Civilization 7's game changing update was 'personally challenging' for its creative director, as being able to play as a single faction 'wasn't part of the original vision'

The development and release of Civilization 7 has been a rollercoaster for both fans of the series and developer Firaxis. The most recent entry in the long-running 4X series shipped with an age-transition mechanic where players would switch between civilisations at multiple points during a game. It was a radical design shift that divided the community, received well by some players, but going down like a glass of cold sick with others.

Earlier this year, Firaxis introduced an update to Civilization 7 that made age transitions optional and reimplemented the traditional, single-civ mode of play. Yet according to Firaxis, this was not a decision the studio made easily, and was particularly tough for creative director Ed Beach.

This was revealed in an expansive oral history of Civilization by Polygon, which charts the trajectory of the series game by game. The roots of Civilization 7, it seems, were in a long-held frustration of series' creator Sid Meier:

"I was always frustrated …