Civilization VII Adds Massive Maps, Towns & Steam Workshop

Firaxis and 2K are dedicated to turning the tide for Civilization 7 with a comprehensive new update, largely shaped by player feedback.

This month's substantial Update 1.2.2 introduces a host of highly requested features, including Large and Huge Maps, expanded Advanced Game Options, and a beloved community addition: Steam Workshop support. New Town Specializations, City-State Bonuses, Beliefs, balance adjustments, UI enhancements, and — most notably — "a very pettable Scout dog" are also part of the package.

Players can complete their current saved games using a previous version via the legacy Steam beta branch. Backwards compatibility for existing saves is supported, though be aware that "some new abilities or effects may only activate when you begin a new game or progress to the next Age in your current campaign."

"For the optimal experience, we advise starting a new game or advancing your current game into the next Age," Firaxis recommended.

Large and Huge map sizes — unavailable on Switch, along with Standard — are set for 10 players by default, though multiplayer campaigns support a maximum of eight, including AI. The team aims to eventually expand Huge maps to 12 players but needs "more time to ensure that higher player counts don't affect game stability or performance." To provide ample content, these maps are enriched with Pantheons (plus two new ones in Antiquity), Religious Beliefs, Discoveries, and City-State bonuses.

"One of Civilization's greatest strengths is its diversity of playstyles," the update noted. "Some players prefer building thriving cities in peace, while others focus on global conquest ('Yes, your impressive City looks wonderful as part of my empire'). With version 1.2.2, we've introduced several new advanced game setup options to offer even greater control over your gameplay."

You can now enable, disable, or entirely turn off Legacy Paths per Page, specific Crises, and Score Victory. AI difficulty can also be adjusted, and you have the option to bypass Civ Unlocks On Age Transitions.

"We've enjoyed experimenting with different Legacy Paths enabled or disabled in each Age. While non-victory Legacy Paths are always optional, sometimes it's refreshing to disable them completely and concentrate on your leader and civilization's unique strengths," Firaxis added. "For a fun sandbox experience, try turning off Legacy Paths in Antiquity and Exploration and setting the game to Abbreviated Ages. To enhance the sandbox feel further, you can also disable Legacy Paths in the Modern Age and turn off Score Victory."

Player feedback on Religion has led to adjustments, with new Beliefs added and existing ones updated to reward players for converting their own Settlements. More significant changes for Religion are planned for the future. Town focus bonuses have also been refined to make them feel more impactful.

"Urban Centers have been upgraded and now have access to many Buildings previously exclusive to Cities, such as Libraries and Monuments in Antiquity," the update clarified. "Fort Towns can purchase multiple walls to secure strategic choke points. We've also added a new Town Focus type: the Resort Town. These scenic retreats generate extra Gold and Happiness on Rural tiles with Happiness and increased Yields on Natural Wonders.

"Finally, we felt that clustered Hub Towns were dominating other choices, so we reduced their Influence bonus from +2 per connected Settlement to +1. We'll continue monitoring their performance relative to other enhanced Towns."

Players can now browse and install mods directly from the Steam Workshop. Additionally, a new loading screen features rewritten and re-recorded narration by Gwendoline Christie.

The update also includes a vast array of tweaks and fixes — too many to list here without extending this article until Christmas. Visit the official website for full details.

Civilization 7 faced a challenging debut on Steam, evident from its player count on Valve’s platform since its February release. Despite multiple patches from Firaxis aimed at improvement, the strategy sequel currently has fewer Steam players than Civilization 6 and even the 15-year-old Civilization 5. While overall Steam user reviews are 'mixed,' the most recent 1,500 reviews have pushed the rating to 'mostly negative.'

Update 1.2.2 is live now, though Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 players will need to wait a bit longer as the team works through additional submission requirements. Players encountering issues or bugs are advised to disable mods and report them to the development team.

We rated Civilization 7 as 'good,' giving it a 7/10, with the verdict: "Civilization 7's refined warfare and added narrative elements provide compelling reasons to play 'one more turn' late into the night, but the push to streamline this iconic 4X series may have gone too far, especially in the interface design."