HomeTechnologyWhy Civilization VII is the way it is, and how its devs plan to win critics back

Why Civilization VII is the way it is, and how its devs plan to win critics back

TechnologyFebruary 2, 2026
1 min read
Why Civilization VII is the way it is, and how its devs plan to win critics back
Firaxis' Ed Beach and Dennis Shirk talk major overhauls in "Test of Time" update.
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It has been difficult at times for new mainline releases in the Civilization series of games to win over new players right out of the gate. For Civilization VII—which launched just shy of one year ago—the struggles seemed to go deeper, with some players saying it didn't feel like a Civilization game.

Civ VII’s developer, Firaxis Games, announced today it is planning an update this spring called "Test of Time" that rethinks a few unpopular changes, in some cases replacing key mechanics from the original release.

I spoke with Ed Beach, the Civilization franchise's creative director, as well as Dennis Shirk, its executive producer, about what's changing, the team's interpretation of the player backlash to the choices in the initial release, and Firaxis and 2K's plans for the future of the Civilization model.

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Source: Ars Technica

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