Firaxis has addressed a range of community questions regarding the design philosophy behind Civilization 7, offering insights into the inclusion of 20th-century leaders, the selection of controversial historical figures, and the approach to portraying colonialism in the upcoming 4X strategy title.
Regarding the presence of more 20th-century leaders, senior historian Emily confirmed that players can expect additional figures from this era. She stated that the 20th century was extensive and has not yet been fully explored within the game's scope.
When discussing the inclusion of figures with controversial legacies, senior historian Andrew outlined the team's guiding principle: whether the memory of the person still causes harm or if movements in their name actively hurt people today. As an example, he mentioned Genghis Khan, who, despite his history of violence, does not have contemporary movements using his name as a pretext for harm. Andrew indicated that other figures who do not meet this criterion, and whose legacies are actively harmful, will not appear in the series.
Andrew also elaborated on the challenges of representing colonial expansion within a 4X gameplay framework. He acknowledged the complexity of moving away from a linear "progress" narrative towards more diverse and contested understandings of historical development. He explained that creating entirely alternate systems for gameplay, such as focusing on prestige, coexistence, or sustainability instead of traditional mechanics like gold, expansion, and profit, would necessitate designing fundamentally new games. This approach, he noted, might represent too significant a departure for players expecting a traditional 4X experience. The decision reflects a balance between historical accuracy, player expectations, and the inherent limitations of the 4X genre, which often models historical colonial structures.
The full Q&A provides further details on these design considerations.