Not a rumor: Paradox finally announces Victoria 3 (and a whole lot more)

It’s coming! No fooling! Paradox Interactive finally, officially announced Victoria 3 today at its annual PDXCON event.

And there was much rejoicing.

Details: Well, there aren’t many.

Here’s what we do know, per Paradox:

• Victoria 3 will feature:
• Deep Societal Simulation: Cultural, economic and ideological divisions compete for power and resources in one of Paradox’s most detailed historical worlds.
• Tend Your National Garden: Nurture your population, educating it and preparing it for the future, guaranteeing their prosperity and improving their happiness.
• Wonders of the Industrial Age: Scientific and social progress give you the chance to improve the lives of your citizens.
• Sophisticated Economic System: Import goods to keep costs low, export goods to enrich your citizens, and then tax that wealth to advance your plans.
• Challenging Diplomacy: Maintain harmonious relations with your neighbors or provoke a crisis to grab valuable resources or force open new markets.
• Political Dealmaking: Manage competing interests in your government, opening up new reforms but risking revolution if key voices are not heard.
• Detailed and Living World: Cities grow and factories darken the landscape on a beautifully drawn map of the 19th century globe. Play any nation on earth and try to claim your place in the sun.

Victoria 3 will be available on Steam, Microsoft Game Pass and the Paradox Store.

But wait, there’s more! Victoria 3’s confirmed existence may have stolen the show (Victoria 3 announcement rumors are a longstanding meme in the strategy gaming community), but there were plenty of other exciting announcements for Paradox fans.

The Royal Court (DLC) is coming to Crusader Kings III

The world’s coolest dark ages dynasty simulator is getting an incredibly rad DLC pack in the form of the “Royal Court” paid add-on.

As Paradox explains it, the Royal Court will give players the ability to interact with subjects and play politics with their lives and it will also function a hub for your ruler. The intent here is to provide a bridge between the overworld map and your character sheet.

Per Paradox:

• Crusader Kings III: Royal Court includes:
• Throne Room: A visual representation of your royal court will reflect all the accumulated majesty and prestige of your dynasty.
• Hold Court: Interact with vassals and courtiers as they come to you with their problems, seeking a royal judgment.
• Grandeur: Increase the quality of life at your court with fancier trappings and better food, all the better to impress your rivals and attract higher quality guests.
• Inspired People: Talented artists, craftspeople and thinkers can work on new projects, adding treasures and artifacts to your court.
• Hybrid Cultures: Make the most of a multicultural realm, developing a new way of life that is specifically adapted to your population and geography.
• Cultural Divergence: split from your traditional culture, adapting it into something new that better fits your aspirations.
• This expansion will be accompanied by a major free update that will include a new culture interface and more.

I could not be more excited for this update. The CKIII experience is a unique RPG/grand-strategy hybrid and, despite it being among the deepest gaming experiences I’ve ever had, there’s always been something missing.

And, it turns out, that “something” is probably a CKIII-ified version of Fable IIIs Sanctuary hub. I cannot wait to get my hands on this when it launches… sometime later this year.

Prison Architect: Second Chances

Next up, Paradox announced the next update for Prison Architect. Called “Second Chances” this allows incarceration overseers to turn their focus on rehabilitation and recidivism in new, in-depth ways.

This update will bring new ways to shape and mold your prisoners by introducing mechanics to change their behavior.

Per Paradox, key features will include:

• Return to Reform: Non-work programs, such as Animal Therapy, Meet & Greet, and Former Prisoner Classes can remove an inmate’s negative traits and see improved behaviors.
• Good Behavior: Inmates can have their sentences reduced or increased based on their actions and reoffenders can now be sent back to prison. Players will be fined for each reoffender.
• Room for Improvement: Inmates with existing or earned work credentials can become vendors to both prisoners and visitors in inmate-run rooms, including a Bakery, Restaurant and Therapy Room.
• Back to Society: Inmates can earn work credentials through experience partaking in different work and training programs.

Second chances comes to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on June 16, and Nintendo Switch on June 29.

Empire of Sin: Make it Count

Paradox’s grand-strategy mob game is getting its first major expansion in the form of “Make it Count,” a DLC that’ll add new rackets, new ways to win, and some quality of life updates.

According to Paradox:

• Make It Count Key Features:
• Meyer Lansky – Play as the “Mob’s Accountant,” a boss that excels at economics and creates synergy in combat. He uses his smooth talking to “make peace” with money and connections.
• “The Fixers” – Five gangsters are up for hire, bringing their loan sharking Racket and combat abilities. This Racket unlocks Blackmail over other characters and factions.
• A string of missions that tell the story of Lansky and the Fixers, unlocking game features like Loan Sharking, and introduce Lansky’s mentor, Arnold Rothstein.
• New rackets, new abilities, new gangsters and new missions- more details to come!

Having just recently gotten into Empire of Sin, I’m eagerly anticipating this add-on. There’s a lot to explore in the vanilla game, but the addition of new rackets and new ways to win adds more delicious complexity and choice.

Paradox says the free “Precincts” update and the Make it Count paid DLC add-on will both launch later this year.

While those are the biggest announcements from the event, other titles including Hearts of Iron IV are getting updates as well – but more details were promised on those later.