Paradox has announced a new core expansion coming to its strategy game Crusader Kings 3 this April, inspired by Genghis Khan and the Mongols.
Khans of the Steppe will arrive on 28th April as one of four key components comprising the game’s fourth chapter.
The expansion will include the Steppe region as players take on the mantle of the Great Khan and lead conquests across the world, fulfilling the prophecy of the “Scourge of God”.
Further, it will allow players to experience the traditions and culture of the Mongols as a young Genghis Khan; embrace Nomadic Governments to manage a mobile population; and utilise a new Tributaries system to forge alliances and secure resources.
Alongside Khans of the Steppe, the map will be expanded to include China, Japan and Southeast Asia, with each region having new types of government, special events, character roles and more. This area was previously unseen in the series.
Thirdly, a new event pack will task players with preparing an elaborate coronation to display wealth and power as a new ruler takes the throne.
Lastly, the Crowns of the World pack will unlock immediately on purchase, including six new historic royal crowns, four new hairstyles, and two beard designs for character portraits.
Khans of the Steppe will be available individually for £16.75, or can be purchased as part of the Chapter Four Pack including the other three elements costing £37.15.
The release of the fourth chapter is Paradox’s big plan for Crusader Kings 3 in 2025. It follows 2024’s third chapter which brought the Black Death.
Last year was a particularly tough time for the Swedish publisher, following a number of high profile cancellations and delays. That included the cancellation of The Sims-like game Life By You, delayed DLC for Cities: Skylines 2 due to performance issues, and parting ways with Prison Architect 2 developer Double Eleven after nine years on the series.
Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester acknowledged the company “made the wrong calls in several projects”, which deputy CEO Mattia Lilja and chief creative officer Henrik Fåhraeus addressed in an interview with Eurogamer.
“When it’s inside the core, even if we make a mistake or we launch something that may be not up to par, we are generally able to fix it over time and we don’t stop… we’re not abandoning those projects,” said Lilja. “We’re going to keep working. And when we have games that do work, we show that we understand what people want and we can absolutely give that to them.”