Summary
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Civilization fans will finally be able to ditch Civ 6 when Civ 7 comes out in February.
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If the game does come out, Firaxis' resident historian hopes it will encourage players to learn more about the real-life story behind the game.
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The ability to influence players to potentially open the textbook is what drives Dr. Andrew Johnson, a real-life professor, in his work.
After nearly a decade of waiting, Civilization fans will finally get their due when Civilization 7 is released in 2025. Moreover, it will soon become available, as the release of the game is scheduled for February 11. It's one of TheGamer's most anticipated games of 2025, especially because of its new take on things.

Relatives
I can't wait to see how Civilization 7 works on the Switch
I'm not even being sarcastic.
However, when the game is eventually released, Dr. Andrew Johnson, Firaxis' resident historian and real-life professor of social anthropology at Stockholm University, hopes it will encourage players to engage with the real-life story the game is based on.
Please take the textbook
Speaking to PC Gamer, Johnson shared his hopes that the game can inspire gamers to take up the story.
“I teach students in another life, and my God, man, they don't read,” he said. “…If it can provoke someone's interest in history, that's what's important here. This is not a textbook. This is the tutorial entry. If textbooks were drugs.”
Indeed, Civilization is full of historical figures and time periods. The likes of Harriet Tubman, Benjamin Franklin and Ibn Battuta will all be in the game. These figures will also have different eras, making the game a great way to better understand the world in a more fantastical way.
It was for this reason that Johnson chose to join Firaxis as a historian—the ability to influence people's understanding of the world. “Actually, that's why I'm here,” he said. “I just want people to appreciate the world and the strangeness of the world. Because when you realize how different the past or other places were, you can also change your everyday life.
“Then it opens up new worlds. It makes new worlds possible. If you think that's the only way it can be, the only way it should be, then you're locked into a static existence, and that's sad.”
Ultimately, only time will tell if Civilization 7 will push gamers in this direction. One thing is clear, though: Johnson, along with the rest of Firaxis, are doing everything they can to make it a reality.

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