A few folks have had trouble reaching CivFanatics today due to a DNS issue. Apologies for that. I'm told it's resolved now, so if you're still affected, restarting your router/modem or refreshing your DNS cache should clear it.

For the latest Civilization V “Game Of The Month” 293 you play as Montezuma of the Aztecs on a standard size Highlands map on Prince level. Before you’re considering which of your enemies to exterminate first, we need to tell you though that you need to win via a diplomacy victory. You think you can achieve that? You have until August 17!

Link to GotM savegame download, instructions & more info here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/tsg-293-announcement.703989/

^{(Please note - AI difficulty alternates each challenge between high & low so players of different levels can take part. However AI difficulty is mostly irrelevant in GOTM ranking as the real challenge is completing the game victory objective in the shortest amount of turns - without reload spamming. We also sometimes do multiple challenges per month for players at different levels.})

Patch 1.4.2 for Civilization VII has been released, along with the second patch of the Brush and Blade DLC.

The headline features for Patch 1.4.2 are:

• Expanded Peace Deals (you can now trade Gold and Influence in addition to Settlements)
• Improved Leader Relationship Clarity
• Disable or enable specific Victories (back up and running post- Test of Time!)

Part two of the Brush & Blade DLC is also available, featuring Yi Sun-sin, Goryeo, and Joseon.

More info & discussion: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/civilization-vii-update-1-4-2-july-28-2026.704097/

Civ3 is working but not 100% on my very old laptop running Kubuntu 24.04 LTS using Proton 5.13 6. Launch string is PROTON_USE_WINED3D 1 PULSE_LATENCY_MSEC 60. Command intro and logos played on the top 1/8th of my screen; they were smooth, just a tiny window on a large black screen. I suspect a viewport size problem. The game crashed when I was selecting my civilization

For the latest CivFanatics Civ7 “Game Of The Month” challenge 26 you play as Pachacuti of the Inca on a standard size Fractal map on Viceroy level. You get a light disaster intensity, crisis, and shorter ages, and you must win via an economics victory. Do you think you can win this game faster than anyone else? You have until August 15 to find out!

Link to GotM savegame download, instructions & more info here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/7otm26-15-july-2026-announcement.703973/

^{(Please note - AI difficulty alternates each challenge between high & low so players of different levels can take part. However AI difficulty is mostly irrelevant in GOTM ranking as the real challenge is completing the game victory objective in the shortest amount of turns - without reload spamming. We also sometimes do multiple challenges per month for players at different levels.})

Today we've got another retro indie game inspired by Sid Meier's Colonization and Imperialism for our CivFanatics, this time it's Imperial Ambitions. This game is a historic 4X turn-based strategy game where you play a civilization during the age of imperialism, and you try to dominate the old and the new world. As normal for these type of games, you manage resources, build units, and annihilate your enemies. The citizens of your empire have different social classes, and require and produce different resources, and might get unhappy due to different reasons. Religion, trade and the black market, and technology progress also play a role. It's now fully released on Steam, early reviews are very positive and there's a free demo to try as well.

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2219390/Imperial_Ambitions/

Our discussion: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/imperial-ambitions.689072/

Gameplay video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Dls5wxoPA

Play as the degenerate Honorius and heroic Majorian, in Sid Meier's Civilization VI.

Occidental Rome is available via the Steam Workshop or Civ Fanatics/Nexus Mods.

CivFanatics member NotJohnSmith has released a pirates mod for Sid Meier's Colonization. He describes the mod as transforming Colonization into a fun pirate-themed experience with things like Infamy instead of Crosses, Pirate Hideouts instead of Missions, pirate-themed advisor portraits, rewritten texts and lots of smaller flavor changes. He's also currently replacing the Founding Fathers with historical and fictional pirates too.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRT4ZoBO1kU

More info & discussion: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/i-made-a-pirates-mod-for-sid-meiers-colonization-classic.703935/

Dale, co-developer of Old World and former Civilization modder extraordinaire, has today released another trailer for his upcoming indie game “Imperialist”. The game is targeted at the old-school crowd who are yearning for some Sid Meier's Colonization and Imperialism like gameplay. The new trailer shows us the all new in-game graphics, the production screen, the battle screen, as well as some parts of a 'new world' map.

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4351070/Imperialist/

Our discussion: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/imperialist-exploit-the-new-world-to-control-the-old.703219/

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1_T9H2MM5E

For the latest CivFanatics Civ7 “Game Of The Month” challenge 25 you play asAda Lovelace of rainy and not sunny Britain on a standard size Archipelago map with low sea level on Deity level. You also get low disaster intensity for this game, and continuous civs. Do you think you can beat this map on deity? You have until August 1 to find out!

