"Civ 7's 1.1.1 Update Aims to Boost Steam Competitiveness Against Civ 6 and 5"

Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has announced a significant update, version 1.1.1, aimed at enhancing the gameplay experience of the recently launched strategy game. This update comes at a time when Civilization 7 is seeing fewer concurrent players on Steam compared to its predecessors, Civilization 6 and Civilization 5. On Steam, Civilization 7 has reached a 24-hour peak of 16,921 players, falling short of the top 100 most-played games. In contrast, Civilization 5, released in 2010, achieved a peak of 17,423 players within the same timeframe, while Civilization 6, launched in 2016, boasted a significantly higher peak of 40,676 players. It's evident that many fans of the series are still loyal to Civilization 6.

In a detailed post on Steam, Firaxis outlined the key "additions and refinements" set to be introduced with Update 1.1.1. These include:

• Quick Move Functionality
• New Natural Wonder Mount Everest
• Additional UI Updates & Polish
• Settlement & Commander Renaming
• And more!

Lead designer Ed Beach provided a comprehensive walkthrough of the changes in a video, referencing the full patch notes which are soon to be released.

Civilization 7 Update 1.1.1 Patch Notes:

The Quick Move feature is now an optional setting that players can activate in the game's menu, allowing units to reach their destinations instantly for a faster gameplay experience.

A new start position option has been introduced in relation to map generation. The default setting for single-player games is now Standard, offering a more varied and less predictable continental layout, reminiscent of Civilization 6. For multiplayer games, the Balanced setting continues to be used to ensure a fair start for all players on consistent maps.

Players can now rename settlements and commanders, adding a personal touch to their game. Additionally, a new feature allows players to restart the game with a single click, generating a new map while retaining the same leader and civilization selections, similar to Civilization 6.

User interface improvements include the city and town panel remaining open during purchases, a new notification for cities under attack, indicators for crises, and enhanced resource tooltips. The update also brings significant changes to pacing.

Alongside these updates, a new civilization, Bulgaria, joins Nepal and the new leader Simón Bolívar, available as of March 25 with the paid Crossroads of the World Collection.

Reception and Future Outlook

Civilization 7 has sparked debate among series veterans due to its new mechanics and has faced challenges on Steam, with a 'mixed' user review rating and a 7/10 score from IGN. In an interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the mixed reviews but expressed optimism about the game's future, suggesting that the "legacy Civ audience" would grow to appreciate it with more playtime. He described Civilization 7's initial performance as "very encouraging."

For those looking to master the game, our comprehensive guides cover everything from achieving every Civ 7 victory, understanding the biggest Civ 7 changes for Civ 6 players, and avoiding the 14 crucial Civ 7 mistakes. We also provide detailed explanations of Civ 7 map types and difficulty settings to help you strategize effectively.