Today Paradox Interactive revealed a new expansion pass coming to its popular grand strategy game Crusader Kings III.
The new expansion pass includes four pieces of content, the cosmetic pack Couture of the Capets, which will be free for all who purchase the expansion pass, the core expansion Legends of the Dead, the major expansion Roads to Power, and the event pack Wandering Nobles
The first to be released will be Legends of the Dead, on March 4. Upon purchase of the expansion pass, you'll get Couture of the Capets immediately.
The expansion pass will cost $43.98, £38.48, or €43.98 depending on where you live. That's very close to the price of the full game, and I'm not sure which is more terrifying between the pricing and the Black Death, which will make a comeback in the Legends of the Dead expansion
Here's what the expansion contains in detail, directly from the developers.
- Legends: Commission an epic retelling of your family history or build your own heroic reputation through great deeds. Promote this legend, far and wide, and see how the stories of the past reverberate through the centuries, and add even more glory to legendary dynasties.
- Legendary Playstyle: Leverage your living legend status through new Decisions and actions, keeping the stories of your family in the minds of a continent, strengthening the legitimacy of your rule and allowing further choices.
- Legendary Buildings: Your legendary reputation gives you access to new elite buildings, cementing your legacy for future generations.
- Legendary Feasts: Poets and bards can ornament your celebrations with songs and odes to your greatness, inspiring your guests to spread the tale of your legendary generosity.
- Court Chroniclers: Hire an official historian to spread the story of your dynasty’s great accomplishments, or use your poets and musicians to turn your actions into art.
- Two New Legacies: A new Heroic dynastic Legacy for the heirs of legendary characters, even using the great deeds of ancestors to justify claims from the distant past, as well as a Legitimacy Legacy that promotes your dynasty as the true rulers of the realm.
- Illness and Mourning: New diseases like the Bloody Flux, Measles and Holy Fire may ravage your court, but you can honor your deceased loved ones with dignified Funeral rites, according to your faith.
- The Black Death: The greatest scourge of the Middle Ages strikes down noble and commoner alike, radically transforming the political and social environment. Prepare your realm and prepare your soul, because a rampaging plague may be the strongest enemy facing your rule.
- New Art: Both life and death are given new energy with the celebrated art style that Crusader Kings III fans have come to appreciate. A new exclusive Map Table, new varieties of clothing, unit models and holding designs for extra flavor.
Crusader Kings II fans will be very familiar with The Black Death and its devastating consequences. It'll be very interesting to see how it'll be implemented in Crusader Kings III and if it'll be as deadly as we remember it. If you haven't played the previous game.
You can watch a trailer below.
We also get a comment from game director Alex Oltner:
It’s very exciting to be able to talk about our plans for 2024. We’ve been working hard on trying to find ways to introduce major historical content like the Black Death and the Byzantine Empire’s distinct form of government into CKIII, and we know that our fans have been wanting these as well. Chapter III promises to be one of the biggest phases in the game’s history.
Below you can read detailed descriptions of every DLC included in the new expansion pack.
- Couture of the Capets (free): Unveil a world of opulence with Couture of the Capets. Available immediately upon purchase of Chapter III, this cosmetic pack introduces new fashions and styles inspired by French royal culture in the High Middle Ages (13th century).
- Legends of the Dead: Turn yourself into a figure of legend in this Core Expansion, where great feats and effective propaganda can enhance the power of your bloodline through the centuries. Direct the course of your dynastic legend through Court Chroniclers, and use your growing reputation to build a lasting material legacy. But beware of the growing threat from distant lands as the Black Death builds a legendary legacy of its own.
- Roads to Power: The majesty of the Byzantine Empire takes center stage in this Major Expansion. Rule from Constantinople through a new Administrative Government form and experience various Byzantine-themed events and flavors. Or, be truly daring and live a life where your noble reputation is not tied to the land, roaming the map as an adventurer for hire.
- Wandering Nobles: Building on the travel system introduced with Tours & Tournaments, this event pack introduces a new Travel Lifestyle and new ways and reasons to travel - incidents and stories related to roaming far from the safety of your court.
We also get another video outlining the whole content of the expansion pass.
It's worth mentioning that the March 4 release for the new expansion is only for the PC version of the game on Steam and the Microsoft Store. Paradox has not announced any release date just yet for the versions of the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It'll probably take a sizable amount of time before any of this content reaches the consoles.
Usually, major DLCs for the game are also accompanied by relevant free updates, so we can likely expect the same on March 4 as well.
Recently, we heard that Crusader Kings III has shipped over 3 million units across all platforms.
