"Civ 7's 1.1.1 Update Struggles to Rival Civ 6 and Civ 5 on Steam"

Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has announced a significant update, version 1.1.1, amidst a time when the newly released strategy game is seeing lower player counts on Steam compared to its predecessors, Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5. On Valve's platform, Civilization 7's peak concurrent player count over the last 24 hours reached 16,921, which falls short of making it into Steam's top 100 most-played games. In contrast, Civilization 5, released back in 2010, achieved a 24-hour peak of 17,423 players, while Civilization 6, launched in 2016, boasts a significantly higher peak of 40,676 players, indicating a strong preference among fans for the earlier titles.

In a detailed post on Steam, Firaxis outlined the key "additions and refinements" coming with Update 1.1.1. These include:

• Quick Move Functionality
• New Natural Wonder Mount Everest
• Additional UI Updates & Polish
• Settlement & Commander Renaming
• And more!

Lead designer Ed Beach provided an in-depth walkthrough of these changes in a video, with the full patch notes expected to be released soon.

Civilization 7 Update 1.1.1 Patch Notes:

One of the notable updates is the Quick Move functionality, now an optional setting toggleable in the game's menu. This feature enables units to move to their destinations instantly, enhancing the game's pacing for a faster playthrough.

A significant change in map generation involves the new start position option. The default setting for single-player games has been set to Standard, mimicking the more varied and less predictable continents seen in Civilization 6. Multiplayer games, however, will retain the Balanced setting to ensure a level playing field with more consistent maps.

Players can now rename settlements and commanders, offering a fun twist on historical accuracy. Additionally, the ability to restart the game with a single click allows players to find the perfect first settlement. This feature recreates the map with new seeds but retains your chosen leader and civilization.

The user interface has seen several improvements, such as the city and town panel staying open during purchases, a new notification for cities under attack, indicators for crises, and enhanced resource tooltips. The update also brings significant changes to the game's pacing.

Alongside the update, the Crossroads of the World Collection, a paid expansion, introduces new civilizations including Bulgaria and Nepal, as well as a new leader, Simón Bolívar, available starting March 25.

Civilization 7 has sparked mixed reactions among series veterans due to its new mechanics, reflected in its 'mixed' user review rating on Steam and a 7/10 score from IGN's review. In a recent interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative feedback but remains optimistic, suggesting that the "legacy Civ audience" will warm up to the game with more playtime. He described Civilization 7's early performance as "very encouraging."

For players looking to master Civilization 7, IGN offers a comprehensive guide on achieving every victory type, a breakdown of the significant changes from Civilization 6, and a list of 14 crucial mistakes to avoid. Additionally, detailed explanations of all map types and difficulty settings are available to help players understand what they're up against.