Sid Meier’s iconic turn-based strategy game series Civilization launches a new era with Civilization VII. Since the game is available for virtually every major contemporary gaming platform, here is whether Civilization VII offers cross-play between different platforms and cross-progression.
Regarding whether Civilization VII offers cross-play between other platforms online, the short answer is yes, but with some major caveats on how exactly cross-play can smoothly occur between different types of consoles and setups. To engage in cross-play, players need an active 2K account, the publisher of the Civilization games, and have it linked to whichever platforms they choose to use this feature for Civilization VII. However, from there, that’s where cross-play functionality becomes more complicated, depending on which platforms are participating together in online play.
Now, for most platforms that support Civilization VII – PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, macOS, and Linux – the cross-play functionality should offer all the usual maps and number of players in various historical ages available in the game. The issue comes with players attempting to cross-play with Nintendo Switch users in online matches, due to the Switch providing fewer map sizes and fewer players in certain historical ages compared to other platforms. As per the Civilization VII site, the Switch version of the game cannot support map sizes that are listed as standard or above. Similarly, Switch players can have up to four players in cross-play multiplayer games in the Antiquity and Exploration Ages, and up to six players in the Modern Age.
To sum that all up, cross-play between most platforms running Civilization VII is seamless, but if even one player is involved in an online match using a Switch console, the gameplay limitations listed above are in place. This isn’t to say that Civilization VII shouldn’t be played on the Switch, but be mindful of what the console is capable of when playing the game, especially in online cross-play multiplayer.
Related: Civilization 7 Roadmap 2025 (Civ 7)
Compared to the complexities of its cross-play functionality, Civilization VII’s cross-progression system is much less complicated, so long as players have an active 2K account. The game offers cross-progression for players that link their 2K accounts across whichever platforms they play Civilization VII on, with their online account keeping track of their progress across all linked platforms. That means as long as somebody playing Civilization VII on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S, as well as PC, has their 2K account active and logged in during gameplay, they won’t have to completely start over from scratch on each platform.
In this day and age, with gamers owning multiple platforms and versions of the same game, something that 2K and the game’s developer, Firaxis Games, have recognized in their development of Civilization VII. Whereas Civilization VI incorporated cross-progression with a post-release update, Civilization VII has that feature available at launch to reflect these modern gaming sensibilities. Whether you’re on the move with a Steam Deck or Switch, or playing at home on PC or consoles, Civilization VII will keep track of where you are in its sprawling, world-building gameplay.
Civilization VII releases on February 11.
