Civilization at 35: Sid Meier and Firaxis Chart the Future of 2K’s Strategy Empires

Sid Meier's four-year-old grandson is singing 'Baba Yetu' on repeat—the iconic theme from Civilization, a game the preschooler has never actually played. Yet the anecdote captures something Meier finds profound about the franchise he created: its ability to span generations and evolve without losing its soul.

"What I've seen more recently is this intergenerational connection," Meier told Variety. "I'll talk to a parent and they'll say, 'I introduced my daughter or son to Civ, and now we play together.' It's a community and we listen to them. We update the game with their ideas."

Civilization arrives at its 35th anniversary this September, a milestone few strategy games reach. Firaxis, the studio Meier founded, turned 30 last year. For a mid-sized developer focused on turn-based strategy—Civilization and XCOM are its anchors—that longevity is unusual. The industry shifts rapidly, but Firaxis has chosen depth over breadth.

"We're kind of established in a way that many companies are not, and that's a responsibility," Meier said. "But it's a wonderful place to be where people will say, 'I'll take a look at that next game because I've enjoyed some of your games in the past.' Some people have been playing our games for 30 years, and that's a real gift."

The Ecosystem Challenge

Fireaxis president and studio head Heather Hazen, who joined nearly six years ago, describes an unusual competitive landscape: the studio's biggest rival is often itself. Civilization 6 and Civilization 7 battle for player time in the same ecosystem.

"The benefit that we have in the Civilization ecosystem is that Civ 6 is the biggest competitor to Civ 7," Hazen explained to Variety. "We want our fans to be playing Civilization, regardless of which installment it is. We think about Civilization as an ecosystem. How can you play Civ when you have 30 minutes versus 30 hours?"

The studio does not simply abandon older titles when new ones launch. Fan feedback shapes whether Firaxis continues supporting earlier versions. "We still have people that say Civ 5 is their favorite game and are installing that game," Hazen noted. "I think we need to do a better job as game developers to make it easy for our fans to transition between their favorite Civ experience."

Listening and Adapting

Civilization 7 launched in 2025 with mixed reactions, particularly around its new 'Ages' system. Rather than defend the feature, Firaxis conducted three rounds of public playtesting with fans, then released the 'Test of Time' update to address concerns.

"The Ages system was controversial, and so we wanted to hear from fans about what wasn't working," Hazen said. "We struck a really great balance with the changes we made through the Test of Time update."

This willingness to pivot extends back to the franchise's origins. The original Civilization prototype in the early 1990s was not turn-based at all—it was simulation-focused, closer to SimCity, where players would zone regions and watch economies develop. Meier and design partner Bruce Shelley shifted course midway through development.

"One of the ironies is Civ is now known as a classic turn-based game," Meier told Variety. "The original prototype was not turn-based. But about halfway through, we made the change to turn-based and actually moving things around. All of a sudden, your brain is totally engaged in terms of, what should I do next?"

Meier credits this flexibility to a simple rule: each new Civilization installment must justify its existence. "There are usually 5-6-7-year intervals where we build upon the current game with additional civilizations and leaders and different ways of playing," he said. "So there's a cadence, but it's a cadence that has a certain logic to it."

As Civilization enters its fourth decade, the studio faces the same question every few years: when is it time to move on? The answer, both Meier and Hazen suggest, rests with the players themselves.