This Month in Civ: Update 1.4.1, Brush & Blade, and Steam Summer Sale

Hey Civ fans, welcome back to This Month in Civ! 

Last month was one of the biggest months for Civilization VII since its launch, and this June, we aimed to keep building on the momentum from the major Test of Time update!

We launched the new Hotseat multiplayer mode (one of our community’s most-requested features), introduced an all-new Archipelago map type, and implemented fresh takes on Happiness and Governments that make these systems more impactful turn-to-turn. We also launched Part 1 of our new DLC Collection, Brush and Blade, that immerses players in East Asian history. 

There’s plenty more to recap, so let’s dive in!

Update 1.4.1—our first update since Test of Time—went live last week, and with it came a range of new features and improvements driven by community feedback. 

The headliner for this update is the long-awaited Hotseat mode, which lets you play a local multiplayer game with friends on the same device. For those of you who haven’t tried it before, you take your turn, hand over the controls to your friend, and try not to peek as they architect your demise. We know this is a feature that many of you have been waiting a long time for, and we’re thrilled that it’s finally in your hands!

Alongside Hotseat, we launched a rework to the Archipelago map type that uses Voronoi technology to make the map more random and organic, making each game distinct from the last. Governments, Celebrations, and Happiness also received a rework in Update 1.4.1. Your choice of Government is now a central part of your empire across Ages, Celebrations feel more challenging and meaningful, and Happiness now has a more widespread impact across these two systems. There’s a lot more to dig into, so if you want to read about all of the new features coming in this update, check out our Game Update Notes page.

And to top it all off, releasing alongside Update 1.4.1 are some new additions to the roster…

Part 1 of our latest paid content collection, Brush and Blade*, is now available! This collection takes players to historical East Asia, a world of art and literature, warring samurai and bold shinobi, and beauty and ambition.

Part 1 immerses players in the history of Japan with a new leader, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, as well as two new civs, Heian Japan and Sengoku Japan. Hideyoshi is a Militaristic and Cultural leader, whose Unique Ability, Great Unifier, increases the damage your Units deal while attacking other civs’ units, but also increases the damage they take while defending! Your units will also heal additional HP while on a Culture Building or Wonder.

Hideyoshi pairs well with the Cultural and Diplomatic Heian Japan civilization, whose Unique Ability, Pure Land, rewards you for each Improvement on a Breathtaking Tile. He’s also great with the Militaristic and Diplomatic Sengoku, whose Unique Ability, Shogunate, grants Culture, Science, and Influence per point of Army Commander XP. And, of course, with Test of Time, you can play as Heian and Sengoku Japan in their Apex ages—Antiquity and Exploration respectively—or pick one civ to lead throughout your campaign. The choice is yours! To learn more about Hideyoshi, Heian Japan, and Sengoku Japan, check out their Game Guide pages!

That’s not all! Brush and Blade Part 1 also includes four new Wonders, the Seongsan Ilchulbong, Nachi Falls, Mireuksa (Antiquity Age), and the Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace (Modern Age), plus some extra profile customization goodies: a new badge, banner, and title. If you purchase the collection today, you’ll receive access to Part 1 immediately. Part 2, which shines a spotlight on Korean history and culture, featuring new leader Yi Sun-sin alongside new civs, Goryeo and Joseon, will be playable following an update later this summer! 

*Base game required. DLC released in two installments through July 2026, each delivered automatically in-game on release. Exact release dates subject to change. Terms apply.

From June 25 to July 9, you can get Civilization VII for 50% off* as part of the Steam Summer Sale! If you haven’t already jumped in to try out Civ VII, there’s no better time than the present! With the recent Test of Time update and DLC releases, it’s a great time to start your Civ journey (or, give a friend the gift of Civ!).

*Discount based on 2K’s SRP. Digital only. Offers end July 9, 2026. Terms apply.

Thank you to the thousands of players who shared their thoughts in our latest Community Survey! We’ve gotten great feedback on your experience with Test of Time, and some equally great insights on what you’re hoping to see next. As just one small teaser, some of your open text responses indicated areas of interest we’re already looking at in the design room, like better Peace Deal negotiations. (Stay tuned!)

We’re always taking a look at your feedback and opinions. If you have a spare minute, dropping a Steam review means the world to us and helps us shape what’s next for Civ VII.

On June 24 and 25, we held an AMA with our Firaxis historians, Andrew, Finn and Emily! 

Across Discord, Reddit, Steam and beyond, our community sent in loads of interesting questions about all things history and Civ. Our historians sat down to answer a selection of 35 questions, covering how civs and leaders are selected, our historians’ research process, representation, and much more. 

You can read the full Q&A here. A massive thank you to everyone who submitted a question for the team! If you found this interesting, we’d love to do more of these events in the future!

Dioramas by 22 on Steam

Update 1.4.1 is full of exciting features shaped by your feedback, and we’re excited to see what empires you build with the latest modes, maps, systems, and content. But history marches on, and so does the content for Civ VII! We have even more cool stuff on the way before the summer is over, and we can’t wait to share it with you when the time is right.

To stay connected, join us in our Official Discord, where you can keep up with the community and discuss every new update, new and forthcoming content, and all your other Civ favorites! For more info about guides, feature requests, mods, and more, check out our Steam discussions. And to stay up-to-date on all things Civ, be sure to sign up for our newsletter.

See you here next month, Civ fans!