Deal | Steam: Latest entry in popular 4X strategy series is now free to play

Sid Meier's Civilization VII is the latest entry in the popular grand strategy series from Firaxis Games and 2K. Anyone who has been hesitant to try the normally $70 game due to its mixed reviews now has the opportunity to check it out for free – and it may be worth doing so, as many of the issues that drew criticism at launch have since been addressed. Until next Thursday, September 10, Civilization VII is free to play on Steam. Those who enjoy it can then buy the game at a 50% discount.

In Civilization, players turn a small civilization into a powerful global empire over the course of several millennia. To do so, they found cities, research technologies, gather resources, engage in diplomacy and wage wars when necessary. The main reason for the negative reviews of Civilization VII: The seventh main entry in the series significantly overhauled the familiar grand strategy formula. While previous installments traditionally had players lead a single civilization from antiquity into the modern era, Civilization VII divided each game into three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration and Modern. When transitioning to a new Age, players had to choose a new civilization, while their leader and certain achievements carried over.

Major update brings Civilization VII closer to its predecessors

With the free Test of Time Update, Firaxis made substantial improvements in May 2026. The most important change: Players no longer have to choose a new civilization when transitioning between Ages and can instead lead their civilization from antiquity all the way into the modern era. Victory conditions were also reworked and Legacy Paths were replaced with more than 90 optional Triumphs. The user interface, maps, balancing and AI were improved as well – all areas that had also drawn criticism at launch.

According to a follow-up review by German gaming magazine PC Games, Civilization VII now plays considerably better as a result. With a score of 8.5 out of 10, the game receives a pretty solid rating. On Steam, however, it has yet to recover from its weak launch: Only 48% of the more than 58,000 reviews are positive. On the plus side, the strategy game offers full controller support and is Steam Deck Verified.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.