Firaxis Games and 2K have officially released Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, which now includes full native support for Linux and has been verified for the Steam Deck. This launch marks a significant shift from previous versions that were ported by Aspyr Media, which often fell behind in updates and faced cross-play issues.
Despite the quick glance at the game, it appears to run smoothly on Linux, utilizing Vulkan as its default rendering API. Notably, while the Windows version incorporates Denuvo Anti-tamper, this restriction does not apply to the Linux version.
Since its release, the game has received mixed reactions with its positive reviews barely exceeding 50%. Players have voiced concerns regarding the user interface and notable gameplay alterations. Some aspects feel less personal than in previous iterations; for instance, players now need to choose a completely new civilization through Ages, which changes the overall progression and experience. The diplomacy system has also raised eyebrows, as some responses depend heavily on accumulated influence, forcing players into less desirable choices.
In terms of system performance, early tests on a configuration of Ryzen 5800X and Radeon RX 6800 XT running Kubuntu 24.10 show the game operates without issues and looks stunning at maximum settings, even if performance does decrease as the game progresses.
Firaxis has already outlined plans based on community feedback, prioritizing improvements in user interface, incorporating community-requested features, and rolling out quality-of-life updates in Patch 1.1.0 planned for March. Features to be expected include cooperative multiplayer, expanded player counts, customization options for city and religion names, and adjustments to diplomacy mechanics.
Compatibility with the Steam Deck has proven to be solid, although downloading the game initially took a bit longer. It’s necessary for players who wish to save their game across devices to log into the 2K account system and utilize the cross-play feature for saving. Fortunately, the game includes text scaling, ensuring readability across different screens.
Performance benchmarks on the Steam Deck reveal it can maintain 60 FPS during early gameplay on medium settings, but closer zooming may impact frame rates. Players might consider locking it to 30 FPS for a smoother experience overall, as even low settings offer visually appealing gameplay.
Notably, some input issues on the Steam Deck persist, where changing graphics settings during gameplay is unresponsive using the controller.
In summary, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII has made impressive strides with its Linux support, benefiting both desktop users and Steam Deck gamers, despite facing some user feedback on gameplay changes.
For more details, visit the official pages:
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