If you’ve ever finished a Civ 7 playthrough and wished you had more room to expand your empire without bumping into three rival civs by turn 20, the recent civilization 7 large maps update is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve restarted a playthrough because I spawned right next to Shaka on a small map, so I was hyped when this update dropped last week. I’ve put 12 hours into testing the new map sizes over the past week, playing both single-player deity runs and casual multiplayer matches with my regular Civ group, and there are way more changes than just bigger landmasses. This update fixes a lot of longstanding complaints from the community, from crowded spawns to limited late-game exploration opportunities, and it even adds a few hidden quality of life tweaks you might miss on your first playthrough.
What the Civilization 7 Large Maps Update Actually Adds Beyond Bigger Landmasses
Most players assumed this update would just add a couple bigger map sizes and call it a day, but the devs put a lot of work into making these large maps feel balanced and fun to play, not just a bigger version of the existing maps. First off, there are two new map sizes added to the base game: Enormous and Colossal. Colossal maps are 2.5x the size of the previous Huge map option, so you have more than enough space to expand across multiple continents without running into other civs for dozens of turns. Enormous maps are 1.5x the size of Huge, which is a great middle ground if you don’t want to commit to a 10+ hour playthrough.
The update also adds three new exclusive biomes that only spawn on Enormous or Colossal maps: alpine tundra with high-yield mountain sheep resources, coastal mangrove swamps that give extra food to adjacent cities, and deep ocean volcanic vents that provide free science to nearby harbors. New neutral city-state spawn rules add 4-6 extra minor civs to Enormous and Colossal maps, so you have more opportunities to earn suzerain bonuses without fighting other major civs for control. You won’t run into the common base game issue of being boxed in by two civs before you build your third city, which is one of the biggest quality of life improvements the Civilization 7 large maps update brings to casual players.
Pro Tips for Thriving on the New Large Map Sizes
Bigger maps change a lot of the core meta you might be used to from standard or Huge size playthroughs, so a few small adjustments to your playstyle will help you avoid common mistakes. First, you don’t need to rush warrior production in the early game anymore. Spawns are adjusted so major civs start at least 15 tiles apart, so you won’t have a random rival declaring war on you by turn 15 unless you actively provoke them. Prioritize a scout and builder first to explore the huge area around your spawn and claim all the nearby luxury resources before anyone else gets to them.
You’ll want to unlock the Cartography tech at least 10 turns earlier than you would on standard maps to explore the full landmass before other civs claim all the good territory. Trade routes are also way more valuable on large maps, since longer routes give way more gold, science, and culture bonuses than short ones between nearby cities. Build a trader as soon as you unlock the technology, and prioritize routes to faraway city-states or civs you meet early on to snowball your economy fast. Even if you usually play on standard size maps, giving the Civilization 7 large maps update a try might change how you approach the game entirely. If you’re playing a domination-focused civ like the Mongols or Romans, the Civilization 7 large maps update lets you build up your army before you encounter your first major opponent, making early conquests feel earned instead of forced.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Play on the New Large Map Sizes
As fun as the new large maps are, they’re not the right fit for every playstyle or setup. Before you start a new run, think about what you want out of your playthrough and what hardware you’re playing on, to avoid wasting time on a map that won’t work for you. Here’s a quick breakdown to help you decide:
- Great for players who love roleplay and slow-burn expansion: You’ll have enough room to build a historically accurate sprawling empire without constant border conflicts early on.
- Perfect for multiplayer groups of 4+ players: No more fighting over the same 10-tile island within the first 30 turns, even if you pick 8 civs total.
- Not ideal for players who prefer 2-3 hour quick playthroughs: Colossal map runs can easily take 8+ hours to finish on standard speed, even if you turn off extra victory conditions.
- Avoid if you run Civ 7 on a low-end PC or laptop: The extra tiles and units can cause frame drops on older hardware, even with graphics settings turned all the way down.
I tested the Colossal map on my 2020 mid-range laptop, and I noticed consistent frame drops around turn 150 when there were 12 civs and 8 city-states on the map, so I switched to Enormous and it ran perfectly with no lag. If you usually play single-player and love to go for culture or science victories, the Civilization 7 large maps update gives you way more room to build wonders without other civs snatching them from under you.
Hidden Quality of Life Tweaks Included in the Update
Most of the changes I’ve mentioned so far are listed in the official patch notes, but the devs snuck in a bunch of small, unannounced tweaks that make large map play way smoother than I expected. The pathfinding AI for units has been optimized specifically for large maps, so you won't have to wait 30 seconds for the AI to move all its units every turn, which was a huge problem with modded large maps in the base game. Turn times on Colossal maps are only 10-15 seconds longer than on Huge maps, which is way better than I thought it would be.
There’s also a new “unclaimed resources” map filter that unlocks with the Satellite tech, which highlights all unclaimed luxury and strategic resources across the entire map so you don’t have to scroll for 10 minutes looking for late-game oil or uranium. Barbarian spawn rates are adjusted to be more spread out, so you won't get 3 barbarian camps spawning right next to your capital in the first 20 turns like you sometimes did on smaller crowded maps. One of my favorite unlisted changes from the Civilization 7 large maps update is that natural wonders now give 2x the adjacency bonus for districts, which makes exploring to find them even more rewarding. None of these small changes were listed in the official patch notes for the Civilization 7 large maps update, but they make a huge difference in how smooth large map playthroughs feel.
All in all, the civilization 7 large maps update is one of the most impactful content drops Firaxis has released for the game so far, and it fixes a lot of the core complaints players had about limited expansion room in the base game. I’ve already started a new Colossal map playthrough as the Mongols, and being able to conquer a full continent without running into another major civ until turn 80 has made the playthrough feel way more immersive than any of my previous runs. You don’t have to be a hardcore Civ fan to enjoy the new map sizes either, even casual players will appreciate the less crowded spawns and extra room to experiment with different playstyles. If you haven’t booted up Civ 7 in a few weeks, this update is the perfect excuse to jump back in and try out a new civ you haven’t played with before.