Zelnick Excited About Civilization 7 Despite High Playership of Civ 6 and 5 on Steam

Civilization 7 has faced a challenging start on Steam, with reactions from users described as 'mixed' according to platform reviews. Despite several updates aimed at improving player satisfaction, the game currently boasts fewer players on Steam than both Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5. While Steam performance doesn't tell the whole story—Civ 7 also launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch—the franchise's core audience resides on PC, where Civ 7 is evidently struggling.

Despite these challenges, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed optimism in an interview with IGN. He praised Firaxis’ efforts to address initial concerns and emphasized the franchise's historical sales trajectory. "The history of all the Civilization releases is that initially some of the changes we make cause consternation among our consumers because they love the Civilization franchise so much," Zelnick explained. "And then people realize, oh, this really is an improvement, and over a long sales cycle, we do really well."

At launch, players noted issues with the user interface, limited map variety, and missing features expected from the series. Zelnick referenced concerns from dedicated fans regarding significant changes to the gameplay mechanics, such as the new Age Transition system that spans Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern eras. These adjustments aim to create a more dynamic experience but required time for players to adjust.

Take-Two hasn't disclosed sales figures for Civilization 7 but highlighted efforts to broaden its audience. Initiatives include the recent release of a VR version for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, along with an upcoming port for the Nintendo Switch 2 featuring Joy-Con mouse controls.