Civilization 7's Expanding Horizons: A Fourth Age on the Horizon?
Dataminers have uncovered hints suggesting a fourth, unannounced Age is coming to Civilization 7, a possibility subtly confirmed by Firaxis in an IGN interview. Currently, the game features three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern, each culminating in an Age Transition. This transition involves selecting a new civilization, choosing which Legacies to carry over, and witnessing a global evolution of the game world – a unique feature in the Civilization series.
The Modern Age, as currently implemented, concludes before the Cold War, ending around the conclusion of World War II. Lead designer Ed Beach explained Firaxis's decision to IGN, highlighting the historical significance of these periods as natural breakpoints: the decline of major empires around 300-500 CE marking the end of Antiquity, the revolutionary upheavals challenging monarchies signaling the shift from Exploration to Modern, and the pivotal impact of World War II. The Cold War's distinct characteristics, Beach noted, made it a poor fit for the current Modern Age structure.
While executive producer Dennis Shirk remained tight-lipped about specifics, he hinted at future expansion possibilities, emphasizing the potential of each Age's unique systems, visuals, units, and civilizations. This tease, coupled with datamined references to an "Atomic Age" – including mentions of new leaders and civilizations – by Redditor ManByTheRiver11, strongly suggests a future expansion. The inclusion of an Atomic Age would logically follow the current game's endpoint.
In the immediate future, Firaxis is focusing on addressing community feedback, acknowledging mixed user reviews on Steam. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed confidence that the core Civilization fanbase will appreciate the game more with continued play, describing its early performance as "very encouraging."
For players seeking to conquer the world, IGN offers various guides covering Civ 7 victory strategies, key differences from Civ 6, common mistakes to avoid, map types, and difficulty settings.
