Civilization 7 has introduced a novel 'Ages' system, departing from the asynchronous 'Era' progression of previous installments.  Now, all civilizations advance through these periods together, fostering a shared global timeline.

Currently, the game features three distinct ages: Ancient, Exploration, and Modern. These mark the culmination of the standard gameplay. However, a Reddit user's data mining efforts have uncovered evidence pointing to a potential fourth age: the Atomic Age.  The data mine also revealed hints of new leaders, including the infamous pirate Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach, Sayyida al Hurra, and Whina Cooper.  New civilizations such as Iceland, the Māori, and the historical 'Pirate Republic' (a collective of prominent pirates, not a formal nation) were also suggested.

Developers have previously indicated their intention to introduce further ages.  While the game currently holds a 'Mixed' reception on Steam, the development team has reaffirmed their commitment to continuous improvement and refinement. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume these additional ages are under active development.  Given the game's current endpoint just before the Cold War, the anticipated 'Atomic Age' could potentially encompass the period from the Cold War through to the modern day and perhaps even into the near future, including space exploration.