Civilization VII Update Lets Players Stick With One Civilization Throughout
The update directly addresses the most criticized feature of Civilization VII at launch-the forced civilization swap between ages-by restoring the series' traditional continuous play style.
Reporting from 1 sources: ASCII.jp.
A free major update called Trial of Time for Sid Meier's Civilization VII, released May 19, 2026, overhauls three core systems: players can now use a single civilization across all ages, the Legacy Pass is replaced by a dynamic Success System, and victory conditions shift to a point-based model. The update also adds a Fractal Continent map and Alexander the Great as a leader.
The Trial of Time update, published by 2K and developed by Firaxis Games, is free for all owners of the game. The most visible change is the removal of the requirement to switch civilizations when moving between the game's three Ages; players can now choose to stay with one civilization throughout, matching the structure of previous entries in the series. The Legacy Pass system has been replaced by a Success System that generates different mini-goals each playthrough, and the victory condition now uses a point-based system instead of requiring completion of a specific Legacy Pass track. The update also introduces a Fractal Continent map type and Alexander the Great as a playable leader.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.