Civilization 7’s new patch temporarily disables crossplay between PC and console so Firaxis can ‘expedite updates to the PC’

A recent update for Civilization 7 has been rolled out, aiming to respond to player feedback gathered during the advanced access phase of the game. This patch is a precursor to what the developers promise will be “larger, more substantive updates” in the future. Although the full launch is scheduled for February 11, players who invested in the Founders Edition have been exploring the game since February 6. The initial reception has been somewhat tumultuous, with user ratings on Steam shifting from “mostly negative” to “mixed.” Currently, the reviews are nearly evenly split between positive and negative, primarily due to concerns regarding the game’s user interface.

This update addresses several interface-related issues, alongside a range of bugs and gameplay challenges. A notable change is the temporary disabling of crossplay between PC and console platforms for multiplayer modes. This decision was made to allow for quicker updates to the PC version, as developers can implement patches for PC without the delays associated with console certification processes. This situation has been a recurring theme for various games, including titles like Battlefield 3 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. As a result, Firaxis faced a strategic choice: either delay PC patches until console updates are approved or expedite the process for PC users. Crossplay between Xbox and PlayStation consoles remains unaffected.

Initial reactions to the patch have been largely positive, with some players expressing their concerns about ongoing issues in the comments section on Steam. However, many users appreciate Firaxis’s proactive approach to addressing these problems. The studio has also committed to supporting Civilization 7 for years to come, a move that aligns with the franchise’s reputation as one of Take-Two’s most enduring and successful series. The longevity of the Civilization series is evident, as thousands of players continue to engage with earlier titles, including Civilization 3, which boasts a concurrent player count nearing 2,000.

Despite the generally favorable reception of the patch, the initial feedback for Civilization 7 has raised eyebrows, indicating that there are deeper issues to tackle. Revamping an entire user interface is a significant undertaking, far more complex than merely adjusting individual leader statistics—unless, of course, one is trying to curb Gandhi’s penchant for global domination.

Gameplay – Windows PC/Mac/Linux/Steam Deck

• Fixed an issue causing Ages in Epic and Marathon speed games to be shorter than intended.
• City States will now turn into Friendly Independent Powers on Age Transition instead of disappearing completely. They will also start with more units in Exploration and Modern Ages.
• Fixed inconsistencies with Naval Combat.
• Naval Units will use the correct Combat Strength values when attacking another Naval Unit in all instances.
• Naval Units will properly take reciprocal damage after attacking another Naval Unit.
• Naval Units will more consistently move into the attacked tile after defeating another Naval Unit.
• Completing the final milestone of a Legacy Path no longer adds Age Progress in the Modern Age to ensure you have more time to complete a Victory.
• Towns will now switch their focus back to Growing town automatically if they are no longer eligible for their chosen Focus (for example, if their population decreases) until they are eligible again.
• Future Civic is now repeatable in all Ages. The cost of Future Tech and Future Civic will now increase more when repeated.
• Fixed an issue after too many bonuses to Growth where Food needed for the next growth event became negative.
• Improvements to Rail Networks aimed at increasing the reliability of Settlements connecting to the Rail Network over water by building Ports. This should apply as long as the Capital either has a Port or is connected by rail to a settlement with a Port.
• Made improvements to the Loyalty Crisis in the Antiquity Age, including giving the ability to purchase Villas in towns during this crisis, providing another way to manage the happiness of your settlements.
• A note about cross-play multiplayer: To expedite updates to the PC experience, we will sometimes deploy patches to PC at a different cadence than we do on consoles – including today’s Patch 1.0.1. As a result, cross-play between PC players and console players is temporarily disabled. This will have no impact on console players attempting cross-platform play with other console players, nor on PC-to-PC multiplayer.

AI – Windows PC/Mac/Linux/Steam Deck

• AI will now offer high-value Cities less often during Peace Deals.
• In Modern, AI will now declare war less often at the start of the age.
• In Modern, AI will now consider Ideology more before Declaring War or offering Peace.
• Other Leaders now have a decreased desire for war if neither party has an Ideology.
• Other Leaders now have an increased desire for war with players of Opposing ideologies.
• Other Leaders now have a decreased desire for Peace with players of opposing Ideologies.

Camera – Windows PC/Mac/Linux/Steam Deck

• Fixed an issue on native-resolutions where the camera would focus on the lower end of the map when clicking on the minimap.

UI – Windows PC/Mac/Linux/Steam Deck

• Replaced the Simplified Chinese font with the font used in Civilization VI while we work on additional improvements for future patches.
• Fixed an issue where the Settlement menu fails to open when clicking on a non-player’s Settlement Banner in gameplay.
• Fixed an issue where yield icons fail to populate on the now available buildings when converting a town to city.
• Fixed an issue where some text was cut off on the Global Yields Breakdown screen.
• Added a notification for completed Espionage actions, so that you can more easily check the results of their Espionage actions.
• City projects no longer appear to be purchasable.
• Your current religion is now displayed first in the belief picker tabs.
• Fixed an issue where a District’s health bar would remain on-screen after being fully healed.
• Fixed an issue where Leaders fail to have a portrait when the relationship has changed during gameplay.
• Improved the alignment of leader names and portraits on the Age Summary, when viewing the Overview screen of the Victories Rankings.
• Fixed an issue where the background color remains the default color when the user changes it in the Player Customize tab.
• Improved the spacing between Civ descriptions, unique units and building icons on the loading screen.