Highlights

  • Civilization 7 shouldn't force a release tied to a special occasion; fans are eager for the next installment regardless of timing.
  • Civilization 6 celebrated a big anniversary for the series, but Civ 7 missed the latest window, and aiming for the next one would take a long time.
  • The wait for Civ 7 has been too long to postpone a potential earlier release for the sake of coinciding with another anniversary.

Civilization 6 marked an important milestone for the series, but Civilization 7 is not in a position to replicate that momentous occasion. Of course, Civilization fans will have reason to rejoice once Civilization 7 comes out, no matter when it happens. Even so, it would be best for the developers not to overthink the occasion and let development continue naturally. Trying to force Civilization 7's release into a specific special occasion could lead to far more problems than the game would face otherwise. Instead, there are far better ways to handle the game's eventual release date.

There's fair reason to believe that Civilization 7 could be better than ever, because the series never seems to stop growing. Civilization 6 reworked huge swaths of the game, with the new district system revolutionizing the way that strategy worked, forcing players to think further ahead when planning their cities. Likewise, the game also featured an expanded roster of leaders and civilizations, opening more routes for players to devise new strategies. It seems likely that Civilization 7 will shake up the game once more in its own way. With any hope, Civilization 7 will be bigger and better than any of its predecessors, with or without DLC.

Civilization 6 Art Style Change
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Civilization 7: The Case for an Art Style Change

The Civilization franchise has switched art styles a few times over the last few decades, and it might be time for another change in Civilization 7.

Civilization 7's Release Should Come Naturally, Not Stretched Out For an Event

Civilization 6 Celebrated Civilization's 25th Anniversary

Civilization 6 is more than one of the best games developed by Firaxis; it actually marked a significant event for the series. Civilization 6's release date came shortly after the 25th anniversary of the release of the original Civilization. This turned out to be one of the best ways to celebrate the quarter-century of the franchise's existence. Civilization 6's ambitious aim may have taken some time to get used to for players that were familiar with Civilization 5's approach, but it showed how much the series had grown. With that in mind, its release date turned out to be a brilliant decision.

Civilization's Next Big Anniversary Isn't For Two More Years

Despite Civilization 6's meaningful release date, Civilization 7 shouldn't try to repeat that magic. Civilization 7 needs a reveal soon due to how long fans have been waiting for it, and there's no similar milestone in sight. The 30th anniversary of Civilization passed in 2021, so there's no chance of celebrating that occasion with a new game. The 35th anniversary will be in 2026, but by that point it will have been ten years since Civilization 6's release. Even taking Civilization 6's impressive amount of DLC into account, that is a remarkably long wait between sequels, and could hurt Civilization 7 as a result.

Civilization 7 Doesn't Need a Milestone For Its Release Date

Civilization 7 can't simply keep fans waiting for years and years for a release date. Right now, Civilization 7 risks imitating Elder Scrolls 6's issues by having far too long a wait for the latest installment. True, Civilization 6 is a game that fans can keep playing for years thanks to every playthrough being different, but ten years is still a long wait for a sequel. It would be better if anniversary plans were not taken into account for the game's release date. The fans' long wait for Civilization 7 should not be extended solely for the sake of a milestone.

After only DLC releases since Civilization 6, it's about time for the next game in the series to finally make its debut. Even announcing an early access period for Civilization 7 would be enough to stir hype for the game once more. Waiting for the 35th anniversary to come around in order to release Civilization 7 is too much of a risk, since it will lead to such a long gap between games. While the developers do need to fully test Civilization 7 before release, they shouldn't hold off said release longer than necessary.