Civilization VII may have stumbled out of the gate earlier this year, but Take-Two Interactive boss Strauss Zelnick says the 4X strategy heavyweight is still on track to meet its long-term sales goals.
Launched in February, Firaxis’ latest entry quickly drew criticism over controversial gameplay changes, missing features, and a clunky UI. Steam reviews remain “mixed,” and even Eurogamer’s review called it “competent” but lacking in personality. The backlash was loud enough for Firaxis to issue an early public roadmap promising fixes — work that’s still ongoing.
Speaking to IGN, Zelnick admitted the game had a “slow start” but stressed that Civilization has always been a “slow burn” title with enduring sales over time. “Our projections for the lifetime value of the title are very consistent with our initial expectations,” he said. “Consumer uptake is better and better… over time it’s going to take its place in the Civilization pantheon in a very successful, credible way.”
Firaxis has begun making changes, with update 1.2.3 rolling out UI tweaks, quality-of-life improvements, and adjustments to the divisive Age Transitions system. The studio says deeper overhauls are in the works, including revisions to Ages, replayability, and long-term civilization progression — though these will “take time.”
For now, Civilization VII’s redemption arc appears to be a long-term play, much like the games themselves.
