highly successful title."
Zelnick also pointed to the Civilization franchise’s history of having longer sales cycles compared to many other games, and he believes Civilization 7 will follow this pattern.
"Throughout the series, each new release tends to cause some initial concern among our dedicated fans because they care so deeply about the franchise," he explained.
"Over time, however, players come to recognize the genuine improvements we’ve introduced, leading to strong, sustained sales. I expect the same will hold true here.
"Admittedly, we encountered some issues at launch. We've made progress in addressing them and will continue to do so."
Rank every Civilization Game
Rank every Civilization Game
At launch, players pointed to issues with the user interface, limited map variety, and a perceived lack of features that have traditionally been part of the franchise.
Zelnick’s mention of "hardcore fans being nervous" is almost certainly a nod to some of the significant gameplay changes Firaxis introduced.
A complete playthrough in Civilization 7 spans three distinct eras: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. When an era concludes, all players—and AI opponents—simultaneously enter an Age Transition. This phase involves selecting a new civilization for the upcoming era, choosing which Legacies to carry forward, and witnessing the game world transform. This multi-era system is a major departure from previous Civilization titles. Zelnick appears confident that, over time, players will embrace this new approach.
Take-Two has not yet disclosed specific sales numbers for Civilization 7. Still, the company noted in its financial report that it is actively "exploring opportunities to grow the audience." This includes the recent launch of Civilization 7 VR for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, as well as the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 version.
