In preparation for the highly anticipated launch of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII on February 11, Executive Producer Dennis Shirk and Senior Game Designer Edward Zhang, representing the development team, attended the preview event for Asian media recently held in Singapore.
Thanks to an invitation from 2K, we had the privilege of traveling to Singapore to participate in an exclusive hands-on session with Civilization VII. Even more exciting, we secured a valuable interview opportunity with the two creators. During the 3-hour playtest, we engaged in insightful discussions about the game’s development philosophy as well as fascinating new features of this iconic “time machine” series newest title.
Q: Names like Majapahit aren’t ones you typically expect to see in many Western history books. Could you talk about the decision to represent such a significant part of Southeast Asian history?
A: The main reason we can achieve such an accurate representation is the age system, which allows us to focus on specific periods in history. For example, we can spotlight the exploration age rather than trying to represent Indonesia across all ages, which would be much broader and less precise. The age system enables us to showcase cultures more authentically within their historical contexts.
Additionally, we brought on board Andrew Johnson, an in-house historian and expert on Southeast Asian history. We consulted with him extensively on these topics, which has helped us ensure a much more accurate and respectful representation of the region’s culture and history than we’ve been able to achieve in the past.
Q: Do you think there will always be an appetite for the “one more turn” gameplay?
A: Absolutely. If anyone ever forgets about “one more turn,” then we’re not doing our job. That’s our goal: to ruin people’s time management and keep them playing! That said, the age transition system does provide natural breaks in gameplay. You can reach the end of an age, take a moment to breathe, and then start fresh with a whole new experience. It gives players the flexibility to pause and come back whenever they’re ready to continue.
We’re very proud of how the age system keeps players engaged. In CIV 6, by the late game, everything tends to snowball—you’re either clearly winning or losing. At that point, players often decide to reset or just keep going through turns without much excitement. The age system addresses this by keeping things dynamic and relevant throughout gameplay.
“One more turn” is the addiction we want to sustain, and the age system is a big part of how we’re achieving that.
Q: Considering how long the Civ series has been around, many players are deeply attached to their favorite civilizations. Were you concerned about losing those fans with the new evolution system, which forces civilizations to change?
A: That’s a valid point. If you look at Steam charts, you’ll still see CIV 3, CIV 4, CIV 5, and CIV 6 being actively played. For example, Ed is a CIV 5 superfan, while I’m more of a CIV 6 enthusiast. We fully expect that people will continue playing those games long after Civilization 7 is released.
The main reason we took the leap with Civilization 7—making it something new, risky, and breaking some of the core paradigms—is to offer fans a fresh experience. CIV 5 and CIV 6 were iterative; while they introduced differences in systems, they were still fundamentally similar.
Today, with other games like Soren Johnson’s Old World or Humankind adopting similar formulas, we wanted to deliver something truly unique. Ed was passionate about taking this risk to give fans a bold new way to experience the series.
So, for those who prefer the classic style, CIV 6 is always there. But now, we’ve got something entirely new for those ready to embrace change.
Q: The team has consistently updated CIV 6, and there’s been strong mod support over the years. So, why do you feel now is the perfect time for CIV 7?
A: Honestly, it’s always a challenge to determine the right time for a new installment. We’re our own biggest competitor.
When CIV 6 launched, CIV 5 was already a well-oiled machine with a ton of support and content. It took time for CIV 6 to catch up and even surpass CIV 5’s player count. Now, CIV 6 is in that same position, being incredibly rich and massive in content. We’ve been actively releasing content for CIV 6 up until very recently, including live events and monthly challenges. In fact, CIV 6 has reached its highest-ever player count.
The key difference with CIV 7 is that it’s not just a sidestep into something similar with flashier graphics—it’s a whole new experience. We’re confident and excited that players will approach it with fresh eyes and find a new challenge that doesn’t simply feel like CIV 6.
Q: This question is for beginners who have never entered the franchise. How steep is the learning curve, and how long do you think it will take for them to start enjoying the game?
A: I’d say CIV 7 is a fantastic entry point for beginners because we’ve simplified a lot of the complexity. For example, we removed builders and introduced an army commander system, which allows players to control all their units in a group. We’ve also added a tone and study system to reduce micromanagement.
It’s the easiest way to get into the Civilization franchise. I think new players will start enjoying the game right from their very first session. We’ve built a great tutorial system to guide them, so even as they start from scratch, they’ll quickly find a goal to work toward and begin having fun.
The beauty of CIV 7 is how it balances accessibility for beginners with depth for veterans. We’ve put in a lot of effort to create a system that holds players’ hands during the early stages. New players can jump in, ignore a lot of the more advanced systems, and just take a simple approach—like turtling up and waiting for the world to come to them or responding to events as they happen.
As they play more, they’ll naturally start exploring the game’s deeper mechanics, such as legacy paths for science or culture, or deciding whether to befriend independent powers instead of conquering them. That’s the beauty of CIV 7 and the Civilization series as a whole—you can start as simply as you want and expand into the game’s depth as you grow more confident.
We also find that a lot of new players just want to hit things with a hammer—create units, go conquer—and that’s completely fine. It’s a perfectly valid way to play and enjoy the game.
Q: What inspired the team to transition to the age system in CIV VII?
A (Edward): There are usually two perspectives to consider. One is the wide historical angle, where history is built in layers. The other is the gameplay angle, which we learned from earlier experiences. In CIV 6, players often ran into a midgame crisis. By the time you hit the midgame, you’ve either already snowballed into a clear victory or fallen too far behind to recover. At that point, the game could start to feel boring.
The age system solves this by dividing the experience into three separate chapters. Just as you might start to feel the game dragging, the system essentially resets you for the next age. This gives you a fresh, new experience from beginning to end, keeping the gameplay exciting throughout all the ages. That’s the key benefit of the age system from a gameplay perspective. Dennis can share more about its historical inspiration.
A (Dennis): Historically, we always wanted to model the trajectory of civilizations like Rome—how it started, grew rapidly, overexpanded, splintered, and eventually influenced cultures across the world. Rome’s legacy is scattered across regions like Germany, Spain, Turkey, and even America, and we wanted to reflect that narrative in the age system through civilization progression.
Another big advantage of the age system is how it improves multiplayer gameplay. You no longer need to commit to a 12-hour marathon game. Instead, you can play a focused session in an afternoon. At the studio, we’ve been having weekly matches, where we enjoy three-hour games by focusing on a single age or a few connected ages. You can even choose to play just the modern age if you’re in the mood to use tanks. The age system offers a targeted experience, providing players with more flexibility and fun than ever before.
Q: Could you share some of your favorite non-historic Leader and Civilization combos, if there are any?
A (Edward): My favorite combo is actually a hidden one—Isabella paired with the Han Dynasty. Isabella has a strong starting wonder bias, while the Han Dynasty doesn’t have many starting biases. When you combine the two, you’re almost guaranteed to start near a wonder.
One of Han’s abilities is that your first growth is effectively doubled, so you can grow twice. This means you can expand onto the natural wonder tile twice in a row. It’s a pretty strong combo—honestly, it’s kind of bonkers. There are plenty of combos like this, and we’re excited for players to discover them.
A (Dennis): I usually stick to historical pairings because I’m a role-player at heart. But if I want to shake things up, I like to choose Harriet Tubman. It’s not necessarily because I have a specific gameplay strategy in mind—it’s more about how unique and fun she is as a character. Harriet is great with military strategies and causing a bit of trouble, and she’s such an interesting addition to the game.
