Civilization 7's Hidden 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 concluding with a simultaneous Age Transition for all players. This transition involves selecting a new civilization, choosing which Legacies to retain, and witnessing a global world evolution – a unique feature in the Civilization series.
The Modern Age, as currently implemented, concludes before the Cold War, ending with World War II. Lead designer Ed Beach explained Firaxis's decision to IGN, highlighting the historical significance of these periods as natural chapter breaks. The end of Antiquity (300-500 CE) marked the decline of major empires worldwide, while the Exploration to Modern transition reflects the era of revolutions challenging established monarchies. World War II provided a clear historical pivot point, allowing for distinct gameplay mechanics across each Age, including changes to diplomacy, warfare, and available commanders. The Cold War's unique characteristics, however, led to its exclusion from the Modern Age.
While Executive Producer Dennis Shirk remained tight-lipped about specifics, he hinted at future expansion possibilities, emphasizing the potential for unique systems, visuals, units, and civilizations for each Age. This tease, coupled with datamined references to an "Atomic Age" by Redditor ManByTheRiver11 (including mentions of new leaders and civilizations), strongly suggests a future expansion.
Currently, Firaxis is focused on addressing community feedback and improving the game, acknowledging mixed user reviews on Steam. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed confidence that the core Civilization fanbase will eventually embrace the game, citing its early performance as "very encouraging."
For players seeking strategic advantages, resources are available, including guides on achieving all victory types, understanding key differences from Civilization VI, avoiding common mistakes, and navigating map types and difficulty settings.
