Paradox Interactive has regrettably brought the curtain down on Millennia, a historical 4X strategy game, just 18 months following its debut. Developed by C Prompt Games, Millennia was positioned as a direct challenger to genre titans like Civilization and Stellaris, even intending to precede the highly anticipated Civilization 7. Despite subsequent updates and expansions that slowly improved its standing on Steam, the game’s initial reception was lukewarm, and it ultimately failed to carve out a significant niche. The publisher has now confirmed that development is ceasing.
Upon its release, Millennia earned a respectable 7/10 in our initial review, praised for its reactive gameplay but held back by “a few key issues” preventing it from achieving true greatness. Sadly, C Prompt struggled to differentiate Millennia within the competitive 4X genre. Both the core game and its two major DLCs, ‘Ancient Worlds’ and ‘Atomic Ambitions,’ consistently hovered just below the 70% positive review threshold required to escape a ‘mixed’ user rating.
In an official statement, Paradox announced, “With this patch, we are sadly coming to the end of an age.” They confirmed this would be the game’s final update, thanking C Prompt for their dedication. Paradox stated they would cease active community engagement for Millennia, though the game itself will remain playable indefinitely, and support for critical issues will still be provided.
The publisher extended its gratitude to players, saying, “We want to thank all of you for joining us on this journey, to everyone who played and supported our game. You’ve been with us from the dawn of Ancient Worlds through your wildest Atomic Ambitions, and it’s been an experience for the ages. We hope to see you again in a future era – and may you always prosper.” This heartfelt message marked the game’s premature conclusion.
While Millennia presented several promising concepts, it ultimately lacked the unique spark needed to truly distinguish itself. This discontinuation arrives amidst a shifting landscape for its rivals. Early indications suggest Civilization 7’s 1.2.5 patch is a positive development, Ara 2.0 is addressing significant community feedback, and Endless Legend 2 has launched as a hopeful new contender, despite its ongoing early access phase.
Unsurprisingly, this announcement has led to a further downturn in Millennia’s recent Steam reviews. Players voiced their disappointment, with one commenting, “This was my promising Civ 4 replacement, but sadly abandoned by Paradox before it could mature.” Another expressed feeling “ripped off,” stating the game “could/should have been good, but sadly it is unfinished and seemingly abandoned.” A third critic criticized the publisher, noting, “They sold an expansion pass and pumped out the content as fast as possible to then abandon the game. This has a certain ick to it.”
The eighth and final update for Millennia is now available. Players interested in the specific changes can find a comprehensive rundown of fixes, localization adjustments, and mod support improvements in the official patch notes.