Mixed reception, but strong sales – according to Take-Two’s CEO, the community will eventually come to love the newest entry in the Civilization franchise.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII has become one of the most divisive games of the year. On Steam, user reviews currently stand at 49% positive, a slight improvement more than three months after release. Some players believe the changes led to shallow and predictable turn-based gameplay, while others enjoy the streamlined experience. We’ve arguably never seen such a polarizing response in the series’ history.

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, addressed the topic in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. He acknowledged that Civilization VII faced challenges at launch but noted it’s not the first time a new Civilization entry received a mixed reaction. Zelnick expressed satisfaction with the game’s commercial performance, saying sales have been strong. He believes that, in time, critical reception will align with the commercial success:

“Every time we release a new version of Civilization, consumers who love the franchise and are loyal to its previous version are concerned. Then, we do updates, make changes, and address concerns. The sales cycle ends up being very long, and people fall in love with it again. We probably have a bit more work to do. We’re really happy with how it’s going, and I think, in time, it’ll be great,” said Zelnick.

There’s some truth in his claim. Every major formula change from Firaxis has drawn criticism from some fans. However, Zelnick may be underestimating the number of critics. After more than three months, only 49% of reviews remain positive – a modest 4% improvement since launch.

On the commercial side, Zelnick is correct. Mat Piscatella of Circana (formerly NPD Group) confirmed that Civilization VII is the 8th best-selling game in the United States in 2025.

However, the player count on Steam is surprising. According to SteamDB, Civilization VII currently has around 11,560 players, compared to 37,159 for Civilization VI and 14,354 for Civilization V. That doesn’t bode well for its long-term popularity.

Sources: PCGamer, GamesIndustry.biz, GameSpot