A fourth Age for the base game
Arc of Tomorrow is a free major update planned for 2027. Its Atomic Age will extend Civilization VII's playable timeline from approximately the 1950s through the 2050s, with period-specific civilizations, leaders, units, buildings, technology and civic trees, social policies, narrative events, music and visuals. That makes the announcement more than a late-game content pack: it adds a fourth structural phase to campaigns that currently move through three Ages. Firaxis also plans a first round of feature testing later in 2026, so some details may still change before release.
Earthrise is the paid layer
Earthrise is Civilization VII's first paid expansion and is due after Arc of Tomorrow in 2027. Rather than existing only at the campaign's endpoint, it is intended to develop humanity's relationship with space and the environment across multiple Ages, eventually introducing space agencies and missions throughout the solar system. The distinction matters: the Atomic Age belongs to the free update, while the broader space-focused systems belong to the expansion. 2K has not announced Earthrise's price, exact date or complete feature list, so the scope can be described but its value cannot yet be calculated.
The next changes arrive sooner
Update 1.5.0 is scheduled for later in September 2026 and will add the long-requested True Start Location Earth map alongside quality-of-life work on maps, diplomacy and the interface. That nearer update gives current players a concrete milestone while the 2027 systems remain in development. For returning players, the useful question is therefore split three ways: whether 1.5.0 improves the present game enough to return now, how the free Atomic Age reshapes a complete campaign next year, and whether Earthrise's cross-Age space mechanics justify a separate purchase. Firaxis's feature workshops, final dates and expansion pricing will determine those answers.