Zelnick 'Thrilled' with Civilization 7 Despite High Play Rates of Civ 6, 5 on Steam

The launch of Civilization 7 on Steam has been anything but smooth. Since its February release, the strategy game has struggled to attract players on Valve's platform, garnering a 'mixed' reaction from Steam users. Despite multiple patches from developer Firaxis aimed at improving the game, Civilization 7 finds itself with fewer players than its predecessors, Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5.

While the game's performance on Steam is a significant concern, it's important to note that Civilization 7 also launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. A version for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, featuring new Joy-Con mouse controls, is also in the works. However, the franchise's core audience has always been on PC, where Civilization 7 is clearly struggling.

In an interview with IGN ahead of Take-Two's latest financial results, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed his satisfaction with Civilization 7, stating, “I'm thrilled with Civ 7 so far. 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.”

Zelnick highlighted the long sales cycle typical of the Civilization franchise, suggesting that Civilization 7 would follow a similar pattern. He noted, “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. And 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.”

Rank every Civilization Game

At launch, players expressed concerns about Civilization 7's user interface, the lack of map variety, and the absence of several expected franchise features. Zelnick's comments about the initial apprehension among hardcore fans likely refer to the significant changes Firaxis introduced, including a new gameplay mechanic involving Age Transitions.

In Civilization 7, a full campaign spans three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Upon completing an Age, all players and AI opponents undergo an Age Transition, during which they select a new civilization from the new Age, choose which Legacies to retain, and witness the evolution of the game world. This innovative system is a first for the Civilization series, and Zelnick is confident that fans will grow to appreciate it over time.

Take-Two has not yet disclosed sales figures for Civilization 7, but the company's financial report mentioned efforts to "pursue opportunities to expand the audience." This includes the recent launch of Civilization 7 VR for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, as well as the upcoming port for the Nintendo Switch 2.