Strauss Zelnick Excited About Civilization 7 Despite Popularity of Civ 6 and 5 on Steam

The launch of Civilization 7 on Steam has been rocky, to say the least. Since its debut in February, the strategy game has struggled to attract players on Valve's platform, with Steam user reviews reflecting a 'mixed' reaction. Despite multiple patches from developer Firaxis aimed at improving the game, Civilization 7 currently boasts fewer players on Steam than both Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5.

While Civ 7's performance on Steam is concerning, it's important to note that the game also launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version featuring new Joy-Con mouse controls set to release soon. However, given that the Civilization series thrives on PC, the game's struggles on this platform are particularly notable.

In an interview with IGN ahead of Take-Two's latest financial results, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed his enthusiasm for Civ 7, stating, "I'm thrilled with Civ 7 so far. However, there were some issues initially, and our team at Firaxis has done a great job addressing those issues. There's more work to be done. I'm optimistic that work will be done and will suit consumers, and ultimately that we have a very successful title on our hands."

Zelnick highlighted the Civilization franchise's history of long sales cycles, suggesting that Civ 7 will follow a similar trajectory. He noted, "The history of all the Civilization releases is that initially some of the changes that we make cause consternation among our consumers because they love the Civilization franchise so much. And then people realize, oh, this really is an improvement and over a long sales cycle, we do really well. I think that's what'll happen here too. But undoubtedly, we had some issues in the beginning, which we've addressed partially and continue to address."

At launch, players pointed out several issues with Civ 7, including problems with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and the absence of expected features. Zelnick's comments about the initial nervousness among hardcore Civ players likely refer to the significant changes Firaxis introduced, such as the new Age system. In Civilization 7, a full campaign spans three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. During an Age Transition, players select a new civilization, choose which Legacies to retain, and witness the evolution of the game world—a feature unprecedented in the series. Zelnick believes that over time, fans will come to appreciate this innovation.

Although Take-Two has not disclosed specific sales figures for Civilization 7, the company's financial report mentioned efforts to expand the game's audience. This includes the recent launch of Civilization 7 VR for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, as well as the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 port.