Civilization 7 is the game I can't stop playing, and February 11 is the official launch day following a week of early access via Deluxe and Founders Editions of the game. Arriving on PC and all consoles — including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch — Civilization 7 also runs quite well on Steam Deck and other gaming handhelds, thanks to official verification.
The game comes in with aggressive AAA pricing, but thankfully, you don't need to pay full price even on launch week. CDKeys has live discounts for all versions of the game. Instead of the usual $70 for the base game, you can pay $54.99 on PC or $57.49 on Xbox.
Civilization 7's Deluxe Edition, which includes two leader personas, a cosmetics pack, and access to the first Crossroads of the World DLC, has been discounted from $100 to $76.99 on PC and $81.89 on Xbox.
Finally, the Founders Edition, with all content from the base and Deluxe Edition plus another two leader personas, an extra cosmetics pack, and access to the Right to Rule DLC, usually costs $130. Buying at CDKeys drops that price to $96.99 on PC and $105.59 on Xbox.
Civilization 7 is "my favorite way to dominate the world"
Following a lengthy preview and review period, Civ 7 developer Firaxis Games and publisher 2K Games launched the title with early access for Deluxe and Founders Editions on February 6, 2025. We've now arrived at the full launch on February 11 for all versions of the game.
In my Civilization 7 preview, I'd played about 20 hours of the game, mostly enjoyed over the course of one weekend. My habits didn't change much following the preview, and I poured in another ~40 hours of playtime before writing my review. Many critics reviewing Civ 7 agreed with me on the major points: it's a game that's hard to put down, and while it has some minor bugs and UI issues, it's well worth your time.
Here's a quote pulled from my Civilization 7 review to give you an idea of my opinion:
"Civilization 7 doesn't stray so far as to not feel like a Civ game, but the new mechanics and units will make you reconsider your old strategies. Civilization 7 is easy to pick up and play for newcomers to the series, and for veterans, it offers more valid strategies than ever before. [...] I'm not a fan of the game's price and DLC release schedule, which were already in place before the game has even launched. I recommend you start with the base game, see if you like the changes to the series, and then branch out into DLCs. There's more than enough content available in the base game for hundreds of hours of playtime."
The pricing setup and DLC schedule that's already been announced aren't exactly designed to reach mass appeal at launch, but that's typical of Civ games. Previous titles were typically expensive when they launched, picked up a bunch of extra content in the following months/years, and then went on mega sale for the full package. For example, a copy of Civilization 6 for PC currently costs $3.69 at CDKeys, while DLCs like Gathering Storm are down to $4.99. You get the idea.
Waiting a year or more to find a good deal on all content doesn't work for everyone. I've been pressuring my gaming friends to pick up a copy of the game — even the base game — so that we can enjoy world domination in a familiar multiplayer setting, and CDKeys is the place I'm recommending in order to save some money.
Are Civilization 7's DLCs worth buying?
While information is still limited regarding Civilization 7's DLCs, past games have been expanded greatly with additional content. I don't expect that to change much with the upcoming releases of Crossroads of the World in early March and Right to Rule coming sometime between April and September 2025.
Crossroads of the World is expected to introduce two new leaders, Ada Lovelace and Simon Bolivar, four new civilizations — Carthage, Great Britain, Bulgaria, and Nepal — and four new natural wonders.
Right to Rule is adding two new leaders, four new civilizations, and four world wonders. All have yet to be announced.
Whether or not it's worth picking up the Deluxe or Founders Edition of the game to unlock future access for the DLCs comes down to how much you like the game. The good news is that you can start with the most affordable base edition and upgrade to a pricier edition later if you're a fan of the game.
If you have the game ready to go, I urge you to check out my Civilization 7 ultimate starter guide to get you prepared to navigate all the major changes in the series.
Can your PC run Civilization 7?
Civilization 7 isn't a particularly demanding game, allowing it to run smoothly even on gaming handhelds. You will absolutely see your CPU struggle with late-game AI turns — even my Ryzen 7 9800X3D chugs on most turn ends — but the turn-based nature of the game means it won't really affect the overall outcome.
Firaxis recommends having at least an Intel Core i5-4690/Core i3-10100 or Ryzen 3 1200 CPU, as well as at least an NVIDIA GTX 1050, AMD RX 460, or Intel Arc A380 GPU.
If you want to play on Ultra settings, Firaxis recommends at least an Intel Core i7-14700F or Ryzen 9 5950X CPU and an NVIDIA RTX 4070 or AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU.
You'll need at least 20GB of free space on your PC, and 8GB of RAM is the minimum. More RAM is always better, and Firaxis recommends at least 32GB of Ultra settings.
Is CDKeys a legit and safe place to shop?
Unlike many third-party key sellers, CDKeys is a legitimate and safe retailer. It's easy to point gamers to the site, as it usually undercuts any other legitimate key sellers. I've never had an issue with the site, and neither have my colleagues and friends. If you're still a bit wary, our CDKeys FAQ should have the answers you need.
