Civilization 7 has faced challenges on Steam since its February launch. The strategy sequel has struggled to attract players on Valve’s platform, earning a ‘mixed’ rating from user reviews. Despite multiple patches from developer Firaxis to address concerns, Civilization 7 lags behind Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5 in player numbers.

While Civ 7’s Steam performance is lackluster, the game also launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version featuring new Joy-Con mouse controls in development. Still, PC remains the core platform for Civilization, and Civ 7 is underperforming there.

Despite these hurdles, Take-Two, Firaxis’ parent company, remains optimistic. In an interview with IGN before the company’s latest financial results, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed enthusiasm for Civ 7’s progress.

“I’m delighted with Civ 7’s trajectory,” Zelnick said. “We faced some initial challenges, but the Firaxis team has made strong progress in resolving them. There’s more to do, and I’m confident we’ll deliver a title that resonates with fans and achieves great success.”

Zelnick highlighted the Civilization franchise’s history of long-term sales success, noting that Civ 7 is likely to follow this trend.

“Civilization releases often spark initial debate among fans due to the changes we introduce, as they’re deeply attached to the series,” he explained.

“Over time, players come to appreciate the improvements, and with our extended sales cycle, we see strong results. I expect the same for Civ 7.”

“We’ve tackled some early issues and are committed to ongoing improvements.”

At launch, players criticized Civ 7’s user interface, limited map variety, and missing features expected from the franchise.

Zelnick’s comments about cautious hardcore fans likely refer to Firaxis’ bold changes to Civ 7’s structure.

In Civilization 7, a full campaign spans three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. During an Age Transition, all players and AI opponents simultaneously select a new civilization for the next Age, choose Legacies to carry forward, and witness the game world’s evolution. This system is a first for the series, and Zelnick is confident fans will embrace it over time.

Take-Two has not disclosed Civilization 7’s sales figures but noted in its financial report that it is “exploring ways to grow the audience,” including the recent release of Civilization 7 VR for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, alongside the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 version.