Civilization 7 has faced a challenging debut on Steam, and that’s undeniable. Since its release in February, the latest installment in the storied strategy series has struggled to gain traction among players on Valve’s platform. User reviews reflect a “mixed” reception, and despite multiple patches from developer Firaxis aimed at improving the experience, Civilization 7 currently boasts fewer concurrent players on Steam than both Civilization 6 and even the 15-year-old Civilization 5.
Of course, Steam numbers alone don’t tell the full story. The game also launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, with an upcoming version tailored for the Nintendo Switch 2—leveraging the new Joy-Con mouse controls. However, PC remains the core platform for the Civilization franchise, and it’s here that Civ 7 is underperforming.
Given these challenges, you might expect Take-Two—the parent company of Firaxis—to express concern. Yet in an interview with IGN ahead of the company’s latest financial results, CEO Strauss Zelnick said he was “thrilled” with *Civilization 7* so far.“I'm thrilled with Civ 7 so far,” Zelnick stated. “However, there were some issues initially, and our team at Firaxis has done a great job addressing those issues. There's more work to be done. I'm optimistic that work will be done and will suit consumers, and ultimately that we have a very successful title on our hands.”
He highlighted the franchise’s historically long sales cycle—unlike many games that peak early, Civilization titles typically grow in popularity over time. Zelnick believes Civ 7 will follow that same trajectory.
“The history of all the Civilization releases is that initially some of the changes that we make cause consternation among our consumers because they love the Civilization franchise so much,” he explained. “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. But undoubtedly, we had some issues in the beginning, which we've addressed partially and continue to address.”
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At launch, players raised concerns about Civilization 7’s user interface, limited map variety, and the absence of several features long expected from the series. Zelnick’s comments about fan reactions likely refer to the bold design shifts introduced in this entry.
One of the most significant changes is the game’s three-Age structure: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. A full campaign progresses through all three. When an Age ends, all players—including AI opponents—undergo an Age Transition simultaneously. During this phase, players choose a new civilization from the current Age to represent their empire, select which Legacies to carry forward, and witness the evolution of the game world. This mechanic is entirely new to the franchise, and while it’s sparked debate, Zelnick remains confident that players will come to appreciate its depth and innovation over time.
Take-Two has not yet disclosed specific sales figures for Civilization 7. However, in its recent financial report, the company emphasized efforts to broaden the game’s reach—highlighting the launch of Civilization 7 VR for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, as well as the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 version as key parts of its strategy.
