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It's been almost six years since Sid Meier's "Civilization VI" was released in 2016. Understandably, fans of the turn-based strategy game by Firaxis Games are now starting to wonder when the "Civilization 7" release date will arrive. Here are some of the supposed leaks and updates about the rumoured sequel.

Sid Meier's Civilization series overview

The Sid Meier's Civilization series is perhaps one of the longest-running gaming franchises and is certainly one of the oldest in the turn-based strategy genre. The first game, "Civilization," was released in 1991, followed by the sequel, "Civilization II," in 1996 or just five years after the original.

Since then, the series has been one of the most popular games in its genre. Its latest title, "Civilization VI," sold 57 million units in 2021. It is one of Take-Two's best-selling series, and just behind "Red Dead Redemption's" 60 million and "Borderlands'" 70 million units, according to Turtle Beach.

'Civilization VII' Leaks

Considering the popularity of "Civilization VI," it's unthinkable for Firaxis Games not to give in to fans' demand and start creating the sequel. While no official announcement has been made, that seems to be the case based on the company's recent job postings.

In November last year, Firaxis posted new job listings, which included a narrative lead that must have "knowledge and passion for world history." The company said that the successful candidate would be working on its "next AAA strategy title." While "Civilization 7" was not mentioned, fans of the franchise would certainly suspect the new roles were needed for the game's development, considering that the game's playable civilizations and characters are all based on historical figures who ruled ancient empires of the past.

'Civilization 7' release date speculations

Development of "Civ 7" likely started in August 2021, and the team started looking for a narrative lead by November. However, the game won't likely be released this year, considering that Firaxis announced the delay of "Marvel's Midnight Suns" until the second half of 2022,

Based on the past releases of the games in the franchise, a new Civ game usually comes out every 5 to 6 years. While it has already been 6 years since "Civ 6" was launched in 2016, a new game won't likely be released this year since the developer released two expansions and new DLC content for the game since its release.

In addition, the pandemic might have affected the development of "Civilization VII" just like it did other games whose release had to be delayed. Taking all of these considerations into account, the highly anticipated "Civ 7" won't likely be launched into 2023 at the earliest.