Civilization 7 Datamine Hints at Atomic Age

Civilization 7's Unannounced Fourth Age: Datamining and Developer Teases

Civilization 7 dataminers have uncovered evidence suggesting a fourth, unannounced Age is in the works, a claim subtly supported by Firaxis in an IGN interview. The current game features three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern, each concluding with a simultaneous Age Transition for all players. This transition involves selecting a new civilization, choosing which Legacies to retain, and witnessing a world-altering evolution. This is a novel feature in the Civilization series.

The Modern Age, as currently implemented, concludes before the Cold War, ending with World War II. Lead designer Ed Beach explained Firaxis's decision to IGN, highlighting the historical significance of these periods as natural chapter breaks. He emphasized the collaborative effort with senior historian Andrew Johnson to ensure a globally representative historical perspective, noting the convergence of major empire collapses around 300-500 CE as the natural endpoint of the Antiquity Age. Similar reasoning guided the transitions to the Exploration and Modern Ages, with the latter concluding at the end of World War II due to the significant historical shift it represented and the need for distinct gameplay mechanics per Age.

The possibility of a fourth Age, potentially encompassing the Space Age, was hinted at by executive producer Dennis Shirk, who, while not confirming specifics, acknowledged the potential for expansion given the Age-specific systems, visuals, units, and civilizations already established.

Further fueling speculation, dataminer ManByTheRiver11 uncovered references to an "Atomic Age" within the game's code, including mentions of new leaders and civilizations – a common pattern with Firaxis' DLC strategy.

Currently, Firaxis is addressing community feedback following mixed Steam reviews. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative press and player reviews but expressed confidence in the game's long-term success, emphasizing the positive early performance and the expectation that the "legacy Civ audience" will appreciate the game more with continued play.

For players seeking to conquer the world, IGN offers several helpful guides covering victory strategies, key differences from Civilization VI, common mistakes to avoid, map types, and difficulty settings.