Summary
It’s almost seven years since the last entry in the historicCivilizationfranchise, and fans are waiting with bated breath to see what Firaxis has been cooking. In early 2023, the studio confirmed thatCivilization7was in active development, leading to speculation on what lessons will be applied to the game from its decades-spanning tenure, as well as the ever-changing landscape of gaming. The recent release ofBaldur’s Gate 3has been heralded as a monumental achievement, bucking several problematic trends in the medium that many are hoping Firaxis will follow.
Still considered by many to be a niche genre, Firaxis has been at the forefront of4X strategy gamessince the beginning. TheCivilizationseries of games has existed as a sort of middle-ground for players, with an offering more accessible and less micromanagement-heavy than its peers while still imbued with that enthralling, just-one-more-turn, gameplay loop. Each release sinceCivilization 4has also been somewhat criticized as having solid foundations that have required several expansions to unlock their full potential. Now that Larian Studios’Baldur’s Gate 3has upstaged the rest of the industry with its full package devoid of piece-mealed content, live-service models, or a microtransaction monetization strategy, there is optimism that other studios like Firaxis might follow suit.
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Like Baldur’s Gate 3 for Larian, Civ 7 Could be Firaxis' Opus Magnum
It is impossible to overstate thetriumph ofBaldur’s Gate 3. There was skepticism regarding the elongated early access and an over-ambitious scope of the game, but Larian Studios absolutely stuck the landing, withBaldur’s Gate 3sitting at a 97 on Metacritic and boasting nearly 1,000,000 active players on Steam. The finished product takes every aspect of CRPGs to new heights, from voice-acting and branching story structure to level design and fidelity. Its release has many hopeful it marks the beginning of a pattern for other genres to start offering more robust and standalone games, andCivilization 7is in a prime spot to be theBaldur’s Gate 3of 4X games.
It starts withpolish and depth forCivilization 7. While Firaxis typically builds out its titles with paid expansions, as well as dabbling in smaller-scale DLC and its Frontier Pass forCivilization 6, the initial launch of its next title should look to impress with the sheer breadth of content, as well as hammering down an evolved version of the gameplay the series is known for. The way Larian iterated on the systems ofDivinity: Original Sin 2forBaldur’s Gate 3is a masterclass on growing as a studio. It might seem naive to expect another studio to similarly improve from game to game, but the timeframe betweenCivilizationtitles for Firaxis has been almost a year longer than Larian’s development cycle, and even without the benefit of early access,Civilization 7could absolutely be the definitive genre experience that most considerBaldur’s Gate 3to be.
The Secret to More Sales Could be Less Nickle-and-Diming
Perhaps the bigger ask of Firaxis is to revert the trend it began inCivilization 5and ramped up inCivilization 6in terms of monetization strategy. Larian Studio’s commitment to forego additional purchasable content forBaldur’s Gate 3is a commendable exception in an industry where the standard has increasingly become laden with DLC and microtransactions. To expect the nextCivilizationgame to follow Larian in its defiance of piece-mealed content is unrealistic. What seems more likely is for Firaxis to decide it is discontented with its reputation for releasing games that need two expansions to realize their potential and seeks to wow its fans withthe initial launch ofCivilization 7.
Baldur’s Gate 3has obtained mainstream appealin an arguably niche genre, which puts it in an enviable position that will likely have similarly-scaled studios taking notes. It might sound hyperbolic, but its success could shape the future of gaming, and not just for CRPGs. While fans await more information onCivilization 7, Firaxis will be looking to leave a similar impact on the industry amid its ongoing development.
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7is currently in development.
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