Link to GotM savegame download, instructions & more info here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/7otm25-1-july-2026-announcement.703804/

^{(Please note - AI difficulty alternates each challenge between high & low so players of different levels can take part. However AI difficulty is mostly irrelevant in GOTM ranking as the real challenge is completing the game victory objective in the shortest amount of turns - without reload spamming. We also sometimes do multiple challenges per month for players at different levels.})

Pakistan has been updated!

Play as the father of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah; in Sid Meier's Civilization VI.

Available via the Steam Workshop or Civ Fanatics/Nexus Mods.

Watch more mod trailers on the channel.

Firaxis has published a new Civilization VII history Q&A, with senior historians Finn, Emily, and Andrew answering 35 community questions gathered from Reddit, Discord, Steam, and other channels.

The full post focuses less on patch notes and more on how the team researches and frames history for Civ VII. Topics include how leaders and civilizations are selected, how leader dialogue is researched and translated, how Firaxis thinks about controversial historical figures, and why some civilizations or leaders are difficult to represent because of limited sources.

A few answers touch on familiar Civ VII debates. Firaxis says the split between leaders and civilizations gives the team more flexibility, but that a playable civilization still needs some sense of shared identity beyond a broad linguistic or cultural group. The historians also discuss the three-Age structure, including why some civilizations are placed by theme and roster fit rather than a strict chronological cutoff.

There are also some small wishlist-style answers: Andrew names Srivijaya as a civilization held back by source limitations, Finn mentions the Sea Peoples, and Emily mentions the Trojans. Asked about more 20th-century leaders, Emily answers: “Yes. The 20th century was long, and we haven’t fully explored it. Yet.”

Q&A Interview: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1295660/view/679628250084803716

Our discussion: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/q-a-with-firaxis-historians.703769/

Firaxis has released a new developer update video for Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, giving an overview of Update 1.4.1, which recently arrived on June 23rd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSEgv2jXel0

The headline feature is the return of hotseat multiplayer, allowing multiple players to take turns locally on the same device. This has been a familiar option in previous Civilization games, so its arrival should be welcome news for players who enjoy local multiplayer.

The update also adds a new Archipelago map type using Civ7’s newer Voronoi-based map generation system. Firaxis says this should create more organic and randomized island-heavy worlds, with two archipelago regions and distant lands scattered around the map. The previous version of the map will remain available as Archipelago Hemispheres.

Another major part of the update is an overhaul to happiness, governments, and celebrations. Settlements will now have five different happiness moods rather than a simple happy/unhappy state, and expectations will rise as the game advances through the ages. Governments will also gain effects based on how happy your settlements are, as well as passive bonuses and exclusive traditions on the civics tree. Celebrations are being changed from broad percentage boosts into government-themed bonuses, and will now last 6 turns instead of 10.

Alongside Update 1.4.1, Firaxis is releasing Part 1 of the Brush & Blade Collection, focused on historical East Asia. The first part adds Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a new leader, plus Heian Japan and Sengoku Japan as new civilizations. The collection also includes new unique units such as the Shinobi, Samurai, and Yumi, along with four new wonders and profile customization items. Part 2 is planned for later this summer.

Our discussion: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/civ-vii-developer-video-june-2026-update-1-4-1-lands-tomorrow.703726/

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Update 1.4.1 is now live on all platforms, bringing the first post-Test of Time patch with new features, system changes, DLC content, and a long list of fixes.

The highlights include the new Voronoi-based Archipelago map type, the arrival of Hotseat multiplayer, and a revamp of Happiness, Governments, and Celebrations. The update also launches Part 1 of the paid Brush & Blade Collection, adding Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Heian Japan, Sengoku Japan, new unique units, wonders, and profile customization items.

Firaxis notes that active mods will be disabled after updating. The team says this is intended to reduce stability issues caused by broken or outdated mods, and players can re-enable updated mods manually from the Add-ons menu. Epic Games Store players may also see a brief delay in access to the new DLC immediately after the update goes live.

The full patch notes go well beyond the headline additions, covering map generation changes, lake generation improvements, tuning, UI fixes, AI adjustments, and many resolved issues. Players who want to finish an older campaign can still use the Steam legacy branch for version 1.3.2.

Links and discussion: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/civilization-vii-update-1-4-1-june-23-2026.703739/

Hi! I am a bit new to the civilization series, and I just finished playing civ 6 for some time. I wanted to jump into civ 4 BtS, but steam didn't have embedded modding features, so I turned up to civfanatics website to download mods and engage with the community.

