The next Civilization game is in development as Firaxis announces leadership changes

Something to look forward to: Given how long it’s been since the last entry, it’s about time we started hearing about another Civilization game. The franchise’s developer, Firaxis, also announced some high-level departures two months after the launch of its last game – the well-regarded Marvel’s Midnight Suns.

This week, Firaxis confirmed the development of another entry in its legendary 4X strategy franchise. There are no details yet; it didn’t even say if it’s Civilization 7 or a spinoff game. However, the company will be making the game without studio head Steve Martin.

Martin, who spent 27 years at Firaxis, expressed gratitude in a farewell message the studio shared on Twitter. His replacement is Heather Hazen, previously the studio’s Chief Operating Officer. Before joining Firaxis in 2020, Hazen was an executive producer on Fortnite, Plants vs Zombies, and Bejeweled.

The last full Civilization release was Sid Meier’s Civilization VI in 2016, the 31-year-old franchise’s top-selling game. The title received many expansions over the following years, the last of which was 2019’s Gathering Storm. Civilization VI creative director Ed Beach will helm the next entry.

Also departing Firaxis is XCOM and Marvel’s Midnight Suns designer Jake Solomon. After 23 years with the company, Solomon said he is pursuing a new dream and starting a new chapter.

While the XCOM series is popular, Solomon said last month that he wasn’t working on a new entry, likely due to his impending departure. The most recent entries in the franchise were 2016’s XCOM 2 and Chimera Squad, which launched in 2020.

Since then, turn-based tactics fans seem to be satisfied with Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which Firaxis released in December to positive critical reception. It was PC Gamer’s 2022 runner-up Game of the Year. Lauded for its combination of Marvel comic book superheroes with XCOM-like tactical RPG gameplay, the game is free to try on Steam this weekend. Customers can purchase the title during the promotion for 40 percent off.

The discount is part of a sale publisher 2K is running. Civilization VI is 90 percent off, while the complete collection, containing the game and all its expansions, is 86 percent off. That’s a potential savings of $180. Chimera Squad and XCOM 2 are just $5 each. The sale also includes other 2K games, including Borderlands, Mafia, and many of its sports titles.