Civ 7's massive overhaul update brings its highest Steam player count in over a year

This week marks the culmination of Civilization 7's yearlong attempt at a post-launch redemption arc, as Firaxis has released its Test of Time update, a free patch the studio has called an expansion-sized overhaul. Alongside the much-requested option to play as the same civilization between age transitions, Test of Time reworks victory conditions, adds systems for optional objectives with bonus rewards, and more.

Clearly, Civ fans have been waiting for a ripe opportunity to give the controversial sequel a second shot: At time of writing, there are more Steam users playing Civ 7 than there have been in over a year. But as early reactions remain as mixed as ever, it's unclear whether Test of Time will repair Civ 7's reputation.

(Image credit: Firaxis)

Steam's Most Played chart says there are currently almost 16,200 users playing Civ 7. Not only is that its highest player count in over a year—according to SteamDB, the last time Civ 7 attracted more than 16,000 concurrent players was April 13, 2025—it's also roughly double the peak concurrent tallies it's managed during the last week.

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Those new and returning players have also brought an uptick in Steam reviews. Before the Test of Time launch, Civ 7 hadn't received more than 20 Steam reviews in a day during the last month. Between yesterday's patch drop and now, players have left 172 new or revised reviews.

Unfortunately, across all languages, those responses have been almost evenly split, with positive reviews having a slight 52% majority. Favorable reviewers say they appreciate Test of Time's changes, with one user writing that the game finally "feels like a 1.0 release rather than a beta." Another says the update's changes "show the team is dedicated towards giving the community what they would like."

(Image credit: Firaxis)

Others say Test of Time's changes—while they are improvements—aren't enough. One critical reviewer says Civ 7 still "just isn't very engaging," adding that gameplay systems remain "heavily stripped down" compared to prior entries. Even after the update, UI issues are a persistent complaint in negative reviews, as players say the game still struggles to present useful information when it's most needed. 2K's DLC pricing, like the Right to Rule Collection demanding $30 for four civs and two leaders, is a common callout, too.

Users on the Civ subreddit are sharing the same range of opinions. Some are calling it so "transformed" that Civ 7 is "like a brand new game." Others say they "still feel put off." Some say they've already switched their Steam review to positive; others are holding off until they see even more improvements.

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As ever, consensus about the course of history is slow to form. But if you've been giving Civ 7 some time to work through its initial growing pains, now's a great time for a revisit to form a more final opinion.