Civilization 7 Officially Gets a Major Sci-Fi Update for 2027

Turn your gaze toward the stars for Civilization 7: Earthrise in 2027

Firaxis Games and 2K announced the first expansion for Sid Meier's Civilization 7 during a PAX West panel. Titled Earthrise, the expansion will focus on the space race and civil engineering to combat natural disasters. Before then, free updates will add a whole new Age and more to the 4X strategy game.

What Civilization 7 updates can we expect over the next year?

Three major updates for Civilization 7 were highlighted at the PAX West panel. The first of these, which Firaxis is simply referring to as update 1.5.0, will roll out across all platforms later this month. It's a quality-of-life-focused update that will introduce an Earth map, the ability to start your civilization at a historically accurate location on that map, and improvements to map generation, the use of influence in diplomacy, and the user interface.

2027's first major update is broader in scope, so much so that it has been named Arc of Tomorrow. Civilization 7's Arc of Tomorrow update will significantly change the game by adding a fourth Age at the end of the timeline: the Atomic Age. This new Age is meant to represent the modern era and, as such, will introduce urban architecture, tech and civic trees, social policies, and narrative events to flesh out what players can do during that era.

In turn, players will also be able to produce new goods like enriched uranium and great works of film to further benefit their civilization. More importantly, the infamous Civilization leader Gandhi will finally come to this game as part of the Arc of Tomorrow update. Players can currently sign up to playtest this update later this year before it rolls out to everyone in 2027.

All of this will culminate with the launch of Civilization 7: Earthrise later on in 2027. Earthrise is a paid expansion, and it will bring cosmic updates to every single Age in the game. In the Antiquity and Exploration Ages, players will be able to do early research into the solar system and space and even name celestial bodies they discover. In the Modern Age, players will be able to launch orbital missions around Earth. And in the Atomic Age, players will be able to establish a space agency, explore the solar system, and discover resources that they can then use on Earth.

As for the expansion's more down-to-earth additions, there will be new unit abilities and technologies that can alter terrain on the map, as well as new civil engineering structures to help deal with natural disasters and global warming. There's still a lot we don't know about Earthrise, but it seems like the kind of expansion that will really appeal to fans of Civilization: Beyond Earth.

We can expect these exciting improvements to all come to Civilization 7 over the next year, starting with Update 1.5.0 later this month.

If you're a fan of Civilization, here's some extra fun news: Stay tuned to Polygon's YouTube channel later this month, as we'll be releasing a mini-documentary about the franchise's legacy, complete with a new interview with Sid Meier.