It was branded one of the biggest strategy game flops of 2025, but the sun may be rising again for Civilization 7. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, says the Firaxis Games title is already showing respectable commercial performance and is on its way to claiming a spot among the genre’s greats.

If you’ve been following the strategy gaming scene, you’ve likely heard the twists and turns of Civilization VII’s journey. Released in February, the title was quickly hit with a wave of extremely negative Steam reviews. Developer Firaxis Games has since been busy fixing bugs and enhancing the base experience with post-launch updates, but early on, players’ feedback suggested these efforts were in vain. Now, however, redemption appears to be within reach: the game seems poised to move past its rough start on Valve’s platform, with sales trending upward.

On the business side, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick shared fresh insights on Civilization VII’s sales in an interview with IGN. While he declined to give specific figures, he’s confident the strategy game is headed in a positive direction: “It is definitely improving,” he began. “I think the key is that Civi was always a slow-paced game. It was always a title that – I’m not really a big believer in the long-tail theory in the entertainment business, but Civi is an example of that theory.”

“Right now, our projections for the value of the security over its useful life are very consistent with our initial expectations,” he continued. “So, even though we started with a slow start and had to make changes – and there are more changes along the way – I feel like the consumer acceptance is getting better and better and we feel really good about the title. I think that, over time, it will take its place in the pantheon of civilization in a very successful and credible way.”

Civilization 7’s Reviews Are on the Upswing

Beyond sales and Take-Two’s commercial optimism, it’s worth noting that Civilization VII’s recent public reception has improved. The title currently holds a 45% “Mixed” rating on Steam, based on feedback from the past 30 days. While far from stellar, this marks a notable step up from its earlier “Mostly Negative” status.

Still, Firaxis Games isn’t declaring victory just yet, continuing to refine the strategy experience with updates. Recent additions include the Pangea Plus mode (a challenging scenario where all players compete for resources on a single continent), an increased multiplayer cap for the Ancient and Exploration eras, leader and civilization balance tweaks, and several quality-of-life enhancements. More patches like these are expected in the coming months, as the studio works to secure Civilization VII’s place at the top of the strategy and empire-building genre.

Source: 3djuegos