Firaxis, the developer behind Civilization 7, has announced the crucial update 1.1.1, which comes at a pivotal moment for the recently released strategy game. Despite its launch, Civilization 7 has seen fewer players on Steam compared to its predecessors, Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5. On Valve's platform, Civilization 7's 24-hour peak player count stands at 16,921, which falls short of entering Steam's top 100 most-played games. In contrast, Civilization 5, released in 2010, boasts a 24-hour peak of 17,423 players, while Civilization 6, launched in 2016, significantly outperforms with a peak of 40,676 players.

In a detailed post on Steam, Firaxis outlined the "additions and refinements" that players can expect with Update 1.1.1. The update includes:

• Quick Move Functionality
• New Natural Wonder Mount Everest
• Additional UI Updates & Polish
• Settlement & Commander Renaming
• And more!

Lead designer Ed Beach provided an in-depth overview of these changes in a video, also pointing to the full patch notes which are set to be released soon.

Civilization 7 update 1.1.1 patch notes:

The Quick Move feature is now an optional setting that can be toggled in the game's menu, allowing units to reach their destinations instantly and speeding up gameplay.

A significant update to map generation includes a new start position option. The default setting for single-player games is now 'Standard,' offering more varied and less predictable continents, similar to Civilization 6. Multiplayer games retain the 'Balanced' setting to ensure fair and consistent maps for all players.

Players can now rename their settlements and commanders, adding a personal touch to their civilizations. Additionally, a restart feature enables players to recreate the map with new seeds while keeping their chosen leader and civilization intact, mirroring a popular feature from Civilization 6.

User interface improvements include the city and town panel remaining open during purchases, new notifications for city attacks, enhanced indicators for crises, and improved resource tooltips. The update also brings significant pacing adjustments to enhance the overall gameplay experience.

Alongside these updates, the paid Crossroads of the World Collection introduces new civilizations Bulgaria and Nepal, as well as the new leader Simón Bolívar, available from March 25.

Civilization 7 has sparked controversy among series veterans due to its new mechanics and has faced challenges on Steam, with a 'mixed' user review rating and a 7/10 score from IGN. In a recent interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative feedback but remains optimistic, suggesting that the "legacy Civ audience" will grow to appreciate the game as they spend more time with it. He described Civilization 7's early performance as "very encouraging."

For players looking to master Civilization 7, IGN offers comprehensive guides on achieving every victory type, understanding the significant changes from Civilization 6, avoiding common mistakes, and exploring the various map types and difficulty settings available in the game.