Highly anticipated: Fans have been expecting 2K Games to make a major announcement at this year's Summer Game Fest, but the nature of the reveal was unclear until a slip-up on the publisher's website. The new entry in the iconic strategy game series will likely be among numerous announcements at the Summer Game Fest.
Update (June 7): The game is now official, watch the trailer above.
Eagle-eyed users on Resetera and Reddit spotted a banner for Sid Meier's Civilization VII on the 2K Games website, which has now been removed.
But the news doesn't come as a total surprise. Last February, Firaxis confirmed that another Civilization title was in development without specifying whether it was Civilization VII. The only other detail the company revealed is that Civilization VI creative lead Ed Beach would helm the project.
Furthermore, 2K last month stated that it would unveil the next entry in one of its most popular franchises at the Summer Games Fest. Many fans speculated that it might be BioShock or Borderlands. 2K confirmed that Cloud Chamber was preparing a new BioShock game in 2019, and two new Borderlands titles in development leaked last year. However, the Civilization VII leak suggests that 2K will unveil those projects at a later date.
The most recent major entry in Firaxis's long-running grand strategy series, Civilization VI, launched in 2016. The last of its many large expansions, Gathering Storm, was released in 2019, so ample time has passed for a full-blown sequel. As of last year, the franchise has sold over 51 million copies.
Also read: 30 Years of Civilization
Summer Game Fest is one of many gaming and technology-oriented events where new titles and other products are set to be revealed over the next week, partially filling the void left by E3, which was permanently canceled late last year.
In addition to 2K, companies like Bandai Namco, Capcom, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, PlayStation, Riot Games, Ubisoft, Microsoft, and many others are expected to showcase content at SGF.
The stream (above) begins on Friday, June 7, at 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT. It will be viewable on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Twitter, and Steam.
Other upcoming events include:
- Wholesome Direct – June 8 at noon ET and 9 am PT
- Latin American Games Showcase – June 8 at 1 pm ET and 10 am PT
- Women-Led Games – June 8 at 2:30 pm ET and 11:30 am PT
- Future Games Show – June 8 at 3 pm ET and noon PT
- Xbox showcase – June 9 at 1 pm ET and 10 am PT
- PC Gaming Show – June 9 at 4 pm ET and 1 pm PT
- Ubisoft Forward – June 10 at 3 pm ET and noon PT
- WWDC – June 10
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard reveal – June 11 at 11 am ET and 8 am PT
Civilization VII revealed hours ahead of Summer Game Fest, watch the trailer
