The Civilization series is back after a nine-year hiatus and fans of the franchise can start playing ahead of launch if they shell out for the pricier editions of the game. Here's when they can dive in.

Civilization 7 is almost here, but history doesn't arrive all at once. Civ is the latest series to offer early access for those who shelled out for pricier preorders, meaning some of us are only hours away from making Machiavelli the ruler of Han China when early access starts tonight for Deluxe or Founders Edition owners.

You can already download Civilization 7 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. This enables you to get a majority of the needed game files ahead of time and dive into things without much of a wait on launch day. There is currently no preload for PC.

Civilization 7 will be released in February 2025. Players who buy the Deluxe or Founders Edition will get early access. Standard Edition players must wait a few more days.

Although Civ 7 is launching on the same day across all platforms, the exact time players can access it may vary by region, console, and edition.