The Civ World Summit, broadcast live from Hamburg, Germany on February 8, 2025, was truly one for the history books. Five beloved Civ community members – The Spiffing Brit, ZeratoR, The Game Mechanic, Ursa Ryan, and Maurice Weber – clashed in this free-for-all multiplayer match of Sid Meier's Civilization VII for fame, glory, and some fabulous prizes! All the while, Firaxis Community Manager Sarah Engel and famed Civ YouTuber PotatoMcWhiskey chimed in with color commentary!
Leaders warred and bartered; debates went back and forth; civilizations rose and fell. After multiple Ages of global conflict, dubious alliances, and territorial shenanigans, all the contestants could be proud of building empires that the entire audience believed in! To commemorate the big-brain plays and diplomatic antics of the Civ World Summit, we've compiled 10 of our favorite moments from the event. Enjoy these unforgettable exchanges that will go down in Civ VII history!
1. The Spiffing Brit finally gets tea
Thanks to chat's demands, Spiffing finally received the tea they needed while the crowd cheered, though the audience may have only been excited to watch them attempt to drink it.
Ursa had the ambition to establish a new Settlement in the Distant Lands of the Exploration Age. Unfortunately, extremely hostile Independent Powers nearby had other plans – much to ZeratoR's horror after a friendly bit of screen-peeking.
3. Maurice successfully annoys both winning players
As the saying goes: If you can't beat them, annoy them. While the long-term tactical merits of this plan are still up for debate, Maurice's strategy to simultaneously annoy Spiffing and Ursa paid off when it came to entertainment value.
4. Potato helps Spiffing break the game
Look, this one is kind of on us.
Ursa Ryan channeled their emotions into a tiny figurine that acted as a sort of avatar for the state of the game. When war broke out, Ursa knew what to do: add some tiny, furrowed eyebrows to make the figure unmistakably angered.
6. Have you learned anything from your actions today, Ursa?
Even in the face of Spiffing's encroaching military forces, Ursa regrets nothing.
7. Spiffing knows what the heart wants
In heated debate, Spiffing is well aware of how a crisp 100 euro note can, shall we say, sway a conversation.
8. "I have a holiday in Rome on the line, Maurice!"
We know that The Spiffing Brit is not above bribery to secure victory, after paying off Ursa, they made some lofty promises to Maurice, with some desperate pleas about what was at stake for good measure.
9. Ursa losing to the AI in a game with no AI
Not content to let the Civ World Summit players duke it out amongst themselves, some NPC Units from a nearby Independent Power decided to set poor Ursa in their sights and launch a full-scale assault.
10. Ursa Ryan knows what makes the world go 'round
Ursa accepted multiple bribes over the course of the campaign, despite claims of a real-world background in tax investigation. Great leaders do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of their civilization.
*SPOILERS* Finally, when the dust settled, the champion of the Civ World Summit was…
Civ World Summit Champion Reveal
