Civ 7 Test of Time update overhauls PS5 gameplay

Firaxis released the Test of Time update for Civilization 7 on PlayStation 5. The free patch removes era locks on civilizations, replaces Legacy Paths with optional Triumphs, and revises victory scoring and several interface elements.

Under the update, players can select any civilization for any era. When the game advances to a new age, players may either switch to a civilization tied to that age or continue with the same civilization. Each civilization retains an “apex era,” the era when it has full access to its unique units and infrastructure.

Civilizations played outside their apex era can choose to syncretize or reaffirm. Syncretize lets a civilization copy a unique unit or infrastructure from another civilization for the remainder of the age. Reaffirm grants a smaller bonus to the civilization’s core traits. Syncretization can only copy from a culturally related civilization or leader and cannot copy from a civilization that is active in the current game.

Legacy Paths, the fixed era objectives from the original release, have been removed and replaced with Triumphs. Triumphs are optional era achievements that grant modest bonuses. Some Triumphs are available to all players throughout the game; others require racing opponents to claim them first. Examples include founding many cities, reaching high population thresholds, finishing the technology tree before rivals, and constructing a large number of wonders.

Final victory scoring now accumulates across eras. Players earn points in categories such as Military, Economic, and Cultural and must reach a threshold relative to their largest rival to claim that victory type. With the new system, a Military, Economic, or Cultural victory can occur as early as the Exploration era if a player has a substantial lead. A Science victory still requires reaching the Modern era to complete a spaceship launch.

The update also delivers quality-of-life changes: refined interface elements, the ability to move a capital to any city at the start of each age, and the option to build walls around wonders. Firaxis added Alexander the Great as a free leader available to players.

Firaxis developed the update after player criticism of era-locked civilizations and repetitive era objectives following the game’s initial release in February last year. The studio described the patch as a rework to refresh progression and victory systems.

Previously, we reported that a countdown clock appeared on PlayStation’s State of Play webpage, prompting speculation the livestream may include a major PS5 showcase.