For years, the Civilization series has been responsible for thousands of bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived individuals whispering, “just one more turn”. And now, Firaxis Games and 2K are back with Update 1.1.0, because apparently, global domination wasn’t quite polished enough.

This update does several things, including re-enabling crossplay (so you can finally settle scores with your console-owning friends), adding the Bermuda Triangle as a Natural Wonder (because losing units randomly is a thrilling gameplay feature), and tweaking the AI so it’s a little less like a toddler trying to play chess.

Oh, and Update 1.1.1 is already on the horizon (25 March), because what’s a grand strategy game without endless updates to make it grander?

What’s New?

• Crossplay is back! You can now battle, betray, and berate your friends across PC and console once again. Balance in the universe has been restored.
• The Bermuda Triangle has been added. Now, in true historical accuracy, ships can mysteriously vanish into the abyss. Perfect.
• Holy Cities can now be converted during the Exploration Age. But rest assured, when you train Missionary Units, they’ll always stick to your chosen religion—because that’s how faith works.
• Cultural Victory adjustments mean AI leaders actually understand what a Cultural Victory is now. So, expect fewer armies of clueless Explorers stacking up like lost tourists.
• Quality-of-life tweaks: UI refinements, bug fixes, and general improvements that should, theoretically, make the game better. (But let’s be honest, we’ll all find something else to complain about.)
• Console players rejoice: Previous patches have been bundled in, so you’re finally caught up with the rest of the Civ-playing world.

But Wait, There’s More!

The long-awaited first in-game event, Natural Wonder Battle, was supposed to launch with this update, but Firaxis has opted to delay it. Why? So they can focus on fixing all the things people are still grumbling about. Fair enough.

However, if you’ve splashed out on the Deluxe Edition or Founders Edition, you’re getting the first half of the Crossroads of the World Collection, which includes:

• New Leader: Ada Lovelace, because nothing says “global domination” like an 1800s mathematician.
• Two new civilizations: Great Britain (Modern Age) and Carthage (Antiquity Age).
• Four new Natural Wonders: Machapuchare, Mount Fuji, Vihren, and Vinicunca.

Coming Up: Update 1.1.1 (25 March)

Firaxis isn’t stopping here. The next update, dropping on 25 March, will include even more tweaks and additions, such as:

• AI leaders finally understand how to settle cities properly instead of haphazardly dropping them wherever they fancy.
• Quick Move functionality, because watching units slowly trudge across the map is painful.
• Commander and City renaming, so you can finally name your empire something that truly reflects your genius.
• A new Natural Wonder: Mount Everest. Now you can struggle to conquer the world’s tallest mountain, just like real-world explorers.

What’s Next?

Beyond March, Firaxis has a laundry list of things they swear they’ll add, including:

• UI improvements—because no one’s ever happy with a UI.
• “One More Turn” button so you can ignore victory and keep playing forever.
• Auto-Explore for lazy scouts.
• More multiplayer options, including hot seat and team-based play.
• New map sizes and resource types, for when you want even more land to squabble over.
• Mod tools and Steam Workshop support, so the community can fix whatever Firaxis doesn’t get around to.

Firaxis promises these changes are coming as early as April, but let’s be honest—some of them might take longer. After all, great empires weren’t built in a day.

So there you have it—Civilization VII is getting bigger, better, and hopefully a little less infuriating. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a game to restart for the fiftieth time