Good news for strategy game enthusiasts — after the release of the acclaimed Civilization VI, which fascinated fans of the genre for countless hours, Firaxis Games has announced that the studio is working on a new installment of its emblematic franchise. And although more details have yet to be provided — not even an official title — the news is sufficiently exciting to send fans on a clue-hunting rampage for what is ostensibly Civilization 7.
In mid-2022, alarm bells went off when all official Sid Meier accounts changed their banners on social networks. On Twitter and Reddit, eagle-eyed observers spotted a peculiar coincidence between the silhouette of Cleopatra and the number VII — and it goes without saying that Cleopatra is the one who leads the Egyptian civilization in many titles. These findings have fueled speculations of a new Civilization entry in the works for over a year.
Today, Firaxis has revealed not only that the game is in development but also a new change of office: industry veteran Heather Hazen, the company’s director of operations, has been promoted to Studio Head. In a press release, Hazen shared her excitement to continue the studio’s legacy and carries on to announce the next installment of the legendary Civilization franchise. She intends to “take the Civilization franchise to new and exciting heights for our millions of gamers worldwide.”
According to the new studio head’s statements, Firaxis will also allocate some of its resources to developing post-release content for Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which recently announced the upcoming arrival of Venom in the game. On the other hand, Hazen’s promotion also means the departure of Jake Solomon, an emblematic figure in the industry who is leaving the studio after two decades, in which he established himself as creative director of the XCOM franchise and Marvel’s Midnight Suns.
