We'll see what makes Civilization 7 different on August 20 when Firaxis shows off the first gameplay of its 'revolutionary new chapter' in the grand strategy series

Statue pouring sand over a pyramid — (Image credit: 2K)

I love a Civilization reveal. The grand strategy series has been going for 33 years, and Firaxis always finds something to change with each new one, always controversially. Civilization 6 unraveled cities into districts that span multiple hexes, for example. Will Civilization 7 stuff them back onto one tile? Or revamp something else entirely, like combat or the victory conditions? Will they make another stab at a battle royale mode? (Probably not.)

We'll have answers later this month. First, we'll see Civilization 7's debut gameplay trailer at Opening Night Live, the Geoff Keighley showcase that precedes the Gamescom convention in Germany. That'll be on August 20 at 11 am PT, viewable on the Gamescom Twitch channel.

Immediately after that, Firaxis will stream a 20 minute showcase with "insights and deep dives across new features and innovations" in Civilization 7. That'll be on Firaxis' Twitch channel.

Firaxis' press release sadly gives us Civ-heads little to speculate about. The studio says that Civ 7 is a "revolutionary new chapter in the franchise" and that it includes "innovative new features," but those are of course the sorts of things that are said about every sequel.

I'll be interested to see how Firaxis responds to the work of one of its alumni, Civilization 4 lead designer Soren Johnson, who released the very good historical strategy game Old World in 2022. Johnson gave a great talk about Old World, Civilization, and grand strategy design at GDC that year—it's on YouTube and comes recommended. My favorite bit was when he apologized for introducing the bargaining table in Civ 3, saying it gave players "all the tools to ruin the game for themselves."

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.