PC Gamer reports that Civilization VII’s new Test of Time update has pushed the game to its highest Steam player count in over a year.
According to the article, Civ VII recently climbed above 16,000 concurrent players on Steam, roughly double its recent peak numbers. That suggests many players were waiting for a substantial reason to give the game another look.
The update is a significant one. Its headline feature is the much-requested ability to continue playing as the same civilization across age transitions, but it also reworks victory conditions, adds optional objectives with bonus rewards, and makes a broader set of changes aimed at addressing launch criticisms.
Early reactions still appear divided. Some players say Test of Time makes Civ VII feel much closer to a complete 1.0 release, while others argue that issues with UI, pacing, simplified systems, and DLC pricing remain.
Still, this may be Civ VII’s most important update so far. The player-count bump shows there is still plenty of interest in the game – now the question is whether Test of Time can keep those returning players around.
What do you think? Has Test of Time changed your view of Civ VII?