Civilization 7 Sells Well Despite Mixed Reviews, Will It Improve Over Time?

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Summary

  • Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says Civilization 7’s mixed reception is typical for the franchise, citing similar early reactions to past entries.
  • Despite criticism, Zelnick insists the game is selling well and expects its reputation to improve over time.
  • Critics and players remain divided on the game, as underlined by its mixed reviews and low concurrent Steam player counts compared to the previous two Civilization titles.

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick remains unfazed by the diverse opinions surrounding the release of Sid Meier’s Civilization 7, which still sparks debates several months post-launch. Although he conceded that the game faced some initial challenges at launch, the executive is optimistic about a promising future for Civilization 7.

2025 saw the release of the seventh installment in the acclaimed 4X strategy series titled “Civilization 7” in mid-February. This game received decent reviews compared to the average game launch, but it fell short critically when compared to other games in the franchise and some other Firaxis titles. As of now, it has an average score of 79 and a 77% recommendation rate on OpenCritic. The player reception seems less favorable, as evidenced by its “Mixed” rating on Steam, based on more than 31,000 reviews. Interestingly, it’s the only “Civilization” game without a positive user score on Valve’s storefront to date.

As a die-hard fan, I admit that Firaxis’ latest “Civilization” game hasn’t quite reached the heights of previous versions in terms of ratings, but Take-Two Interactive is not too worried. In a recent chat with GamesIndustry.biz, their CEO, Strauss Zelnick, acknowledged some initial hurdles at launch, but emphasized that they are generally satisfied with the game. Interestingly, he pointed out that the mixed reception of “Civilization 7” is a pattern that follows every new platform release of the series. In other words, fans who adore the franchise often express concerns following a new iteration, which seems to be the case this time around, rather than necessitating a significant overhaul.

Civilization 7 Selling Well Despite Mixed Reviews

As a passionate gamer eagerly anticipating Civilization 7, I feel confident that initial community skepticism will eventually fade away. Firaxis has been consistently addressing concerns and adding more content, which suggests a promising future for the game. Take-Two’s prediction of a long sales cycle seems plausible, given the game’s predecessors’ success.

In the interim, Zelnick is convinced that Civilization 7 is already performing exceptionally well commercially. Even before its release, it topped sales on its main platform, driven solely by the power of pre-orders. To add to this, Circana recently reported that as of early May, Civilization 7 was among the top 20 best-selling games in the U.S., ranking eighth. These achievements certainly support Zelnick’s claim that Civilization 7 is selling like hotcakes. I can hardly wait to get my hands on this game!

Each time a fresh version of Civilization’s platform is released, there has been some concern from fans who cherish the series and find themselves attached to its previous release.

Civilization 7 Player Activity Plummeted

While data from PC player engagement shows a different narrative, it appears that Civilization 7 is facing challenges in keeping players engaged. As per SteamDB records on May 18, the game’s peak concurrent users on Steam within a 24-hour period was 11,829. In stark contrast, Civilization 6 boasted a peak of 46,207 during the same timeframe. Even the 15-year-old Civilization 5 has more current players than Civilization 7, with a ratio of approximately 2 to 1.

The main criticism within the gaming community towards Civilization 7 is centered around the game being perceived as overly simplified and needing more refinement. Firaxis has acknowledged these issues and have adjusted their immediate plans accordingly, such as pushing back some content from Civilization 7 to focus on improvements that players are asking for, particularly in terms of enhancing the overall quality of the gameplay experience.

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2025-05-18 23:24