Civ 7 Named the Most Wanted PC Game of 2025

Civilization VII: 2025's Most Anticipated PC Game

Civilization VII has been crowned the most anticipated PC game of 2025 by PC Gamer's "Most Wanted" event! The game's Creative Director shed light on new mechanics designed to enhance campaign engagement. Read on for details from the PC Gaming Show and a closer look at Civ VII's innovative features.

PC Gamer's "Most Wanted" Crowns Civ VII

On December 6th, the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted, hosted by PC Gamer, unveiled its top 25 most exciting games in development for 2025. Civilization VII secured the coveted top spot. The rankings were determined by a vote from "The Council," a panel of over 70 developers, content creators, and PC Gamer editors. The nearly three-hour livestream also featured trailers and updates for other highly anticipated titles, including Let’s Build a Dungeon and Drivers of the Apocalypse.

Doom: The Dark Ages and Monster Hunter Wilds followed closely behind in second and third place, respectively. Other notable titles on the list included Slay the Spire 2, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, The Thing: Remastered, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Interestingly, Hollow Knight: Silksong was absent from the rankings and its trailer was not shown.

Civilization VII will launch simultaneously on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch on February 11, 2025.

New "Ages" Mechanic Enhances Campaign Completion

In a PC Gamer interview on December 6th, Civ VII's Creative Director, Ed Beach, discussed the new "Ages" mechanic designed to encourage players to complete full campaigns. Firaxis Games' data revealed that a significant portion of Civ VI players did not finish their campaigns, prompting the development team to address this issue.

Beach explained, "We had data showing many players never finished Civilization games. We aimed to tackle this by reducing micromanagement and restructuring the game."

Civ VII introduces the "Ages" system, dividing each campaign into three chapters: Antiquity Age, Exploration Age, and Modern Age. Players can transition to a new civilization at the end of each Age, mirroring historical shifts in power.

However, civilization selection is not random. Historical or geographical connections must exist between successive civilizations. For example, the Roman Empire might transition to the French Empire, potentially with the Norman Empire serving as a bridge.

Leaders persist across Ages, maintaining a consistent sense of identity and rivalry. An "overbuild" feature allows for the construction of new buildings atop existing ones, although Wonders and certain structures remain unchanged.

This innovative approach allows players to experience multiple civilizations within a single playthrough, offering diverse challenges and opportunities while preserving a connection to their chosen leader.