Paradox Interactive is home to some of the biggest grand strategy games out there. You can go medieval with Crusader Kings 3, take a step into the future with Stellaris, or go back to WW2 in Hearts of Iron 4. Paradox has made the historical grand strategy niche completely its own, but Victoria 3, the occasionally maligned sequel from 2022, remains underappreciated. The 19-century-set sequel didn’t quite shake the Earth like Paradox’s other games, but over the last couple of years it’s been quietly improving. Now, update 1.8 and the new Pivot of Empire pack are coming to keep that momentum high.
Pivot of Empire focuses on 19th-century India. 1947 marks the year that the nation became independent from the United Kingdom, but in Victoria 3’s newest DLC the fate of the country is in your hands. What started with rule from the East India Company ended with independence, and now you can experience that for yourself in the grand strategy game.
Victoria 3 Pivot of Empire features a huge expansion of India. There are new events and journal entries for the British Raj, Sikh Empire, princely states, and the East India Company. There’s also a plethora of content related to both the Indian uprising, Sikh Empire, and a large number of political and social movements from the time.
You can reshape the British India caste system through laws, and guide the future of the country itself. On the one side you have the nationalists debating on how to obtain independence, and on the other you have British administrators attempting to hold onto their power.
Pivot of Empire will be released alongside the free 1.8 update, which will be available to everyone. Political movements have been reworked, alongside a brand-new discrimination system and a spate of new mechanics. Harvest management, food security, and famines will add strategic depth to how you go about managing and interacting with nations.
With the DLC closing in, it’s worth checking out our very own Victoria 3 review. While Ian called it “a mesmerizing, working model of the Liberalist theory of international relations,” they also noted some pressing bugs and a lack of connection to the citizenry.
Paradox is releasing Victoria 3 Pivot of Empire on Thursday November 21, and it’ll cost you $9.99 / £8.50. You can wishlist it here.
We’ve also put together the best strategy games on PC right now, alongside some free Steam games if you’d rather not break the bank.
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