Civilization VII is getting its first major expansion in 2027, with Earthrise adding a space race theme, new technologies, and systems that stretch across multiple historical ages.
Firaxis is also preparing a major free update called Arc of Tomorrow, which will introduce the long awaited Atomic Age and extend campaigns from the 1950s into the 2050s.
The expansion and free update are separate releases, but both are part of a broader push to expand Civilization VII after more than a year of post launch updates.
| Update | Main addition |
|---|---|
| Earthrise expansion | Space race and solar system missions |
| Arc of Tomorrow | New Atomic Age |
| Atomic Age timeline | 1950s to 2050s |
| Expansion release | 2027 |
| Arc of Tomorrow release | 2027 |
| Testing | Firaxis Feature Workshop later in 2026 |
| September update | Version 1.5.0 |
Atomic Age Extends Campaigns Into the 2050s
Arc of Tomorrow will add a fourth age to Civilization VII.
The Atomic Age begins around the 1950s and extends the playable timeline into the 2050s.
Like the existing ages, it will introduce new units, buildings, visuals, leaders, and systems designed around the period.
Nuclear warfare will receive a significant expansion, with more offensive and defensive options and new units.
Firaxis is also adding mechanics around mutually assured destruction, giving players more ways to react to growing nuclear threats.
Multilateral Agreements will allow multiple civilizations to respond collectively to major global situations, such as rising nuclear stockpiles.
Those agreements could lead to calls for disarmament or further escalation.
City States and Proxy Wars Get New Systems
The Atomic Age will also expand empire management.
Players will be able to convert their own settlements into City States, giving them another way to manage settlement limits while still benefiting from City State systems.
Proxy Warfare will add more ways to influence smaller conflicts without committing to a full war between major empires.
This should give diplomacy and indirect military pressure a larger role during late game campaigns.
Manufactured Goods are another new addition.
Players will be able to combine commodities through recipes to create more valuable resources, including Enriched Uranium.
Great Works of Film will also appear, with Film Crews searching for suitable locations based on different genres. The quality of the finished film will determine the benefits it provides.
Earthrise Focuses on the Space Race
Earthrise will be the first paid expansion for Civilization VII.
Its main theme is competition in space.
Players will establish space agencies and launch missions beyond Earth, eventually competing across the solar system.
The expansion will not be limited to the Atomic Age.
Firaxis says its systems will reach back into earlier periods of the campaign.
In the Antiquity and Exploration ages, civilizations will be able to chart the skies and develop early foundations for later scientific progress.
The Modern Age will introduce orbital missions before the Atomic Age pushes the space race further.
This approach is intended to make the expansion influence the entire campaign rather than becoming a feature that appears only near the end.
Terrain Modification Is Also Coming
Earthrise will introduce new technologies that allow players to alter terrain and change tile bonuses.
Biome modification will become part of the strategy, giving civilizations new ways to reshape their territory around economic, scientific, or expansion goals.
Firaxis says the expansion takes inspiration from earlier Civilization expansions such as Brave New World and Gathering Storm.
Those expansions introduced broader systems that affected entire campaigns rather than simply adding isolated units or civilizations.
Earthrise is being designed with a similar philosophy.
Version 1.5.0 Arrives Before the 2027 Content
Before Earthrise and the Atomic Age arrive, Civilization VII is getting a smaller update in September 2026.
Version 1.5.0 will add a True Start Earth map along with two additional maps using an improved Voronoi based generation system.
Resource generation is also being updated.
Diplomacy changes will improve alliance mechanics, while several interface improvements are also planned.
Firaxis intends to begin testing Arc of Tomorrow with players later in 2026 through its Feature Workshop program.
The larger Atomic Age update and Earthrise expansion are both planned for 2027.
Together, they represent Civilization VII's biggest expansion of content so far, extending the historical timeline, adding more complex late game diplomacy and warfare, and introducing a space race that develops across several stages of a full campaign.
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