Civilization 7 Religion Explained, How Religious Victory is Changing

As the release of Civilization 7 draws near, one huge piece of the puzzle players have been eager to learn about is religion. While it's been a staple of the franchise for many years, the exact way religion operates and fuels a potential victory has varied among installments.

Civ 6 was the first to introduce a Religious Victory that players could pursue, but that won't be an option this time. Civilization 7 will instead blend religion into another path, and the new ages system will be a critical part of how it operates.

Civilization 7 builds religion into a Culture Victory

While longtime Civ 6 players may love using apostles and missionaries to seize ideological control of the planet and score a Religious Victory, Civilization 7 will instead use a system more similar to what was seen in Civ 4 and Civ 5. Religion will still have a variety of bonuses that could help players strategize towards each victory type, but it'll be absolutely critical for players pursuing a Culture Victory.

While the full Victory condition won't be available until the Modern Age, the Legacy Path for each type will help players build towards their eventual victory. For those planning a cultural focus in Civilization 7, that will mean founding a religion during the Exploration Age in order to acquire relics.

How to Found a Religion in Civ 7

While a pantheon can be chosen during the Antiquity Age, an organized religion won't be available until players can build a temple during the Exploration Age. Upon completion, that temple will establish a Holy City and allow players to create their religion.

Custom religions are still expected to be part of the game, but developers explained that it wasn't quite ready for the early build showcased during the pre-launch Exploration Age stream. Once founded, veteran Civ 6 players will feel some familiarity with the belief system.

Just like in Civ 6, beliefs will be selected on a first come, first served basis with a variety of benefits available to choose from. There will also be a Reliquary Belief unlocked as your religion becomes more established, and this will provide a unique path for each religion to unlock relics more quickly.

The exact unlock methods of relics aren't fully known yet, but it looks like there will be quite a few ways to earn them. One relic unlocks as your religion is first founded, and others could be found via narrative events and by spreading your religion to other cities and settlements.

One spotted in early gameplay boosted relics for first-time conversion of a city-state, but plenty more will be revealed once the full game arrives. For now, players looking forward to religion in Civilization 7 will have their eyes on a culture victory that gains steam during the Exploration Age.