2K and developer Firaxis Games have announced the Civilization VII Earthrise expansion alongside a free major update called Arc of Tomorrow, both arriving in 2027. A smaller version 1.5.0 update lands first, in September 2026, ahead of either release.
The announcement covers three separate pieces of content for Sid Meier’s Civilization VII. Update 1.5.0 ships this month with quality-of-life changes. Arc of Tomorrow, a free update, follows in 2027 and introduces a new Atomic Age. Earthrise, the paid expansion, arrives the same year and centers on a historic space race.
What Arc of Tomorrow adds
Arc of Tomorrow introduces the Atomic Age, a fourth era that extends the game’s timeline from the 1950s through the near future. Firaxis says the update brings updated architecture, tech trees and civic trees to reflect a more modern world, along with a new roster of period-specific civilizations. Leader Gandhi returns as part of that roster.
The update also expands nuclear gameplay with new offensive and defensive options built around mutually assured destruction. Players can also release their own settlements as independent City-States, a new tool for managing empire size and loyalty. A new Great Works of Film system has Film Crews scout locations suited to different genres, while a Manufactured Goods system lets players combine commodities into resources such as Enriched Uranium. Firaxis plans a public playtest of Arc of Tomorrow content through its Feature Workshop later this year, and sign-ups are open now.
The Earthrise expansion
The Civilization VII Earthrise expansion is the game’s first paid expansion, built around the space race and missions across the solar system. Firaxis frames it as more than a race to the stars, describing it as an expansion also about protecting Earth itself.
Its features span three of the game’s ages. In the Antiquity and Exploration Ages, players chart the night sky and name celestial bodies. The Modern Age adds early orbital missions around Earth and the Moon. In the Atomic Age, players run a full space agency, sending missions across the solar system to find resources that feed back into their civilization’s power at home. Earthrise also adds Environmental Adaptability, giving players tools to alter terrain and fight rising Natural Disasters as global temperatures increase. Players can even reverse the warming outright. Firaxis says more Earthrise details will follow in the coming months.
Update 1.5.0 arrives first
Before either of those releases, update 1.5.0 brings the long-requested Earth Map with True Start Locations. It places each civilization’s campaign near where it began historically, while still varying the placement of natural wonders each game. The update also switches the Terra Incognita and Shuffle map types to Voronoi generation for more natural-looking terrain, and it speeds up map loading and resource placement. Diplomatically, players can now use Influence to remain in an alliance without joining allies’ wars. Interface changes include updated plot tooltips, settlement banners and a new tile ruler for city planning.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, and Apple Arcade.