Civilization 7 DLC Delay: A Blessing in Disguise?

by

The aim behind developing Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 was to assist Firaxis Games in regaining their footing after encountering challenges with their previous releases. Their preceding project, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, experienced commercial failure despite garnering positive reviews from critics. Regrettably, the fortunes of Civilization 7 have not fared any better. Although it has received favorable evaluations from experts, the game has been met with generally poor feedback from users. In fact, more than a few months following its release, it holds a Mixed rating on Steam, with only 48% of players endorsing the game.

Despite the negative feedback towards Civilization 7, Firaxis Games persists in releasing paid expansions for Civ 7. They’re planning to unveil a DLC pack for Civ 7 named the Right to Rule Collection. This pack will introduce 4 new civilizations, 4 new wonders, and 2 new leaders, along with other features. Initially scheduled for release in parts from April to September 2025, the Right to Rule Collection has been delayed and is now expected to drop sometime during the summer. The delay in releasing the Right to Rule Collection might have been a wise move, as Firaxis should focus on rectifying the main issues with Civ 7 before proceeding with DLC releases.

Firaxis Made the Right Call By Delaying the Civilization 7 DLC

Civilization 7 Has a Lot of Issues, Including Divisive Design Decisions and Bad UI

In the game Civilization 7, many players find issues due to significant alterations Firaxis has introduced to the conventional Civilization game structure. A notable change is the representation of leaders in this version, as opposed to past Civ games where they were based on real-life rulers, the characters in Civilization 7, such as Benjamin Franklin and Harriet Tubman, are historical figures who never actually ruled nations. To add to the complexity, players can combine leaders from unrelated civilizations in Civilization 7, so a French emperor like Napoleon Bonaparte could potentially rule China.

One notable adjustment in Civilization 7 is the streamlining of certain gameplay mechanics, such as the historical era system. Unlike in previous Civ games where eras were broken down into several stages, Civilization 7 has consolidated them into three distinct time periods: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages. Firaxis may have implemented this significant change to make Civilization 7 more inviting compared to its predecessors. Regrettably, despite this modification, the game’s intricate, counter-intuitive user interface continues to present challenges for new players.

Civ 7’s Base Game Needs Work, So It’s Best to Release the DLC Later

As a passionate gamer, I can’t help but notice the buzz surrounding Civilization 7, the latest installment in this legendary series. However, it seems that some of its design choices are stirring up quite a storm among players. In comparison to Civilization 5 and 6, which still hold stronger player bases on Steam, Civ 7 appears to be trailing behind.

The online chatter about the game hasn’t been all sunshine and roses either. The less-than-stellar reception of Civ 7 has had a ripple effect on the sentiment towards its paid DLCs. For instance, the recently launched Crossroads of the World DLC has been met with harsh criticism on Steam, largely due to players feeling that Firaxis is asking $30 for expansions for a game that feels unfinished and riddled with issues.

Delaying the release of the “Right to Rule Collection” for Civilization 7 might actually be beneficial in the long run, as it provides Firaxis Games with additional time to tackle and improve aspects that players have been critical about. These include concerns over the simplified historical era system and a less-than-ideal user interface. With this extra development time, it’s hopeful that by the time the DLC is launched, some of the negative opinions towards Civilization 7 may have started to shift positively.

Read More

2025-05-06 16:25