Firaxis Games and 2K Games are celebrating the 35th anniversary of Sid Meier’s Civilization with a free-play week for the series’ latest installment. The full base version of Civilization VII can be played for free on Steam until September 10.

If you have considered giving Civilization VII a try but were put off by the criticism it received after launch, now is an excellent opportunity to judge the strategy game for yourself, completely free of charge. Firaxis Games and 2K Games are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise, and as part of the festivities they have opened the latest entry to everyone on Steam. Players can therefore see for themselves how much its tactical and strategic experience has changed without spending anything. The offer will not last long, however, and is set to end in less than a week.

Civilization VII is specifically free to play until September 10, with the promotion having started on September 3. Firaxis Games has not restricted the base game’s content, meaning players can essentially access the entire core game during the trial period, although DLC is not included in the free week. It also provides a convenient opportunity to see what condition the heavily criticized strategy game is in today. Those who come away impressed can purchase it at a 50% discount until September 17, bringing the price down to €34.99.

Civilization VII Still Has “Mixed” Reviews on Steam

Plenty of players are likely to examine the current state of Civilization VII particularly closely during the free week, as the project has hardly enjoyed a smooth journey so far. After generating excitement among thousands of players as Firaxis’ next major strategy release, it was hit by a wave of criticism after launch and eventually came to be regarded as one of the biggest disappointments of 2025. The situation became serious enough that Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, which owns 2K Games, publicly acknowledged that they had “made mistakes” with some of the game’s design decisions.

More than a year has now passed since Civilization VII launched, and Firaxis Games has released numerous patches and substantial content updates for the strategy title in the meantime. The obvious question is whether all that work has been enough to change players’ minds, but so far the answer appears to be not really, as the game’s Steam rating remains “Mixed.” Roughly 48% of more than 44,000 Steam purchaser reviews are positive, showing that its reception remains sharply divided. The free week may allow Firaxis to persuade more players that Civilization VII deserves another chance, but the studio still has a long way to go if it wants to fully restore the game’s reputation.

Source: 3DJuegos