In what may or may not be a case of incredibly coincidental (and unfortunate) timing, an in-the-works addition to the legendary Civilization strategy game series has leaked via the 2K Games website.
The leak was quickly removed, but not before the banner image was memorialized by quick fingers on Reddit and Resetera. The banner also included links to a new trailer and wishlist page, neither of which were live while the banner was up.
The Summer Game Fest showcase is set to kick off at 2 pm PT/5 pm ET today, and we know 2K is going to be revealing something big—nothing less than "the next iteration in one of 2K's biggest and most beloved franchises," in fact.
We had thought (although perhaps "hoped" would be a better word for it) that BioShock 4 might finally step into the spotlight; Borderlands 4 also seemed possible as a big statement following Take-Two's recent acquisition of Gearbox. Of course, now we're all moving our chips onto Civilization 7.
Firaxis actually announced that it was working on "the next iteration of the legendary Civilization franchise" in February 2023, following the departure of Marvel Midnight Suns creative director and longtime Civilization vet Jake Solomon. Nothing beyond the fact of its existence was shared at the time, though, nor has anything really been said about it since. Civ 6, meanwhile, continues to trundle along like an absolute juggernaut: Despite being eight years old now (yes, that strategy juggernaut was released all the way back in 2016) it remains one of the most-played games on Steam.
Whether or not Civilization 7 is really 2K's big Summer Game Fest reveal, we'll find out in a few hours—and even if it's not, it seems pretty clear we'll be hearing about it soon enough. In the meantime, if you haven't yet sampled the delights of Civ 6, it's currently on sale for a ridiculous cheap $3/£2.49/£3—that's 95% off the regular price—on Steam.
