Civilization 7 won’t include strategic view, at least for release

This feature won’t make the jump from Civilization 6

Firaxis / 2K Games / Take-Two Interactive

Civilization 7 is making major changes to the series’ formula, such as transforming Great People into a civilization-specific mechanic, and not all features from older games are making the cut – one of those is strategic view.

In Civilization 6, players could switch into this mode, which essentially transforms the map into a cute board game and allows players to get a quick overview of the area thanks to its simplified visuals. Most players probably don’t ever bother with strategic view, but for some players it’s the prime way to enjoy the game. These users will need to adapt to a new reality in Civilization 7.

“Strategic view is not in the cards right now,” executive producer Dennis Shirk told us during our Civilization 7 interview at Gamescom 2024. He did, however, not completely close the door on it being implemented in the future: “That’s not to say it won’t be. [...] So I’m gonna say ‘never say never’, but it’s not in the cards at the moment.”

Shirk said that Firaxis couldn’t ever get clarity “on how many people actually used it,” explaining that the developer “put it in [Civilization 6] mainly with the intention that it would make worldbuilder a lot easier to use.”

Worldbuilder is the editor players can use in Civilization 6 to create their own custom maps to play on by hand instead of relying on the game’s map generation – and in this context, strategic view makes a lot of sense: It allows an editor to clearly see different types of tiles and resources very quickly and effectively.

For more information on the upcoming turn-based strategy game, see our list for all Civilization 7 leaders and civs, which also explains some of the new mechanics connected to them. We have the notes from the first Civ 7 developer livestream for you as well, diving into the details of the Antiquity Age.