Civilization Online
Civilization Online takes the long-running Civilization name in a very different direction, reimagining the series as an online, faction-driven strategy MMO. Instead of managing an entire empire alone in a turn-based format, you create an avatar, pick a side, and push your civilization forward alongside other players, moving from early-era tools to advanced technology in real time.
 | Publisher: XL Games Playerbase: TBD Type: Strategy MMO Release Date: Late 2015 (ASIA) Shut Down Date: December 7, 2016 Pros: +Blends MMO role-based play with RTS-style objectives. +Colorful, approachable presentation that is easy on new players. +More accessible than mainline Civ titles with a gentler learning curve. Cons: -Targeted Asian territories rather than a broad global release. -Not as strategically deep as traditional Civilization entries. -Uses real-time action instead of the familiar turn-based pacing. |
Civilization Online Overview
Civilization Online aimed to be one of the boldest experiments tied to the Civilization brand, built specifically with an MMO audience in mind. Developed for Asian markets, the concept centers on large-scale matches where entire teams work toward technological progression, territory control, and ultimately victory over rival factions. In practice, it plays like a third-person, player-controlled RTS battlefield, where each participant represents a single unit on the field rather than commanding an army from an overhead map.
The core loop is cooperative and competitive at the same time. Players gather materials, help raise structures, and join coordinated pushes against enemy holdings, all while their faction advances through eras. If you have played genre hybrids that mix action combat with team strategy, the closest free-to-play comparison in feel is the Savage series, where individual skill matters, but winning usually comes down to organized teamwork and smart objective play.
Civilization Online Key Features:
- Bite Sized MMORPG – progress from an early, primitive start to a high-tech civilization within the scope of each match.
- Seamless Faction Warfare – fight for dominance as one of four factions: Aztecs, Egyptians, Chinese, and Romans.
- Teamwork Makes the Dream Work – quick to learn, but success depends heavily on coordination and shared goals.
- Specialized Roles – support your side by focusing on combat, harvesting resources, or contributing to construction and logistics.
- Persistent Card System – gain currency over time to buy cards that can be equipped for stat boosts and added power.
Civilization Online Screenshots
Civilization Online Featured Video
Civilization Online Review
Civilization Online is one of those projects that is fascinating on paper because it tries to merge two very different kinds of strategy experiences. Instead of the classic, deliberate pacing of turn-based Civ, it pushes the series into a match-based MMO structure where momentum, coordination, and on-the-ground execution shape the outcome. That shift alone makes it feel less like a traditional Civilization sequel and more like a strategy-flavored online war game wearing the Civ identity.
Moment to moment, the strongest part of the concept is how it distributes responsibility across a team. You are not expected to juggle city planning, tech priorities, army composition, and diplomacy by yourself. The game encourages players to fall into useful roles, such as fighting on the front line, collecting resources to keep the faction’s economy running, or helping expand infrastructure. When groups actually communicate, the match can feel like a living battlefield with clear goals, where your contribution matters even if you are not the top damage dealer.
The real-time approach also makes the game immediately readable for players who bounce off dense 4X rulesets. You can jump in, follow allies, and learn by doing, rather than spending hours studying optimal build orders and tech paths. The visuals support that accessibility as well, with a bright, friendly look that keeps large-scale conflict from becoming visually exhausting.
That said, the trade-off is strategic depth. The systems are built to support many players at once and to keep matches moving, so the experience does not deliver the same rich empire management and long-term planning that defines the mainline Civilization games. For fans who come specifically for turn-based decision-making and layered macro strategy, the gameplay direction can feel like it is missing the heart of the series.
Another limitation is scope and availability. Civilization Online was aimed at Asian markets and never established itself as a widely supported global release. In addition, the project ultimately ended service, which makes it more of a notable “what if” in the franchise’s history than a long-term MMO destination today.
Overall, Civilization Online stands out as an ambitious hybrid: approachable, team-focused, and built around real-time objectives, but not a replacement for traditional Civ and not as deep as the flagship entries. It is best remembered as an experiment that tried to translate civilization-building into a shared online battlefield.
Civilization Online Links
Civilization Online Official Site
Civilization Online Gamepedia [Database/Guides]
Civilization Online System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 7 / 8 / 10
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33 GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5600+
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS / ATI Radeon HD 5670
RAM: 4 GB
Hard Disk Space: 8 GB
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 7 / 8 / 10
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E7600 3.0 GHz / AMD Athlon II X2 260
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 / ATI Radeon HD 6670
RAM: 4 GB or more
Hard Disk Space: 8 GB
Civilization Online Music & Soundtrack
Coming Soon!
Civilization Online Additional Information
Developer: XLGames
Game Engine: CryEngine
Development History / Background:
Despite carrying the Civilization branding, Civilization Online was designed as a genre offshoot rather than a direct continuation of the turn-based strategy formula. Development was handled primarily by XLGames, with Take-Two Interactive involved in an oversight role and providing access to the IP. XLGames is also known for its work in the MMORPG space, including its connection to ArcheAge as a publisher in China.
From a technology standpoint, the game was built on Crytek’s CryEngine, a notable choice that it shares with other region-focused online projects of the era. Civilization Online was shutdown on December 7, 2016.