Civ 7 Named the Most Wanted PC Game of 2025

Civilization VII: Top PC Game of 2025 and New Campaign Mechanics

Civilization VII has been crowned the Most Wanted PC Game of 2025 by PC Gamer, a title revealed during their PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted event on December 6th. This accolade places Civ VII at the top of a list of 25 highly anticipated titles, selected through a vote by The Council, a panel of over 70 developers, content creators, and editors. The event also showcased trailers and updates for other games, including Let’s Build a Dungeon and Drivers of the Apocalypse.

The rankings saw Doom: The Dark Ages and Monster Hunter Wilds securing second and third place respectively, highlighting the strong competition in the upcoming year's game releases. Other notable titles included on the list were Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, The Thing: Remastered, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

Launching simultaneously on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch on February 11th, 2025, Civilization VII aims to address a key issue identified in previous iterations: player completion rates of campaigns.

Addressing Campaign Completion in Civ VII

In a PC Gamer interview, Creative Director Ed Beach discussed a new mechanic, "Ages," designed to improve campaign engagement. Data from Civilization VI revealed a significant number of players didn't complete campaigns, prompting Firaxis Games to implement changes to enhance the overall experience.

The "Ages" system divides a playthrough into three distinct chapters: Antiquity Age, Exploration Age, and Modern Age. A key innovation is the ability to transition to a new civilization at the end of each Age, mirroring historical shifts in power. However, this transition isn't random; the new civilization must have a historical or geographical link to the previous one. For instance, the Roman Empire might transition to the French Empire, with the Norman Empire serving as a bridge.

Leaders remain consistent across Ages, maintaining a sense of continuity and rivalry. The "overbuild" feature allows the construction of new buildings atop existing ones, while Wonders and certain structures persist throughout the game. This system offers players a dynamic experience, allowing them to manage different civilizations within a single playthrough, navigating cultural, military, diplomatic, and economic challenges while retaining a connection to their chosen leader.