"Firaxis Excited as Civ 7 Dataminers Find Atomic Age Clue"

The gaming community is buzzing with excitement as dataminers have uncovered hints of a fourth, unannounced Age in *Civilization 7*. This comes after Firaxis, the game's developer, hinted at future expansions in an interview with IGN. A standard campaign in *Civilization 7* spans three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern, each culminating in an Age Transition where players select a new civilization, choose Legacies to carry forward, and witness the game world evolve. This system is a first for the series, adding a fresh layer of strategy and historical progression.

Lead designer Ed Beach confirmed to IGN that the Modern Age concludes at the end of World War 2, deliberately avoiding the Cold War era. Beach elaborated on the historical reasoning behind these Age transitions: "We spent a lot of time looking at the ebbs and flows of history... Our senior historian on the project, Andrew Johnson, helped ensure we considered a global perspective, not just the Western-centric view." The transition from Antiquity to Exploration reflects the fall of major empires around the 300 to 500 CE period, while the shift to the Modern Age is marked by revolutionary upheavals in the 19th century. The World Wars represent the pivotal end of the Modern Age, allowing for unique gameplay mechanics tailored to each era.

Speculation about a potential fourth Age was fueled by executive producer Dennis Shirk's comments: "You can imagine the possibilities with this... We're excited for where this is going to go." Shortly after, dataminers discovered references to an "Atomic Age" in the game's files, accessible to those with advanced access. Redditor ManByTheRiver11 shared findings of unannounced leaders, civilizations, and the mention of this new Age, aligning with Shirk's hints and the game's current endpoint.

While fans eagerly anticipate this potential expansion, Firaxis is also focusing on improving the game in response to community feedback, which has resulted in a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick remains optimistic, believing that the "legacy Civ audience" will grow to appreciate *Civilization 7* as they delve deeper into its mechanics.

For those looking to master the game, our comprehensive guides cover everything from achieving every victory type to understanding the significant changes from *Civilization 6*. We also highlight common mistakes to avoid and explain the various map types and difficulty settings to help you strategize your path to world domination.