Sid Meier’s Civilization VII currently holds a 51% positive rating on Steam, just 10 days after its Feb. 11 release. This makes it the lowest-rated game in the franchise on the platform, falling below Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, which sits at 57% positive.
On Metacritic, both games have similar critic scores, with Civilization 7 scoring 9 on Destructoid’s review. But Civ. 7 fares worse in user reviews, with a 3.6 out of 10 compared to Beyond Earth’s 5.5. It’s clear that players aren’t satisfied with the new entry, and that frustration is reflected in its player count on Steam.
Players are struggling to move on from Civilization 6
As of Feb. 21, SteamCharts showed that Civilization 7 had a peak concurrent player count of just over 43,000, while Civilization 6 peaked at 49,000 on the same day.
Although Civ 7 has maintained a higher average player count over the last 30 days, its numbers are still lower than Civ 6’s January 2025 average.
This suggests that longtime Civ 6 players haven’t abandoned the older game to dedicate their time to Civ 7. While negative reviews certainly play a role, there are deeper reasons why players aren’t making the switch.
Civilization 7 is expensive
Civ. 7 is priced at $69.99, slightly higher than Civ 6’s original $59.99. However, Civ 6 is frequently on sale for much cheaper, hitting an all-time low of $2.99 during the 2024 Steam Summer Sale.
This means Civ 6 has been steadily growing its player base for years, while Civ 7 is just starting out—with a much higher barrier to entry.
Re-learning a complex game like Civilization is hard
While the core gameplay of Civilization remains similar across titles, moving from one game to another requires players to learn new mechanics, forget discontinued ones, and adapt to a fresh meta and strategy..
This learning curve is already a challenge, but when players know Civ 7 has technical issues, it makes switching even less appealing.
Civilization 6 is a refined game
Released in 2016, Civilization 6 has years of updates and DLC expansions that have polished its gameplay and balance.
For veteran players, it’s easier to stick with a well-rounded game that supports established strategies than to adjust to an unpolished new entry.
For new players, Civ 6 is also a better starting point, as it has been refined over the years, making it more accessible than a game still finding its footing.
Other games have faced Civilization 7’s struggles
It’s no surprise that Civilization 6 hasn’t seen a massive drop in players following the release of Civ 7. Even Civilization 3—released in 2001—still peaks at nearly 2,000 concurrent players daily on Steam, while Civilization 5 reaches close to 20,000 concurrents each day.
This trend isn’t exclusive to the Civilization series. According to SteamCharts:
- The original Hades maintains almost double the average player count of Hades 2 (though Hades 2 is still in early access).
- Battlefield 1 (2016) continues to rival Battlefield V (2018) in player count.
- PAYDAY 3 averages just 1,000 daily concurrent players, compared to 14,000 still playing PAYDAY 2.
These examples prove a common challenge for sequels in long-running franchises—convincing players to move on from a game they’ve already invested years into.
But it’s just the start for Civilization 7
What really matters now is how developer Firaxis and publisher 2K respond. They have the opportunity to improve the game through updates, address turn limits and UI issues, and introduce incremental refinements with each patch.
If Civilization’s history is any indication, Civ. 7 won’t remain in the middle—it will either realize its full potential, becoming a defining entry in the franchise that players explore for years, or struggle to gain momentum, eventually fading into obscurity like Beyond Earth.
Destructoid has reached out to 2K for comment.
Published: Feb 25, 2025 4:15 PM UTC