Civilization 7 releases this February, first gameplay trailer shows off new art style, navigable rivers

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Civilization 7 will launch early next year, on February 11.

The news comes by way of a new trailer, embedded above, which was shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live today. This is the first time we're seeing Civilization 7 gameplay. Critics of Civilization 6's art style, which some players thought was too cartoony, should be pleased, as the saturation has been dropped back to Civ 5 levels. You might also spot a boat going up a river. Finally: navigable rivers!

As exciting as that is, it's hardly the biggest change here: Civilization 7 seriously alters the game's structure, the way cities work, and how we'll wage war. I traveled to Firaxis HQ earlier this month where I got to play Civ 7 for three hours—you'll find everything I learned in my hands-on preview, and I've also broken down all the new stuff I noticed in a big list of bullet points.

Civilization 7 is set to release February 11, 2025, and it's coming to just about everything except phones: Windows, Linux, Mac, Xbox One and Series X/S, PS4 and PS5, and Switch. See the first screenshots below.

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Civilization 7 screenshot — (Image credit: Firaxis)

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.