Take-Two CEO Discusses Mixed Reactions to Civilization 7

Sure, let’s dive into it. Here it goes:

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So, this whole Civilization 7 thing — yeah, it’s been kinda wild. Strauss Zelnick, the big boss over at Take-Two, seems totally unfazed. I mean, folks have been scratching their heads over the mixed reactions, but he’s like, “Eh, we’ve seen worse.” And honestly, it’s a whole vibe.

Anyway, launched back in February 2025 — a moment that felt like the universe holding its breath — Civ 7 rolls out. Critics were all like, “Yeah, it’s cool,” but not nearly as stoked as they were for some of Firaxis’s older stuff. Yeah, a solid 79, they said. Steam folks, though? Not as thrilled. It’s got this “Mixed” tag there. As if that’s not enough, no positive user score yet? Bummer.

And then, there’s this monologue Zelnick had, you know, about how every new Civilization release gets flak from old-timers. “Change is hard.” Says everyone ever, right? But that’s his point — like, it’s the same story with every new version. Maybe that’s true, maybe it’s just a convenient excuse. Who can say?

And oh, sales! Despite all the noise, it’s actually doing pretty well. Pre-orders were off the charts, apparently. Funny how anticipation works, isn’t it? Like waiting for your favorite band’s next album because the last one was a banger. Circana—yeah, maybe you’ve heard of them—says Civ 7 is one of the top sellers this year in the US. So, you can’t really call it a flop.

But then you look at player numbers and… ouch. Such a different story. May 18, Steam showed a 24-hour peak at just over 11k users. How do you even compete with Civ 6’s 46k? It’s like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Oh, and don’t even start on Civ 5 — still going strong. Like, what’s its secret?

Fans are grumbling about simplification and rough edges. Firaxis seems to have taken the hint. They’re pushing some updates to polish things up because good games—just like good food—are worth the wait.

At the end, it’s all about what sticks with us—like the sound of sneakers on gym floors—unexpected and maybe, kinda comforting. Civ 7 might just need that extra sprinkle of love and attention to really shine. We’ll see.