Sid Meier's Civilization VII is an upcoming 4X strategy simulation game and the latest addition to Sid Meier’s legendary Civilization series. Read on to learn how it plays, what it’s about, and everything else we know so far.

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Sid Meier's Civilization VII Story

Sid Meier's Civilization VII Story Plot

In Civilization VII, Firaxis reshapes the classic 4X strategy by introducing a fresh narrative framework, the three-age system, which breaks human history into distinct periods. The story now revolves around navigating through these ages, making impactful decisions that define your civilization’s progression. You’ll face new historical "Crisis" moments that will add high-stakes events where every choice can dramatically shape your empire’s fate.

It is possible for global conflicts to erupt, fueled by the unpredictable actions of AI leaders. Wars break out, and unexpected alliances are forged, as players advance through the eras to create their own versions of history that will rival the legacies of real-world civilizations.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII Setting

In Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, players dive into a randomly generated world, a vast map divided into hundreds of hexagonal tiles, each offering unique patches of land and sea, diverse biomes, natural wonders, and the structures each civilization constructs to leave its mark.

Each civilization, depending on its leader and historical strengths, benefits from a starting map bias, positioning them closer to biomes that mirror their real-world origins. This strategic placement allows players to tap into their civilization’s historical technologies and cultural advantages, bringing new depth and authenticity to each playthrough.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII Characters

Firaxis and 2K have been steadily unveiling the leaders joining Civilization VII's roster, each bringing unique skills and strategies to the game. Here’s a look at the confirmed leaders so far, with insights into their attributes, agendas, and exclusive bonuses.

Hatshepsut Attribute, Agenda, and Bonus

In Civilization VII, Hatshepsut is designed to emphasize cultural and economic expansion, tapping into Egypt’s long-standing tradition of wonder-building. With the new feature of navigable rivers, she can harness the full potential of the Nile to enrich and strengthen her civilization, provided the river remains within her grasp.

Augustus Attribute, Agenda, and Bonus

Gaius Julis Caesar Augustus, perhaps the most famous Roman emperor in history, leads an expansionist and cultural game in Civilization 7. Unafraid to leverage labor and resources from smaller towns, Augustus seeks to expand the legendary Roman empire one new building and subjugated township at a time.

Confucius Attribute, Agenda, and Bonus

In Civilization 7, Confucius leads with a focus on efficient governance and social harmony. As one of China’s greatest sages, he emphasizes assigning government roles to Specialists, maximizing their impact while nurturing a growing population. Confucius’s approach is to build tall and learn from every opportunity, guiding his civilization to success through his wisdom and careful planning.

Tecumseh Attribute, Agenda, and Bonus

Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee, is celebrated for his dedication to supporting independent powers across the Americas, rather than suppressing them. His strategy focuses on building strong alliances with City-States, leading a well-fed and highly productive civilization. Tecumseh unites smaller powers, creating a formidable coalition that thrives on cooperation and shared strength.

Trung Trac Attribute, Agenda, and Bonus

Trung Trac embodies her historical legacy of resisting the Han Dynasty’s attempts to assimilate Vietnam. Her leadership focuses on anti-authoritarian and anti-assimilation principles, leveraging the strength of highly decorated leaders and innovative warfare strategies for her people’s betterment.

Ashoka Attribute, Agenda, and Bonus

Ashoka, the celebrated leader of Maurya India, is introduced with two separate personas, reflecting different phases of his historic reign. The World Renouncer persona emphasizes the benefits of a peaceful and content empire, using happiness and harmony to ensure his people are well-fed and prosperous.

Ashoka’s World Conqueror persona in Civilization 7 represents the earlier, more tumultuous period of his reign, focusing on the power of a joyful population to fuel his war efforts. High happiness throughout his empire not only boosts productivity but also inspires the creation of zealous warriors, allowing his forces to easily crush enemy cities and expand his dominance.

Xerxes Attribute, Agenda, and Bonus

Xerxes the Great strides into Civilization VII with a dynamic dual-persona, capturing both the fierce conqueror of his youth and the strategic economic leader he became. His King of Kings persona brings the power of relentless warfare and pillaging, rewarding players who favor aggressive expansion. Transitioning into The Achaemenid, Xerxes shifts his focus, building vast trade networks that grow into cultural powerhouses, turning economic mastery into global influence.

Amina

The amount of information regarding Amina’s history and playstyle in Civilization VII remains scarce for the time being. We’ll update this article with more information regarding her Leader Agenda, Map Start Bias, and what civilizations work best with her leader abilities as soon as that information is available.

Other Revealed Leaders

Firaxis and 2K have also revealed additional leaders for Civilization 7, though they have yet to receive dedicated First Look videos. While details regarding their kits and playstyles remain limited, we’ll update this article with more information as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, you can refer to the table below to see what we know so far about these upcoming leaders.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII Gameplay

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII isn’t just another 4X game; it’s the iconic title that defined the genre’s essential features and mechanics. Set on an expansive hexagonal grid, Civilization VII invites you to lead a civilization of your choice as an influential historical leader. By allocating resources wisely, strategically placing infrastructure, skillfully navigating trade and diplomacy, and deploying units with tactical precision, you’ll shape your civilization’s legacy and make a lasting impact on the course of history.

