The latest Civilization 7 update introduces a puzzling Natural Wonder, along with adjustments to the user interface, artificial intelligence, and Age mechanics.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII has a new Sid Meier’s game update that makes changes to Sid Meier’s user interface, leader AI, Age mechanics, Mementos and naval unit handling. Developers Firaxis have also stirred in a free bonus Natural Wonder, Sid Meier’s Bermuda Triangle.

Leaving aside for the moment the on-going arguments about whether (Sid Meier’s – OK, enough of that now) Civilization 7 is an unambiguous low point for the series, or yet another flawed 4X strategy sim that will find its feet via post-launch updates, I love the idea of a Bermuda Triangle just popping up in my simulation, like a black hole spawning in my fridge. I hope it works as in legends about the real-life Bermuda Triangle (or in the previous Civilization 6), with whole armies and fleets getting swallowed up in transit and/or scattered across the globe at random.

Formally titled Update 1.1.0, the patch is reportedly based on “community suggestions and feedback”. It’s live today and – as rumoured last week – accompanies the first part of the paid Crossroads Of The World DLC Collection, which features a new leader, Ada Lovelace, the new civs Great Britain (in the Modern Age) and Carthage (in Antiquity), and a Natural Wonder pack with four more Natural Wonders: Machapuchare, Mount Fuji, Vihren, and Vinicunca.

The developers had planned to launch Civilization 7’s first in-game Event, Natural Wonder Battle, alongside the update, but “events are now being postponed to a later update to allow us more time to prioritize quality-of-life improvements for players worldwide”.

Here’s a PR-supplied highlights reel for Update 1.1.0.

– New Natural Wonder to discover: Bermuda Triangle (free to all players)

– Additional UI adjustments, polish, and addressing of reported issues

– Significant changes to the Modern Age’s Cultural Legacy Path and Victory; AI leaders will also be better at completing a Cultural Victory (so expect fewer Explorer Unit stacks!)

– Now able to convert Holy Cities in the Exploration Age. Note that when players create their own Missionary Units, they will always follow the player’s chosen Religion

– Naval Units will be able to disperse Coastal Independent Powers

– Balance pass on several Mementos

– Refinements to the Army Unpacking action

– Addressing reported issues with multiplayer and adding friends with a 2K Account

– For console players: all prior updates from Update 1.0.1 Patches 1, 2, and 3 will be implemented, in addition to the items noted above

There’s another Civ 7 patcheroo on the way on 25th March, called Update 1.1.1. It introduces Mount Everest as a free Natural Wonder, adds quick move functionality, and tinkers further with the AI, amongst other things. It’s timed to accompany the second half of the aforesaid Crossroads Of The World DLC, which adds another new leader, Simón Bolívar, together with Nepal (Modern Age) and Bulgaria (Exploration Age). Here’s a breakdown in advance:

– Additional UI improvements and refinements; specifics will be shared later with the Update 1.1.1 Notes. Note: Ongoing improvements to the User Interface continues to be a top priority for the development team. The updates being introduced on March 25 are just one part of a much larger plan that aims to improve the UI over the next several months.

– Scouting and Settling improvements for AI, including less aggressive “forward” settling by AI

– Adding Quick Move functionality

– Adding the ability to customize the names of Commanders and Cities

– Renaming the existing maps to be “Start Position: Balanced,” which will be the default Start Position setting for multiplayer games

– Adding a new Start Position of “Standard,” where the landforms on maps are less predictable, closer to how map generation works in Civ VI

– Adding an optional Restart button that rerolls the player’s map generation now that these less predictable start positions are possible

– New Natural Wonder: Mount Everest (free to all players)

In our fashionably late Civilization 7 review, Actual Game Designer Greg Costikyan concluded that “despite its flaws, Civilization 7 sustains that “one more turn!” desire to plow through history and see what happens next.” I am certainly interested to see what happens next with Civ 7. Going by site stats, you are all very intrigued by it, despite some cogent and withering assessments of its failings.