Welcome Back!
Hey, Civ fans! Welcome to This Month in Civ! July has been a busy month, and we’re kicking things off with a recap of everything that’s happened so far.
Let’s dive in!
July Update Notes
Update 1.2.3 is here!
This update introduces the first in a series of adjustments designed to enhance the Age Transition experience and soften the abruptness with a new game setting called “Continuity,” which is on by default. These changes affect Units, Unit placement, an End-of-Age turn timer, Independent Power spawns, and more, so check out the full notes for details! Outside of Age Transition changes, auto-explore makes its return, alongside changes to Advisor warnings, a new unique Commander Trung Nhi for the leader Trung Trac with a custom upgrade tree, and usual improvements to UI and various quality-of-life changes. Read the full details here, or join QA Lead Shaun Wilson in our newest Developer Update Video as he dives into the details below.
Auto-Explore
Updated Advisor Warnings
Age Transition Improvements (Access the new “Continuity” setting after selecting your leader and civ in Advanced Options -> Game Settings -> Age Transition Impact)
10 Turn End-of-Age Warning
Trung Nhi (Unique Commander for Trung Trac)
Challenges for DLC Leaders
Civilization VII Developer Update - July 2025
Civ News
Civilization VII 4K Desktop Wallpapers
If you're looking to change up your desktop background, here's a host of gorgeous historic scenes to choose from. We've heard that you love Civilization VII's art, so we've uploaded 4K versions of all the Civ VII backgrounds here. Go download something nice!
Right to Rule Content
For those who own the Founder’s Edition, the first half of the Right to Rule Collection* is now available. This Collection includes a new leader, Genghis Khan, check out his playstyle here, and two new civilizations, Dai Viet and Assyria.
Genghis Khan First Look
Dai Viet Game Guide
Assyria Game Guide
*Right to Rule Collection is included in the Founders Edition of Civilization VII. It is also available for separate purchase (base game required). Each DLC will be delivered automatically in-game on release. Terms apply.
Developers Share Their Favorites
You'll never find a shortage of passion at Firaxis. We asked the devs: “What was some of your favorite work in Civilization VII?”
Finn - Senior Narrative Designer
“Bulgaria was a favorite of mine to work on. A persistent threat to Byzantium, the Bulgarian Empires had a rich militaristic, artistic, and spiritual history that still resounds today. It was a fun challenge to adapt their unique style and strengths to Civilization, and to highlight notable moments through Narrative Events in their first foray into the series.”
Rachel - Lead Animator
“My favorite leader that I have gotten to work on was Harriet Tubman. It was such an honor to get to animate on such an inspirational person. We also had an amazing voice actor who brought me to tears with her soulful singing and performance.”
Dmytro - Sound Designer
“My favorite sound effect I created for Civilization VII must have been the Diplomacy Actions, especially the new ones for the Independent Powers. I really loved the idea of having fun sound effects happening when I embark on diplomacy, and making some sounds with some older flutes was a blast! It's also fun to just think about "What is the sound of befriending? Bolstering the military? Espionage?" and then try to make those sounds a reality.”
Daniella - Materials Artist
“My favorite civ to make materials for was hands-down the Shawnee set. I got to work directly with the Shawnee Tribe to pick out colors and patterns that would be culturally appropriate, and we were able to get a lot of very cool references from them. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’m very proud of the work that we did for that set.
This was my favorite material that I made from that set; the Shawnee utilize a lot of quilting in their crafts, so we recreated some of their patterns, including the Squash Blossom.”
Community Highlights
Discord Screenshot Contest Winner
Congrats to TheEpicMMX for winning “The Perfect Vacation” screenshot contest and claiming the title "Screenshot Champion."
theepicmmx
Honorable Contest Mentions
ZZAlba
The Oracle 
Meache
Join us in the Official Discord in #community-contests and check out the other submissions. Visit the channel to stay informed about future events, and for your chance to claim a contest title. Not interested in contests? Feel free to join the general chat or any of the other channels and hang with the community. See ya there!
We'll see you here next month!
News aside, thank you for all your feedback, both critical and kind. We know your passion for Civilization drives your comments, and you want to see the best game possible. Please keep voicing your thoughts and contributing to a Civilization you believe in. If you haven't added your voice, start in our Official Discord and give feedback or chat with others about the updates. The Steam discussions are also a place to talk about feature requests, suggestions, guides, mods, and more. Stay connected with Civ news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter now—your empire will thank you.