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Steam cuts Civilization prices for its 35th anniversary, with Civ VII 50% off and free to play
Civilization's 35th birthday has turned into a sizeable Steam sale. Civilization VII is half price, Civilization VI has been cut by 90%, and the newest entry can currently be played without buying it at all.
By Maëlle Sid Meier's Civilization VII 
The Civilization 35th Anniversary Franchise Sale began September 3 and runs through September 17 for most of its headline offers.
Civilization VII is discounted by 50%. More importantly for anyone still undecided about Firaxis' latest 4X, the complete game is free to play on Steam until September 10 at 10 a.m. Pacific.
The older games get much steeper discounts
- Civilization III Complete: 20% off - Civilization IV Complete: 80% off - Civilization V: 75% off - Civilization VI: 90% off - Civilization VII: 50% off
That makes Civilization VI the obvious low-cost entry point among the modern games, while VII gets the more useful try-before-you-buy option.
2K says the discounts are based on its suggested retail prices and apply to digital purchases.
The free week comes after Civ VII's biggest redesign
Anyone who tried Civilization VII around launch will find several major systems changed. Firaxis released Test of Time in May 2026 as the game's largest update to date.
Its most visible addition is Time-Tested Civs. Players can now remain with one civilization throughout an entire campaign instead of being required to swap civilizations at every Age transition.
The old Legacy Paths were replaced by Triumphs, while victory conditions were redesigned to reward performance across a full campaign. Firaxis also added the Fractal Continent map, a Commerce screen, an Advisor Council and Alexander the Great as a free leader.
Civilization VII's add-ons are included in the sale
Several DLC collections are discounted as well. Tides of Power, Right to Rule and Crossroads of the World are each listed at 50% off on Steam, alongside a number of individual leader and persona packs.
Brush and Blade has a smaller 15% discount.
Civilization VII's Deluxe Edition is also 50% off, although that specific offer ends on September 10 rather than September 17.
A sale built around 35 years of one more turn
The original Sid Meier's Civilization arrived in 1991. Thirty-five years later, the anniversary promotion stretches from those older PC entries to the series' current game.
Civilization VII's free period ends September 10. The wider Steam franchise sale continues through September 17, 2026.