As Civilization 7 Dataminers Discover Reference to the Atomic Age, Firaxis Says 'We're Excited for Where This Is Going'

Civilization 7's potential fourth age: A datamined discovery and developer hints.

Civilization 7 currently features three ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern, each concluding with an age transition. This transition involves selecting a new civilization, choosing which legacies to retain, and witnessing a world evolution—a unique feature in the Civilization series. The Modern Age concludes before the Cold War, ending with World War II, a deliberate decision by Firaxis to create distinct historical chapters.

Lead designer Ed Beach explained Firaxis's approach to defining these ages, emphasizing the use of historical turning points as chapter breaks. The end of Antiquity (300-500 CE) marked the decline of major empires globally. The transition to the Modern Age reflects the impact of revolutions on established monarchies. World War II served as the final significant global shift before the Cold War, which is considered a distinct era with its own unique gameplay dynamics.

While executive producer Dennis Shirk avoided confirmation, he hinted at future expansions, emphasizing the potential for further age development with unique systems, visuals, units, and civilizations. This tease, coupled with datamined evidence from Redditor ManByTheRiver11 revealing references to an "Atomic Age," strongly suggests a fourth age is in development. This would logically follow the current game's ending and align with Shirk's comments. The datamine also points to new leaders and civilizations, consistent with Firaxis's DLC strategy.

Currently, Firaxis is focusing on addressing community feedback and improving the game, acknowledging some negative reviews while expressing confidence in its long-term success. Despite some initial criticism, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick remains optimistic about Civilization 7's performance and the eventual acceptance of the game by its core audience.

For players seeking assistance, guides are available covering victory strategies, key differences from Civilization VI, common mistakes to avoid, map types, and difficulty settings.