Civilization 7's launch on Steam has been rocky, to say the least. Since its debut in February, the strategy game has struggled to attract players on Valve's platform, garnering a 'mixed' reaction from Steam users. Despite multiple patches from developer Firaxis aimed at improving the game, Civilization 7 currently has fewer players on Steam than both Civilization 6 and the 15-year-old Civilization 5.

While the Steam performance is a significant concern, it's important to note that Civilization 7 also launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. A version for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, utilizing new Joy-Con mouse controls, is set to release soon. However, the core audience for Civilization has traditionally been on PC, where Civ 7 is clearly facing challenges.

In an interview with IGN ahead of Take-Two's latest financial results, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed optimism about Civilization 7, stating, "I'm thrilled with Civ 7 so far. However, there were some issues initially, and our team at Firaxis has done a great job addressing those issues. There's more work to be done. I'm optimistic that work will be done and will suit consumers, and ultimately that we have a very successful title on our hands."

Zelnick highlighted the Civilization franchise's history of having a long sales cycle, suggesting that Civ 7 will follow a similar trajectory. He noted, "The history of all the Civilization releases is that initially some of the changes that we make cause consternation among our consumers because they love the Civilization franchise so much. And then people realize, oh, this really is an improvement and over a long sales cycle, we do really well. I think that's what'll happen here too. But undoubtedly, we had some issues in the beginning, which we've addressed partially and continue to address."

At launch, players pointed out issues with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and the absence of expected features. Zelnick's comments about the initial nervousness among hardcore Civ players likely refer to the significant changes introduced in Civilization 7, such as the new Age system. In Civ 7, a full campaign spans three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. During an Age Transition, players select a new civilization, choose which Legacies to retain, and see the game world evolve—a feature unprecedented in previous Civilization games. Zelnick is confident that fans will grow to appreciate this new system over time.

Although Take-Two has not disclosed specific sales figures for Civilization 7, the company mentioned in its financial report that it is "pursuing opportunities to expand the audience." This includes the recent launch of Civilization 7 VR for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, as well as the upcoming port for the Nintendo Switch 2.