Civilization 7's potential fourth Age: A datamined revelation and developer hints.
Civilization 7 currently features three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern, each concluding with a simultaneous Age Transition for all players. This transition involves selecting a new civilization, choosing which Legacies to retain, and witnessing a world evolution – a unique feature in the Civilization series. The Modern Age concludes before the Cold War, ending around the conclusion of World War II, a deliberate choice by Firaxis.
Lead designer Ed Beach explained Firaxis's historical approach to defining Age boundaries to IGN. The end of Antiquity was chosen based on the simultaneous decline of major empires around 300-500 CE. The Exploration to Modern transition reflects the challenges to established monarchies posed by revolutions. The end of the Modern Age at WWII marks a significant global shift, allowing for unique gameplay mechanics within each Age, such as altered diplomacy, warfare, and available commanders.
While Executive Producer Dennis Shirk remained tight-lipped about specifics, he hinted at future expansions, stating the potential for further Ages is significant, given the design team's approach to creating distinct systems, visuals, units, and civilizations for each Age.
Dataminers have already uncovered evidence suggesting an unannounced "Atomic Age," including mentions of new leaders, civilizations, and the Age itself. This aligns with Civ 7's current endpoint and Shirk's comments. The addition of new content through DLC is expected, as with previous Civilization titles.
Currently, Firaxis is addressing community feedback regarding the game's mixed Steam reviews. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged negative reviews but expressed confidence in the game's long-term success, believing the core Civilization audience will appreciate the game more with continued play.
For players seeking to conquer the world, resources are available, including guides on achieving every victory type, understanding key changes from Civilization VI, avoiding common mistakes, and navigating map types and difficulty settings.
