Civilization 7 update takes strides towards restoring the struggling 4X to glory

Civilization 7 patch notes have arrived for the heavily teased and extremely important update 1.2.5, which sees Firaxis makes some sweeping changes to solve many of the most common complaints with its latest installment. Civ 7 has so far struggled to find the footing reached by its predecessors, and there's quite a bit of work needed if it's going to be remembered alongside them as one of the best 4X games on PC. The new patch is certainly a big swing, however, overhauling everything from map generation and city UI to yield balance, along with a total Napoleon rework.

To get us started, Civilization 7 update 1.2.5 is tackling "the predictability of the map and how it makes games feel the same over time." Firaxis has started over from scratch, building an entirely new world-generation algorithm. Alongside this is the introduction of two new map types, 'Continents and Islands' and 'Pangaea and Islands.' It notes that the former of these will now be the new default setting, and that you should see "significantly less predictable map shapes." That can and will impact balance however, so if you're focused more on 'fair' layouts, you'll want to use the older options.

While that's great news, I'm actually more excited for the overhauls to city development menus (I'm not sure what that says about me as a person). These changes to the likes of the production menu, building placement screen, and growth events should make it easier to decide what each of your settlements can benefit from most in the short-term and long-term. Firaxis says the focus is on putting the necessary information into your hands without feeling like it's overly recommending a single option and removing the sense of choice.

Alongside this, there are big balance changes that will affect how your civ grows. Firaxis has removed "almost every stacking percentage bonus" for yields, aside from those exclusive to leaders and civs, to increase the strategic value of those that remain. They've been replaced with flat bonuses "that are still meaningful but don't snowball uncontrollably," it explains. "When you snowball, it should be because of smart decisions, not repeated 3% bonuses."

Buildings now have a new cost-progression mechanic, where every non-warehouse structure you place in a settlement increases the cost of future ones. Their cost has also been increased in every additional city beyond your capital, although "most buildings now provide higher base yields." This should make it tougher to just play a wide style with lots of cities and fill them all with every available building, and thus make your choices more impactful.

To make the economy a notable factor, the base production in towns has been reduced, which will mean less gold coming in. Unit maintenance costs have been adjusted across the board, and you'll have to think more carefully about where your money is going. Alongside this, Firaxis has also made tweaks to many social policies, resources, city-state effects, modern tech costs, and civ abilities to fit in with these balance overhauls.

Speaking of city-states, there are two additional types to discover: diplomatic and expansionist. Suzeraining a diplomatic city-state will give you options to boost happiness and influence generation, and you'll get a new diplomatic option in each age. On the other side, expansionist city-states will grant bonuses to your food supplies and help you to expand your empire, with alternatives to support both tall and wide builds. You'll also now need to focus on Suzeraining a specific city-state type to gain the most significant bonuses.

"This is just the first step in our ongoing effort to improve balance," Firaxis writes. "We're continuing to evaluate all yields, leader, and civ abilities, and opportunities to add new systems and tweaks that deepen strategic decision-making. This pass lays the foundation for much more significant systems and content to come. And Deity players, let us know if these changes cranked up the difficulty for you."

Last but not least is an overhaul to Napoleon, one of the most iconic Civilization 7 leaders. Firaxis notes that "Feedback suggested his abilities weren't living up to his popularity," so it revisited both sides of his persona. 'Napoleon, Emperor' is all about sanctioning other leaders, gaining extra rewards the more he targets. 'Napoleon, Revolutionary' is stacked with military bonuses, but he'll grow even stronger if you're able to goad your rivals into attacking you.

Civilization 7 update 1.2.5 is out now. Firaxis notes, "While we aim to maintain backwards compatibility for existing saves as much as possible, some new abilities or effects may not appear until you start a new game or advance to the next age in your current campaign." It therefore recommends a fresh playthrough if you want to take full advantage of everything, although many of the biggest changes here should still work.

If you're ready to give the biggest name in the 4X game another chance, take a look at the latest Civilization 7 system requirements, as well as the best Civilization 7 mods - although keep in mind that you may want to wait for some to be updated for this latest build.

What do you make of this latest overhaul? Is Civ 7 moving in the right direction? Drop by the PCGamesN community Discord server and tell us what you think.