PlayStation Players Receiving Refunds for Civilization 7

Civilization 7 players using PlayStation consoles have recently found themselves in luck, as some of them are receiving refunds despite their purchases falling outside the typical 14-day refund window normally enforced by the PlayStation Store. The game, particularly its versions for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, has been plagued by frequent crashes, leaving many gamers regretting their purchase.

Although Civilization 7 was launched over three weeks ago, on February 11, 2025, the PlayStation Store usually does not permit refunds if more than two weeks have passed since purchase or if the game has already been downloaded. Surprisingly, though, several players are securing refunds well past this standard period.

A Reddit user named Garuff shared a fascinating interaction involving PlayStation Support. They posted a screenshot appearing to show a conversation where they secured a full refund of around £115 for their purchase of the game, which included the Deluxe and Founder’s Edition Upgrade. This was despite the fact they had already downloaded and played the game, receiving the refund 22 days post-release. Garuff expressed dissatisfaction with the user interface and controls on the PlayStation 5, with persistent crashes being their breaking point, prompting the refund request.

Moreover, it’s clear that Garuff isn’t alone in this scenario. Other players have also reported obtaining refunds, much to the astonishment of the PlayStation community. Sony’s refund policy, updated in 2019, generally prohibits refunds once a game has been downloaded or accessed. However, exceptions can be made when a product is considered faulty. In Garuff’s case, they informed PlayStation Support of ongoing crashes every 40 minutes and labeled the game as “unfinished” and “unfortunately broken.” After confirming that troubleshooting steps had already been followed, a PlayStation employee accepted the refund request as a goodwill gesture, acknowledging it went beyond their standard policy.

This situation highlights ongoing issues with Civilization 7, drawing attention to the game’s less-than-stellar performance. The game faced mixed reactions on Steam even before its official launch, with players in early access voicing concerns over a bewildering user interface and a lack of depth in the gameplay mechanics compared to previous installments in the series.

As these exceptions with the PlayStation Store show, the persistent challenges surrounding Civilization 7’s performance continue to illuminate the game’s problems, leaving many fans hoping for fixes and improvements.