Civilization VII gets free Atomic Age update and first paid expansion in 2027

At PAX West, 2K and Firaxis announced two major additions for Civilization VII: a free update, Arc of Tomorrow, adding a fourth Atomic Age, and the first paid expansion, Earthrise, themed around the space race. Both arrive in 2027, with a smaller quality-of-life patch landing later this month.

Bottom line — Civilization VII's first expansion, Earthrise, and free Atomic Age update arrive in 2027.

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• Arc of Tomorrow, a free update launching in 2027, introduces the Atomic Age covering the 1950s to the near future, per 2K and Firaxis.
• The update adds new civilizations and leaders, including the return of Gandhi, along with expanded nuclear gameplay and new empire management tools, according to the announcement.
• Earthrise, the first paid expansion, lets players chart the night sky from the Antiquity Age and launch orbital missions in the Modern Age, building toward solar system missions in the Atomic Age, per GamesBeat.
• The expansion also includes environmental adaptability mechanics, allowing players to alter terrain and combat rising global temperatures, the company said.
• Update 1.5.0, arriving later this month, adds the long-requested True Start Location: Earth map and various quality-of-life improvements, including faster map loading and diplomacy tweaks, according to Firaxis.
• Players can sign up for playtesting of Arc of Tomorrow content through the Firaxis Feature Workshop later this year, the studio noted.