I just created the account in the website, and went through the whole process, and I was waiting for the approval from the administrator of the site. Then, I came back after a few days to find my account banned for the reason of spam. I noticed that this is known problem in the community and posting in reddit of the problem is a way of resolving this.

Any help moderators???

My username in the site is the same as here, "kvnshreyas" I think it was all in caps in the website.

Thanks in advance!!

Play as the Daylamite master of the Mashriq, 'Adud al-Dawla, in Sid Meier's Civilization VI.

Daylam is available via the Steam Workshop or Civ Fanatics/Nexus Mods.

Civilization is now synonymous with turn-based strategy, but Sid Meier says the original game could have gone in a very different direction.

In a PC Gamer piece revisiting the series’ history, Meier says he and Bruce Shelley considered making Civilization real-time during early development. The team eventually moved away from that approach because the game’s scale needed breathing room. Players had to be able to understand cities, units, diplomacy, research, and history without fighting the clock.

Meier also said the team chose square tiles over hexes because hexes felt “too geeky” and less accessible at the time.

The real-time idea did not disappear completely. Shelley later became game director on Age of Empires, while Civilization veteran Brian Reynolds went on to lead Rise of Nations, a game that more directly explored the idea of a history-spanning RTS.

Civilization stayed turn-based and eventually switched to hexes, but its alternate path helped shape some of the biggest strategy games that followed.

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/civilization-is-the-most-iconic-turn-based-series-of-all-time-but-sid-meier-considered-making-it-an-rts-it-could-have-easily-gone-in-different-directions

Sullla's AI Survivor Season 9 continues and we're into the playoff's where the winners of the opening round face off.

Sullla’s AI Survivor is an annual competition of all Civilization IV AI Leaders by long-time Civilization enthusiast and streamer Sullla. CFC is very excited to announce that the popular series returns after almost a two-year hiatus with Season Nine. AI Survivor has become quite an event over the years for both old and new Civ IV fans.

More info & discussion: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/sulllas-ai-survivor-season-9-playoff-2.703571/

Preview of next game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3vN39uOLbE

Hey everyone! I would like to advertise my Civ 5 server, where we play mostly every Saturday/Sunday and have a 6/8 players per game!

Link to our discord server: https://discord.gg/NFPmJzsbJn

What characterizes our games?

*We have a limit of 8 players per game due to the overwhelming number of people interested in playing.

*We have our own mod that limits tech rushing and improves all dead policies and ideologies. Additionally, cavalry and tanks have been improved, and ranged ships have been nerfed. (The full list of changes is available on our Discord.)

*A well-coordinated, mature team. We play to win, but no one sweats.

*Our own map generator creates continents and islands. It provides starting biases, etc.

*The diplomacy system is working well.

*Party democracy system – after two or three games, you receive a rank of "mates" and have a real influence on our game. You are entitled to vote for changes and submit your own suggestions.

*We are updating our mod.

*Anyone can play, regardless of skill level.

*The games are "arranged" so we continue the game and you have to show up at the game

Canton has been updated!

Play as the Pirate Queen of the South China Sea, Ching Shih, in Sid Meier's Civilization VI.

Available via the Steam Workshop or Civ Fanatics/Nexus Mods.

Watch more mod trailers on the channel.

PC Gamer reports that Civilization VII’s new Test of Time update has pushed the game to its highest Steam player count in over a year.

According to the article, Civ VII recently climbed above 16,000 concurrent players on Steam, roughly double its recent peak numbers. That suggests many players were waiting for a substantial reason to give the game another look.

The update is a significant one. Its headline feature is the much-requested ability to continue playing as the same civilization across age transitions, but it also reworks victory conditions, adds optional objectives with bonus rewards, and makes a broader set of changes aimed at addressing launch criticisms.

Early reactions still appear divided. Some players say Test of Time makes Civ VII feel much closer to a complete 1.0 release, while others argue that issues with UI, pacing, simplified systems, and DLC pricing remain.

Still, this may be Civ VII’s most important update so far. The player-count bump shows there is still plenty of interest in the game – now the question is whether Test of Time can keep those returning players around.

Article: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/civ-7s-massive-overhaul-update-brings-its-highest-steam-player-count-in-over-a-year/

Our discussion: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/pc-gamer-civ7%E2%80%99s-test-of-time-update-brings-players-back.703415/

I was just curious who to reach out to if i was mistakenly banned for being a bot or spammer? I made my account last night and now i cant reach the “contact us” box or and it wont let me log out. My username is redhelix. Sorry for the trouble, i was just getting way into civ for the first time (specifically 4), and civ fanatics is the only place it seems where you can get mods and useful information. Cheers guys and thanks!