Firaxis Unveils Sid Meier's Civilization 7 in VR: A Surprise Announcement

Firaxis has exciting news for fans of the iconic strategy franchise: they've announced a virtual reality version of the recently released Civilization 7. Dubbed Sid Meier's Civilization 7 - VR, this marks the series' first venture into the immersive world of VR, set to launch in spring 2025 exclusively on Meta Quest 3 and 3S.

Developed by PlaySide Studios, known for their work on VR titles like The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and Meta Horizon Worlds, this new iteration promises to bring the Civilization experience to life in unprecedented ways. Publisher 2K Games is confident that PlaySide's expertise will translate into a captivating VR experience.

Sid Meier's Civilization 7 - VR Images

3 Images

Here's what you can expect from Sid Meier's Civilization 7 - VR, according to the official description:

In Civilization 7 - VR, the world of Civilization is brought to life like never before. The map takes shape atop a Command Table that lets you peer down from high above or lean all the way in to appreciate the finer details of buildings and units, like a tabletop game come to life. Players will chart a course for their people and engage face-to-face with iconic world leaders around the Command Table, each reacting as you forge alliances or declare war through the Ages.

Civilization 7 - VR is available to play in either immersive virtual reality or mixed reality, and you'll be able to freely switch between the two at any time. In virtual reality, players are transported to an ornate museum as they look out onto a vista personalized to their leader; in mixed reality, the Command Table adapts to its placement in a player's physical space. Detailed dioramas can be viewed in The Archives, a room in your museum dedicated to your gameplay achievements displayed in both virtual and mixed reality. In addition to single-player, Civilization 7 - VR can compete to rule the world in online multiplayer matches with up to three other Meta Quest 3 and 3S players.

Meanwhile, the base version of Civilization 7, already available on PC and console for those who opted for advanced access, has sparked some discussion among players. Steam user reviews have pointed out issues with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and missing features that fans expected. Firaxis has taken note of this feedback and committed to enhancing the UI, introducing team-based multiplayer for cooperative play, and expanding map variety, among other improvements.

In an interview with IGN before the release of third-quarter financial results, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick addressed the mixed reception of Civilization 7. While acknowledging the negative reviews, Zelnick remains optimistic, stating that the "legacy Civ audience" will grow to appreciate the game over time. He described Civilization 7's early performance as "very encouraging."

For those eager to conquer the world in Civilization 7, we've compiled a comprehensive guide to help you achieve every Civ 7 victory. Additionally, we've detailed the biggest Civ 7 changes for Civ 6 players and outlined the 14 crucial Civ 7 mistakes to avoid. For a deeper understanding of the game, explore our explanations on Civ 7 map types and difficulty settings.