As ‘Civilization’ Turns 35, Creator Sid Meier and Firaxis President Look Ahead to a New Ages for 2K Studio’s Franchises
“Civilization” is approaching its 35th anniversary, while its developer Firaxis has marked 30 years in business, underlining the unusual longevity of a midsized studio focused on turn-based strategy games. Creator Sid Meier and Firaxis president Heather Hazen say the series’ enduring appeal lies partly in its intergenerational community, with parents introducing the games to their children and the studio using player feedback to expand them over time.
Meier says Firaxis benefits from players’ long-standing trust in its franchises, including “Civilization” and “XCOM”, but sees that as a responsibility as well as an advantage. Hazen says “Civilization VI” is effectively the biggest rival to “Civilization VII”, though the studio considers both part of one ecosystem and wants fans to play whichever version suits the time they have, from 30 minutes to 30 hours.
In short
- “Civilization” nears 35 years as Firaxis celebrates three decades.
- Firaxis highlights the series’ intergenerational player community.
- The studio views older and newer “Civ” games as one ecosystem.
Explained simply
Civilization is a long-running series of turn-based strategy games in which players guide a society through different periods of history. Firaxis, the studio behind the series, also makes XCOM, another strategy franchise, and is part of publisher 2K.
Sid Meier created Civilization, while Heather Hazen leads Firaxis as its president. The games have attracted players across generations, with some families sharing them and the studio drawing on player feedback as it develops each series.
The franchises’ longevity gives Firaxis an established audience, but also means new games are compared with earlier ones. Civilization VI and VII sit within the same series, and players can choose between versions according to their preferences and available time.
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