Some PlayStation gamers diving into Civilization 7 are finding themselves on a surprising journey back to their wallets. The reason? Unusual refund decisions from the PlayStation Store owing to persistent game crashes, despite the game being downloaded or the typical 14-day window for refund requests having passed.
Civilization 7 hit the gaming world running, launching on February 11, 2025. Normally, PlayStation’s refund policy is pretty strict: no refunds if it’s been over two weeks since the purchase or if the game has been downloaded. However, the narrative seems to be changing, given the circumstances.
Interestingly, some players are reporting refunds well beyond three weeks after having grabbed the game. A prominent case was shared by Reddit user Garuff, who posted a screenshot capturing their chat with PlayStation Support. They secured a nearly £115 refund for their pre-ordered Deluxe and Founder’s Edition Upgrade. This refund came as a shocker since they’d already experienced the game for a good 22 days post-launch. What drove the player toward seeking a refund were the frustrating user interface glitches, fiddly controls on the PS5, and, ultimately, the frequent game crashes.
The scene with Civilization 7 players managing to get refunds is not a solitary one. There’s been a slight ripple of astonishment across PlayStation gamers as more cases of successful refunds emerge. Anyone familiar with the PlayStation Store’s 2019 refund policy knows how rigid it is: downloading or streaming the game pretty much shuts the book on returns. Yet, there’s a clause for exceptions if a product doesn’t deliver as it should. In Garuff’s account, they expressed their grievances with Firaxis Games regarding crashes every 40 minutes, tagging the game as “unfinished” and “broken.” After ticking some troubleshooting boxes, the support employee acknowledged the breach of standard policy but sanctioned the refund as an act of goodwill.
The hiccups in Civilization 7 aren’t going unnoticed. Even pre-launch, the game had mixed reviews on platforms like Steam. Critiques mostly centered on its puzzling UI and scant customization options compared to its predecessors, and these concerns have been echoed post-release.
Within the gaming community, there’s already chatter on how these issues might affect future releases or policy changes. Meanwhile, Civ enthusiasts hope the developers will address these blips, promising smoother gameplay patches ahead. The experience serves as a reminder of the dynamic nature of the gaming world, where both developers and platforms must remain agile in addressing player concerns.
