Rank Every Civilization Game
Six months after its controversial launch, Civilization 7 continues to trail behind its predecessors on Steam, with fewer players than both Civilization 6 and the decade-and-a-half-old Civilization 5. Despite this rocky start, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick remains confident the strategy game will meet the company's long-term expectations.
Since its February release, Civ 7 has struggled to maintain player engagement on Steam, where reviews remain "mixed." While the game launched across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch (with recent additions including a Switch 2 version and VR mode), PC has traditionally been Civilization's core platform—and here, Civ 7's underperformance is most apparent.
In a recent IGN interview discussing Take-Two's strong Q1 2025 financial results, Zelnick acknowledged Civ 7's "slow start" but maintained that the game's projected "lifetime value" aligns with initial projections. "It's definitely improving," he noted, though sales figures remain undisclosed.
"Civilization has always been a slow burn," Zelnick explained. "While not typically a believer in the long-tail theory for entertainment, Civ proves the exception. Our lifetime projections still match our expectations, despite the slower-than-anticipated launch."
He added: "We've implemented changes with more coming, and we're seeing growing consumer engagement. We're confident Civ 7 will eventually establish itself as a worthy successor in the franchise."
What Went Wrong?
At launch, players criticized Civ 7 for its clunky UI, limited map variety, and perceived lack of franchise staples. Even veteran fans struggled with Firaxis' boldest innovation—the three-Age system (Antiquity, Exploration, Modern), where all players simultaneously transition between eras, selecting new civilizations and inheriting specific legacies.
This radical departure from traditional Civ gameplay polarized the community. Firaxis has since rolled out multiple updates, including the recent 1.2.3 patch focusing on Age Transition refinements.
The key question remains: Can future updates rehabilitate Civ 7's reputation and convince loyalists to migrate from older entries? Meanwhile, our full interview with Zelnick covers additional topics, including his perspective on Borderlands' Randy Pitchford and BioShock 4's development challenges.
