Civilization VII’s Atomic Age is planned as a free update; Earthrise is paid.

The free part: Arc of Tomorrow

Firaxis’ September 30, 2026 recap says Arc of Tomorrow is planned for 2027 and will be delivered free in-game to Civilization VII base-game owners. It adds a fourth Age, the Atomic Age, spanning the 1950s to the 2050s.

Announced systems include proxy warfare, nuclear delivery and defense, and diplomatic disarmament agreements. New period-specific civilizations, leaders, technology and civic trees are also planned. These are future features, not mechanics available merely because the roadmap has been published.

The paid part: Earthrise

Earthrise is a separate paid expansion, planned to follow Arc of Tomorrow. It connects early stargazing to a space agency in the Atomic Age and solar-system missions, with terrain manipulation and civil engineering to protect against natural disasters. The base game is required; some content must be unlocked through gameplay. The recap supplies no exact launch date or price.

The delivered part: Update 1.5.0

The same recap says Update 1.5.0 had already added True Start Location Earth, Voronoi map options and diplomacy and interface changes. TSL Earth campaigns start in Antiquity at the chosen civilization’s historic capital.

Our analysis: separate ownership from campaign planning

The free fourth Age answers what the existing owner receives. Earthrise answers what an additional purchase would add. Treating both as one announcement can obscure that distinction, particularly when comparing the current game with a future version.

There is also a difference between owning content and reaching it in a campaign: the expansion’s gameplay-unlock caveat matters even after purchase. For now, evaluate the delivered map update on its own merits and keep Atomic Age campaign expectations tied to the 2027 plan. We have not played the announced systems, and this recap does not settle their pacing, final balance or release schedule.