Publisher 2K and developer Firaxis Games have announced that the long-running Civilization franchise is making its way into virtual and mixed reality. Civilization VII – VR is launching exclusively on Meta Quest 3 & 3S this Spring. The new version is being developed by PlaySide Studios and empowers players to experience Civilization from a whole new perspective and take their place at a Command Table, immersing themselves in every action as they build an empire to stand the test of time.
“Today is truly a milestone for the Civ franchise, with the announcement of Civilization VII – VR marking our first entry into the immersive world of virtual and mixed reality” stated Dennis Shirk, Executive Franchise Producer at Firaxis Games. “We’re just days away now from the full launch of Civilization VII and look forward to ushering in a new era of strategy excellence for our fans!”
As in similar titles, Civilization VII – VR leverages the classic, top-down view of Civ and puts the Command Table into a board game-like construction where the world is laid out before the players and has come to life. Players will be able to peer down from high above the Command Table to strategize their moves or lean all the way in to appreciate the finer details of the scouts, cities, armies, and Wonders. Players can also toggle to Mixed Reality at any time where the Command Table will adapt to its placement in a player’s physical space.
Like previous Civ titles, players will take on the role of a world leader and face off against other leaders and important figures from history, each with their own abilities, personalities, agendas, and ideas about how to be an effective leader. Diplomacy and interaction is a huge part of Civ, and in Civilization VII – VR, you have the opportunity to have these diplomatic meetings face-to-face. The other leaders present in a game will surround the Command Table as they take their turns, allowing players to see their actions and reactions while they take theirs, create alliances, and wage war through the Ages. Players will also be able to revisit their own history and achievements in the Archives, a space where the heights of a player’d civilization is captured as dioramas they can see anytime they like, whether in VR or MR.
Civilization VII- VR supports single-player as well as both co-op and competitive multiplayer modes for up to three other Quest 3 or 3S players. Players can team up against AI-controlled opponents or face off against human opponents. Players will see their friends and opponents in VR and MR as their chosen world leader around the Command Table, allowing players to go further in creating their own version of history.
Other gameplay updates include an increase in speed for default games as compared to the default PC version. Players can play through an entire Age during a single headset session, though the pace can be set to different levels based on the player’s preferences.
“With the recent release of Meta Quest 3S and our strongest games and entertainment portfolio yet, it’s an awesome time for mixed reality,” said Chris Pruett, Director of Games at Meta. “Civilization VII – VR is further evidence of that momentum: it’s a genuine Civ experience made specifically for deep strategy fans.”