Civilization 7's post-launch roadmap will bring the Bermuda Triangle and Mount Everest to all players in March

(Image credit: Firaxis)

As Civilization 7 rumbles ever closer toward launch, publisher 2k has begun detailing plans for after the strategy sequel arrives on February 11. In a special livestream earlier this week, the publisher unveiled Civ 7's roadmap for the rest of 2025, revealing two paid DLCs and two free updates landing between now and September, with "more to come" later in the year.

Those two paid updates are named "Crossroads of the World" and "Right to Rule", each adding new civs, new leaders, and new natural wonders. Crossroads of the World arrives hot on the heels of the game's launch, dropping in two parts across March. Early March will introduce Victorian mathematician Ada Lovelace as a playable leader, as well as four new natural wonders and Carthage and Great Britain as playable civilizations. The rest of the DLC will arrive a couple of weeks later, letting you conquer the world as South American revolutionary Simon Bolivar, and play with the cultures of Bulgaria and Nepal.

As is customary these days, each paid pack will launch in tandem with a free update. Complementing the first part of Crossroads of the World, is a free new event called "Natural Wonder Battle", as well as a new natural wonder, the Bermuda Triangle—one of the top three irrational fears of every child alongside quicksand and piranhas. With the second part of Crossroads, all players will get Mount Everest as a natural wonder, accompanied by the "Marvelous Mountains" event. Further free updates will coincide with the launch of Right to Rule, but again, 2k doesn't specify what those updates will involve.

That's a fair chunk of extra content, although I reckon Civilization 7's long term success is far more likely to hinge upon how its changes are received. The sequel takes some big swings in altering the underlying experience. Robert Zak already discussed the significance of these changes in his recent preview, remarking on how its age transitions "may be the most radical, disruptive mechanic in the history of the series." But that disruption is likely to be contentious among players, as it denies players the ability to guide a single Civ through the entire course of history. Early access for Civilization 7 starts on February 6, so we'll find out exactly how the new recipe tastes in a matter of days.

Rick has been fascinated by PC gaming since he was seven years old, when he used to sneak into his dad's home office for covert sessions of Doom. He grew up on a diet of similarly unsuitable games, with favourites including Quake, Thief, Half-Life and Deus Ex. Between 2013 and 2022, Rick was games editor of Custom PC magazine and associated website bit-tech.net. But he's always kept one foot in freelance games journalism, writing for publications like Edge, Eurogamer, the Guardian and, naturally, PC Gamer. While he'll play anything that can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse, he has a particular passion for first-person shooters and immersive sims.