Civilization VII’s latest update finally adds large/huge maps sizes, Steam Workshop support, and more

Civ VII’s update 1.2.1 is a game changer

Firaxis has just released update 1.2.1 for Civilization VII, and it has added many fan-requested features for the game. For starters, the game now has Steam Workshop support on PC. Furthermore, the game now features new “Large” and “Huge” map sizes, as well as a new “Pangea Plus” map option. At launch, the game’s largest map size was “Standard”, preventing players from playing larger scale games of Civilization VII.

With this update, Civilization VII player will be able to play larger multiplayer games. Additionally, there are new balance updates, new city-state bonuses, new religious beliefs, and town specialisations. Update 1.2.1 brings major changes to Civilization VII, further polishing the game.

Hey, CIV fans!

We’re rolling out a bonus update for you ahead of our next one in June! This update adds the new Pangaea Plus Map Type, several balance passes to leaders and civs, an expanded human player limit in multiplayer, and addresses a number of player-reported issues. We’ve also continued work on improving the UI, refined AI behavior to make opponents more competitive, and tightened up overall game polish.

A note for our Switch players: this update is currently slated to come to Switch in early June, coinciding with the release of Civilization VII on Nintendo Switch 2. We appreciate your continued patience as we work to roll this update out to all platforms. The console-compatible version remains available with full crossplay support with Steam in the meantime (instructions on how to access here).

Looking ahead, we’ll also be sharing an Update Check-In soon that’ll give you a look into what’s coming next. Until then, here are some things the team is working hard on and planning to include in the June update (subject to change):

• Large & Huge Map Support
• Steam Workshop Support
• Improved Game Setup Options
• New Religious Beliefs and Balance
• New City State Bonuses and Balance
• New Town Specializations and Balance
• Specialist Balance
• Treasure Fleet Improvements
• UI & Quality-of-Life Improvements

– Firaxis

Overall, Civ VII’s 1.2.1 update provides some solid improvements to the game. That said, Civilization VII now has fewer players and Civilization VI, signalling that more changes may be needed to bring the series’ fanbase to the series’ newest game. Right now, Civilization VII has “Mostly Negative” reviews on Steam, signalling that the game needs more changes.

While update 1.2.1 is a step in the right direction, it is a shame that Civ VII lacked some of this update’s features at launch. Large and Huge map sizes are loved by many Civ fans, making their exclusion from the game a major disappointment. Is this addition a turning point for Civ VII, or do these changes come too late?

You can join the discussion on Civ VII’s update 1.2.1 on the OC3D Forums.