Civilization 7's Unannounced Fourth Age: Datamining and Developer Teases
Civilization 7 dataminers have uncovered hints suggesting a fourth, unannounced Age is in the works, a possibility subtly confirmed by Firaxis in an IGN interview. The current game features three Ages – Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern – each culminating in an Age Transition. This transition involves selecting a new civilization, choosing which Legacies to retain, and witnessing a global game world evolution—a unique feature in the Civilization series.
The Modern Age, as currently implemented, concludes before the Cold War, ending around the conclusion of World War II. Lead designer Ed Beach explained to IGN that Firaxis strategically chose this endpoint, emphasizing the historical shifts that marked the end of each age. He highlighted the concurrent collapse of major empires around 300-500 CE as the natural conclusion of the Antiquity Age, the impact of revolutions on established monarchies as the Exploration to Modern Age transition, and the significant global upheaval following World War II as the Modern Age's end. Beach stressed the importance of aligning Age transitions with significant historical turning points to justify the changes in gameplay mechanics (diplomacy, warfare, available commanders) introduced with each new Age.
The possibility of a fourth Age, potentially encompassing the Space Age, was hinted at by executive producer Dennis Shirk, who, while not confirming specifics, emphasized the potential for expansion given the game's age-specific systems, visuals, units, and civilizations.
This speculation is further fueled by datamined evidence from the early access version of the game, revealing mentions of an "Atomic Age," along with new leaders and civilizations—a typical DLC strategy for the series. This aligns with the game's current ending and Shirk's comments.
While addressing negative player reviews on Steam, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed confidence that the core Civilization fanbase would eventually embrace the game, citing its early performance as "very encouraging."
For players seeking assistance in conquering the world, IGN offers various guides covering victory strategies, key differences from Civilization VI, common mistakes to avoid, map types, and difficulty settings.
