Back in 2016, Firaxis Games released the latest entry in its expansive turn-based strategy franchise Sid Meier's Civilization. This came off the heels of the best-selling Sid Meier's Civilization 5 and not as stellar Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth. The game promised a return to form for the series, and it delivered on that promise. Strategy fans have been taking one more turn in Sid Meier's Civilization 6 for years now, and they cannot seem to get enough. However, it has been a bit since the release of the title, so it's time for the next entry in the franchise.
Firaxis Games has been supporting Sid Meier's Civilization 6 with a decent helping of post-launch content. The game has seen two major expansion packs and a season pass of sorts with the New Frontier Pass. It has come a long way since it released, but it feels like it has finally run its course. After almost six years of conquering the world, fans of the series are eagerly awaiting the next chapter. Now is the time for Firaxis Games to deliver on a Sid Meier's Civilization 7, and it needs to happen soon.
Sid Meier's Civilization 6 Has Run Its Course
Civilization 6 launched in 2016 and felt like a return to form for the franchise after it experimented with the science-fiction genre through Beyond Earth. The game drastically changed various aspects of the Civilization formula like the way that cities work, and the majority of these changes were received well. While the entry did not receive the same level of reviews that Civilization 5 received, it still provided hours of gameplay for strategy fans to enjoy.
Just like almost every entry in the franchise, Civilization 6 has received a boatload of post-launch content for players to check out. Soon after the game launched, Firaxis Games started churning out small DLC packs with different civilizations to play as. The first two years of the game's lifespan saw the release of Poland, Australia, Persia, Macedon, Nubia, Khmer, and Indonesia as playable civilizations. Along with them came many scenarios that helped to liven up the game.
The game saw its first major expansion pack in 2018 with Rise and Fall. The expansion added the new ages system, loyalty system, governors, brand-new diplomacy features, and eight new civilizations. A year later, the game saw its second expansion pack with Gathering Storm. This pack added natural disasters, the world congress, a whole new era of technology to research, and eight new civilizations to play as. The most recent piece of DLC came in the form of the New Frontier Pass which saw six different DLC packs with new civilizations and new game modes released over the span of a year. Now, the game has not received new content for a year and fans are anxiously waiting for the announcement of the next title.
It is Time for the Next Chapter in the Civilization Franchise
It took about six years for Firaxis Games to release Civilization 6 after the release of Civilization 5. The six-year timeframe is almost approaching, and if Firaxis kept to the same schedule then that would mean that Civilization 7 should be releasing by next year. However, in-between the release of Civilization 5 and 6, fans got Beyond Earth and Revolution 2. Both games released four years after Civilization 5, and Civilization 6 came out two years after that. There has been no spin-off Civilization game in the last six years, and that makes it feel like Civilization 7 should have come out even sooner.
Sid Meier's Civilization is a huge franchise, so a seventh one is most likely on the way, but it feels like it should have been here by now. Civilization fans have been playing the sixth entry for close to six years without another game to bridge the gap. Recently, there have been more Civilization-like games releasing which have given fans something to turn to, but they do not compare to the classic franchise. Firaxis Games needs to confirm the creation of Civilization 7 at least, because it is long overdue.
Civilization 6 is a pretty fun game, but it has run its course and is slowly showing its age. The lack of new DLC should mean that the next entry is on the horizon, but there has been no official word yet. All fans of the franchise can do is sit and wait, and the wait has already been a long one.
Sid Meier's Civilization 6 is available now on Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.