Civilization VII also brings bold new mechanics to the classic Civilization formula, setting itself apart from its predecessors in exciting ways. Staying true to Firaxis' "Rule of Thirds" design philosophy, the game retains a third of the series' traditional gameplay features, enhances another third by improving systems from the previous title, and dedicates the final third to introducing fresh, innovative elements.

Recommend the game to:
　⚫︎　People who’ve played the previous Civilization games
　⚫︎　People who enjoy 4X strategy games
　⚫︎　People who want immense customization in their strategy
　⚫︎　People who enjoy semi-realistic historical designs

Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages

Civilization VII shakes up the series with one of its boldest changes yet, streamlining its timeline into three main eras: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Gone are the intricate age-specific bonuses of past games, making way for a new approach where leader and civilization bonuses grow more powerful with each era passed.

This refined progression system offers players a more strategic, less RNG-driven way to develop their civilizations, adding depth while maintaining a dependable path forward.

Mixing and Matching Civs and Leaders

Civilization VII takes customization to new heights, letting players freely pair any leader with any civilization’s bonuses. No longer bound by tradition, leaders can now bring their unique skills to different civilizations, opening up countless strategic possibilities.

Civilizations themselves are now unlocked by age, with distinct options available as players advance. For example, Xerxes isn’t limited to Persia—he can start there in Antiquity and evolve into the Abbasid civilization in the Exploration Age.

Navigable Rivers, Independent Powers, and Influence

Civilization VII introduces three groundbreaking map features: Navigable Rivers, Independent Powers, and Influence.

Navigable Rivers are new tile types with unique yields, standing out from smaller, non-navigable rivers by allowing naval units to embark and travel along their courses, opening up fresh strategic movement and trade possibilities.

Barbarians and City-States now fall under Independent Powers, entities that players can persuade to join their empire through trade and diplomacy—or conquer outright to absorb their resources.

The third addition, Influence, is a new resource that certain structures and tiles generate. Influence fuels diplomatic interactions with other civilizations, providing a key advantage for those who excel in negotiation and alliances.

All Civ 7 Civilizations Revealed So Far: Unique Abilities, Units, and Wonders

Civilization VII offers a rich lineup of new civilizations to explore, spanning three distinct ages and even multiple eras of the same civilization throughout history. Here’s a comprehensive look at each civilization’s unique abilities, specialized units (both civilian and military), exclusive infrastructures, and starting biases.

All Civ 7 Civilization Unique Abilities and Attributes

In Civ 7, every civilization offers its own distinctive abilities and perks, independent of the leader you choose to represent them. However, each civilization is tied to a specific era, and players must meet unique requirements to carry their civilization forward into the next age. Here's a rundown of all unique abilities and attributes for all revealed Civilizations so far.

All Civ 7 Civilization Unique Units

In Civ 7, every civilization boasts its own array of unique military and civilian units, each specializing in distinct roles and functions that highlight the diverse strengths of each culture. Here’s a breakdown of all the unique units revealed so far!

All Civ 7 Civilization Unique Infrastructure and Associated Wonders

A civilization is shaped by its culture, infrastructure, and the monumental legacies it leaves behind—and Civ 7 captures this beautifully. Here’s an overview of the unique infrastructure and wonders tied to each civilization revealed so far!

Is Sid Meier's Civilization VII Multiplayer?

Yes, for up to 8 people, depending on the Age you set for the game

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, with support for up to 8 players taking turns in the same game, depending on the starting Age. In the Antiquity or Exploration Age, multiplayer is limited to 6 players, while the Modern Age supports the full 8-player experience.

In single-player, players can also compete against up to 8 AI-controlled civilizations, each growing alongside the player’s. Though the specific mechanics for each difficulty level haven’t been officially revealed, the game traditionally features 8 difficulty settings, from Settler to Deity, each adding unique challenges to test players' strategic prowess.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII System Requirements

Firaxis and 2K released the game's official system minimum, recommended, and ultra system requirements through an official blog post. Refer to the table below to see if your system can run Sid Meier's Civilization VII.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII Trailers

Gameplay Reveal

Official Teaser Trailer

First Look: Hatshepsut | Civilization VII

First Look: Augustus | Civilization VII

First Look: Confucius | Civilization VII

First Look: Tecumseh | Civilization VII

First Look: Trung Trac | Civilization VII

First Look: Ashoka | Civilization VII

First Look: Xerxes | Civilization VII

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Sid Meier's Civilization VII Product Information

Title	SID MEIER’S CIVILIZATION VII
Release Date	February 11, 2025
Developer	Firaxis Games
Publisher	2K
Supported Platforms	PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Genre	Strategy, Simulation
Number of Players	Single Player, Online and LAN PvP Multiplayer
Rating	RP
Official Website	Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Official Website

Aaron Bruce Albert..

A massive fan of roguelikes, turn-based RPGs, and open world adventure games. His gold standard games include The Binding of Isaac, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and Dragon Quest Monsters Joker.