After 8 years and multiple expansions, Firaxis had to make Civilization 7 because Civ 6 "was getting too big for its britches"

Civilization 7 is coming about eight years after Civilization 6 because it was getting "too big for its britches" with new expansions, modes, scenarios, and more.

Yesterday, Firaxis finally revealed more of its new Civilization game at the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase, including a February 11 release date that just so happened to have leaked online earlier that day. This is the first new Civilization game since Civilization 6 in 2016, and in the eight years since, it's acquired numerous expansions, modes, scenarios, and even nations.

That's what led Firaxis to make Civilization 7. "It was getting too big for its britches," Civilization series producer Dennis Shirk said of Civilization 6 to The Guardian in a new interview, hence why it was "time to make something new" in Civilization 7 instead.

Firaxis designer Ed Beach adds that it can be "tough to even get through the whole game" in Civilization 6. "The number of systems, units, and entities you must manage explodes after a while," Beach adds, pointing to a common problem in the predecessor that Firaxis aims to solve in Civilization 7.

As such, Civilization 7's campaign has been broken down into three major ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. "Breaking the game into chapters lets people get through history in a more digestible fashion," Beach says, adding that each significant age culminates in one huge crisis.

So Civilization 7 aims to streamline the entire process by not only dividing a campaign into three major ages but also getting better at giving you just enough aspects to manage without it feeling overwhelming.

Civilization 7 will finally be with us on February 11, 2025, as the Gamescom trailer confirmed following the leak yesterday. Across PC and current-gen consoles, the new strategy game will cost $69.99 as standard, except for on the Nintendo Switch, where it'll retail for $59.99. There's also a $99.99 deluxe edition that'll get you five days of early access.

Take a look over our new games 2024 guide for an overview of all the other titles arriving before Civilization 7 drops early next year.