Civ 7 Named the Most Wanted PC Game of 2025

Civilization VII: 2025's Most Anticipated PC Game

Civilization VII has been crowned the most anticipated PC game of 2025 by PC Gamer's "Most Wanted" event! The game's creative director shed light on new mechanics designed to enhance campaign engagement. Read on to discover more about this exciting announcement and the innovative features coming to Civ VII.

Leading the Pack in 2025

On December 6th, the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted revealed Civ VII as the number one most anticipated game of 2025. This prestigious ranking was determined by a vote from The Council, a panel of over 70 developers, content creators, and PC Gamer editors. The nearly three-hour livestream showcased the top 25 upcoming games, also including new content for titles like Let’s Build a Dungeon and Drivers of the Apocalypse.

Doom: The Dark Ages and Monster Hunter Wilds secured the second and third positions, respectively, followed by Slay the Spire 2. Other notable entries included Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, The Thing: Remastered, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Interestingly, Hollow Knight: Silksong was absent from the list.

Civilization VII launches simultaneously on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch on February 11, 2025.

A New Approach to Campaign Completion

In a PC Gamer interview, Creative Director Ed Beach discussed a key new mechanic in Civ VII called "Ages," designed to tackle the common issue of unfinished campaigns in previous iterations. Firaxis Games' data revealed that many players didn't complete Civ VI campaigns, prompting the development of this innovative feature.

"Our data showed many players never finished Civilization games," Beach explained. "So we focused on reducing micromanagement and restructuring the game to directly address this."

Civ VII's "Ages" system divides campaigns into three distinct chapters: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Players can transition to a historically or geographically linked civilization at the end of each Age, mirroring the rise and fall of real-world empires.

This transition isn't random; connections must exist. For example, the Roman Empire might transition to the French Empire, with the Norman Empire bridging the gap. Leaders persist across Ages, maintaining player connection and rivalry. An "overbuild" feature allows constructing new buildings atop existing ones, while Wonders and certain structures remain throughout the campaign.

This innovative system offers players a fresh approach to managing cultural, military, diplomatic, and economic aspects across multiple civilizations within a single playthrough, all while maintaining a connection to a familiar leader.