Take-Two boss says Civilization 7 projections 'are very consistent with our initial expectations' despite its rough start: 'The key thing is that Civ has always been a slow burn'

Civilization 7 battle.

Civilization 7 got off to a rough start when it dropped earlier this year: Systemic changes, particularly the addition of "ages," proved deeply divisive, but there was also a slew of more basic problems with bugs, AI issues, and a widely-disliked UI. It remains stuck with a "mixed" user rating on Steam, and concurrent player numbers on the platform lag well behind not just Civilization 6, but the 15-year-old Civ 5 too.

Despite those many troubles, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says all is well, telling IGN that the "lifetime value" of Civilization 7 remains pretty much where it was expected to be right from the start.