If you are looking for true global strategy, you can’t overlook the games by developer Paradox. Although you could already make the whole world your playground in Europa Universalis IV, the sequel aims to be even bigger. Now it’s also known when it will be released on Steam.
What kind of game is it? Europa Universalis V (short EUV) is a global strategy game where you are presented with a realistic world map. On this map, you can play everything from a small principality to an empire. The game does not progress in turns, but in pauseable real-time.
The sequel to EUIV was first announced under the name “Project Caesar.” It is being developed by Paradox Tinto, a newly founded studio in Barcelona in 2020. The development is led by Paradox veteran Johan Andersson, who has worked on Hearts of Iron III, Crusader Kings II, and Stellaris.
Here you can see the trailer for Europa Universalis V from gamescom:
Europa Universalis V will be even more grandiose
What changes compared to its predecessor? EUV starts around 100 years before EUIV. The game begins in the year 1337, just before the outbreak of the Hundred Years’ War and the plague that ravaged large parts of Europe at the time.
The developers have already announced that they want to dive even deeper into the details with the world map of EUV. As a result, the map will be larger than in its predecessor. However, perhaps the most exciting change is not the size of the map, but the increased simulation aspect:
- While EUIV relied on rather board game-like mechanics for many aspects of empire management, EUV leaves some of that behind to provide a more realistic simulation of the world at that time
- New are the so-called population units (“pops”), which are meant to represent the cultural, religious, and social diversity of each region even more strongly
- Economy, research, government, and military are also expected to be more complex, allowing for more strategic decisions and control
When does the game come out? Europa Universalis V will be released on November 4, 2025, on Steam. The game costs €59.99. The premium edition, priced at €84.99, also includes several additional packages such as “Sacred Sites,” which gives some sacred sites on the map a special appearance.
Paradox games are notorious for their high complexity, and that’s exactly what many fans love about them. That Europa Universalis V intends to take this even further was already clear from the announcement trailer: The next game from the Swedish strategy geniuses shows a new trailer, and fans are already fearing they might need a doctorate
