Paradox Interactive revealed the next chapter of Crusader Kings 3, which will be the fifth, including major expansions and smaller DLC.
The chapter, which functions as a season pass, is already available for purchase today on Steam, and as usual for Paradox, it isn’t cheap, priced at $43.99, ￡36.99, or €43.99 depending on where you live.
Upon purchase, you’ll receive the Symbols of Authority DLC immediately, including new crowns and headwear for European characters, on top of the Songs of the Realm music pack.
The actual juicy parts of the chapter are the core expansion By God Alone, which will focus on the religious life of Christian characters and will introduce playable theocracies, and the major expansion Silk and Silver, which will bring playable Merchant Republics and additions to trade gameplay.
They will release respectively between July and September 2026 and between October and December 2026.
Incidentally, there will be more in the form of updates at no additional cost. We got one today, which adds “new ways to find information about your game, with an improved ledger and other stat tracking, as well as more shortcuts, changes to the interface, new sound cues, and more.” You can read the patch notes here.
Below, you can read an official summary of the content of each DLC, and you can watch a trailer.
- Symbols of Authority: This clothing pack offers new crowns and headwear for European characters, including crowns inspired by some of the most glamorous heads of history. Available today, this pack is instantly unlocked upon purchase of Chapter V.
- Songs of the Realm: Out now, this new Crusader Kings III Music Pack offers a wide variety of musical accompaniment to your empire-building and dynastic scheming. Songs of the Realm offers thirteen songs, a mix between remasters of Crusader Kings classics and adaptations of traditional European music. This Music Pack is the perfect soundtrack to while away the hours as you plot your next big move to secure your family’s hold on destiny.
- By God Alone: This Core Expansion for Crusader Kings III focuses on the religious life of your characters, with a special emphasis on new systems for Christian characters. Guide your dynasty through religious developments as the tenets of the faith evolve over the centuries, avoid or embrace heresies, navigate Schisms and Synods and watch your characters struggle with the demands of their religion. Coming later this year.
- Silk & Silver: This Major Expansion for Crusader Kings III focuses on medieval trade and the merchant families that ruled or financed great empires. Play as a merchant family with a mansion to maintain, earning gold through the trade of exotic goods. Compete for power in a merchant republic, where gold is more important than blood, or set up shop in a landed kingdom and finance its expansion. Push rival families out of the most valuable markets, establishing monopolies on important routes. Coming later this year.
If you’re unfamiliar with Crusader Kings 3, it’s a grand-strategy game with extremely compelling RPG elements, available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Unfortunately, new content comes to consoles with large delays compared to PC.
If you want to hear more, you can check out our recent interview with the developers.
