Civilization VII is just a few months away from launch — we still have to pinch ourselves when saying that — and as you might expect, the success of Civilization VI on Switch has influenced a few of the design decisions for that game.
What you might not expect, however, is that Firaxis didn't expect just how successful the game would be on the hybrid console. Speaking to Christopher Dring over at GameIndustry.biz, executive producer Dennis Shirk noticed that PC players (their core player base) were double-dipping: "We found that a lot of our PC players were getting the game on Switch because they could take their game with them."
One of the chief concerns with the Switch version was the handheld aspect — "We were like: 'Are people going to play it for that long on a handheld?' And the answer was yes, yes they will."
Because of the port's success, then, Firaxis has implemented a save transfer system for Civilization VII, meaning that players who pick the game up on Switch and another console can easily take their campaign anywhere with them.
Firaxis is working with Behaviour Interactive, who has worked on various Disney games over the years, as well as the interactive adventure Silent Hill: Ascension and, most famously, Dead by Daylight, to bring Civilization VII to the Switch. And because of the simultaneous launch, the team has had to change its approach to development.
"For the first time, every single asset, we've been creating LODs by the shovelful. Because we need multiple levels of LODs for something like that to work on Switch. And we have to down-res a lot of stuff to work on consoles." Shirk tells Dring. The team are "hungry" to get the game working across all systems. Plus, compared to previous games, Civ VII is a "departure".
"You're going to find these things like abandoned fighting pits, trading encampments… you can catch thieves... And when you find them, the narrative system presents a decision that you need to make based on what you've found." Shirk continues, confirming that there isn't an "overarching narrative", just "additional worldbuilding... to support your own internal adventure".
Civilization VII started development right before the Pandemic, so it's been a long time coming, but the size and scope of the game have us excited. We had a chance to speak to the game's creative director back at Gamescom 2024 and covered multiplayer, the Switch release, and the idea of history as "layers".
The game launches on all consoles on 11th February 2025. That's just over two months away! Yes, 2025 is very close. Will you be building a new world next year? Let us know in the comments.