Hands On: Civ 7’s Big Free PS5 Update Feels Like a Soft Relaunch
Civilization 7 has faced a challenging launch since its February 2025 release, with the game’s central innovation—requiring players to switch civilizations across three distinct ages—proving divisive among its player base. Many players expressed frustration with the inability to maintain their chosen civilization throughout an entire playthrough, while others grew tired of the repetitive Legacy Path objectives that structure each age. These complaints are reflected in Steam’s active player counts, which have fallen significantly below even Civilization V, let alone the more recent Civilization VI.
In response to widespread community feedback, developer Firaxis Games is launching the Test of Time update, a substantial free content patch designed to address player concerns and revitalize the game’s community. The update reportedly feels substantial enough to constitute a soft relaunch, suggesting meaningful changes to core gameplay systems and progression mechanics rather than minor refinements. This marks Firaxis’ effort to salvage Civilization 7’s reputation after a difficult reception that threatened to undermine the franchise’s long-term viability and challenge its position as a leading turn-based strategy title.