Game intel
Millennia
Create your own nation in Millennia, a historical turn-based 4X game that challenges your strategic prowess across 10,000 years of history, from the dawn of hu…
This one caught my attention because Paradox usually plays the long game. Stellaris and Crusader Kings get support for years, sometimes to a fault. Millennia? It’s bowing out just 18 months after launch, with Update 8 marking the final patch. For a publisher known for marathon post-launch roadmaps, that’s a sprint-and it says a lot about how the game never found its niche against Civilization, Humankind, and a rejuvenated 4X field.
Paradox’s note is respectful, if definitive: “With this patch, we are sadly coming to the end of an age… This will be the final patch for Millennia… We at Paradox will no longer be active on community platforms for Millennia, but you can continue counting on us for support needs, and the game will remain available to play indefinitely.” Translation: no more feature updates, no more dev replies on forums or Discord, but you can still buy and play it and submit tickets if something breaks.
Update 8 focuses on cleanup rather than reinvention—fixes, localization improvements, and better mod support. It’s the right kind of final patch if you want to hand the keys to the community and let modders take a swing. That said, closing the book this early is a tough look for a game positioned as Paradox’s historical 4X alternative to Civ.
At launch, Millennia had some interesting ideas and a “reactive” flow that nudged your empire based on choices and circumstances—on paper, exactly the kind of systemic sandbox Paradox fans thrive on. But in practice it never found that magic sauce. The UI and pacing never felt as slick as the Civs of the world, the identity wasn’t as strongly defined as Amplitude’s stylized approach, and the DLCs didn’t deliver the kind of transformative shift that could win back lapsed players.
Paradox’s best games don’t just simulate history; they generate stories you want to retell. Millennia too often sat in the middle—clever, competent, but rarely memorable. And in the 4X space, “fine” isn’t enough when your rivals have decades of iteration and brand recognition.
Players are already voicing frustration in recent Steam reviews, and I get it. When a publisher known for multi-year support winds things down after 18 months—after selling DLC and an expansion pass—it stings. We’ve seen this movie with Imperator: Rome and, more recently, the rocky City Skylines II rollout affecting confidence in Paradox’s pipelines. None of that means malice; it’s business reality when sales don’t justify more dev time. But from a gamer’s seat, this cadence makes you more cautious about buying in early.
The silver lining is explicit mod support improvements in the final patch. That’s an olive branch the Paradox community knows how to use. But it doesn’t erase the perception that Millennia never got the time or investment to truly course-correct.
This setback arrives just as the competition gets sharper. Civ 7’s recent patching cadence is finally addressing core pain points players flagged at launch. Ara’s 2.0 overhaul tackled several long-standing requests, and even if Endless Legend 2 is facing a lengthy early-access road, Amplitude knows how to build momentum around a vibrant loop and strong identity. Put bluntly: 4X fans have options, and they’re trending up.
If you’re curious, wait for a deep discount or a complete bundle with both DLCs. The core systems can deliver a satisfying few runs, especially if you value responsive sandbox outcomes over bombastic presentation. Just go in knowing the meta is effectively set in stone now. The mod scene could keep it alive—Update 8 makes that more plausible—but don’t expect a late-game redemption arc via official patches.
If you prize long-tail support and major overhauls, Civ 7 (post-1.2.5) and Ara’s 2.0 build are safer bets in the short term. If you want art-forward identity and layered systems, keep an eye on Amplitude’s next steps. Millennia becomes the connoisseur’s curiosity: a what-if for design nerds rather than the new standard-bearer.
Paradox exiting a strategy game this quickly is a notable data point. It reinforces the idea that even big publishers are tightening focus around clear winners and leaving “almost” projects behind. As players, the takeaway is simple: vote with your time and wallet, and don’t assume a Paradox label guarantees years of runway. Millennia aimed high, but in a genre ruled by iteration and identity, it didn’t climb fast enough.
Paradox has shipped Millennia’s final patch 18 months after launch, ending active development. The update improves mod support and fixes issues, but official engagement is done. If you’re interested, wait for a sale and watch the mod scene—serious 4X time is better spent elsewhere for now.
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