Victoria 3, the next game from Crusader Kings 3’s devs, releases later this year

Upcoming industrial grand-strategy game Victoria 3 finally has a release window, alongside a fresh trailer to boot.

Revealed shortly after the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase during the PC Gaming Show (opens in new tab), Victoria 3 is expected to launch later this year. Although developer Paradox didn’t nail down a more specific release date, a 2022 launch will be welcome news to series fans who’ve been anticipating the sequel since it was revealed last year.

Created by the same studio behind Crusader Kings 3, Victoria 3 transports Paradox’s staple grand-strategy formula to the era of the industrial revolution. You’re handed a country to lead through 100 years of political, economic, and social upheaval, starting in 1836.

In a twist on Crusader Kings 3, however, Victoria 3 doesn’t let you play as an individual ruler or dynasty, but the country itself. You’ll be managing several facets of the nation, adjudicating between the disputes of its many demographics, enacting domestic policies to try and meet their desires, and maneuvering among conflicts on the global stage.

Both the macro and micro elements of your country must be adjusted and shrewdly observed, as you try to lead your people into prosperity. Check out the new Victoria 3 trailer below.

Unlike many other turn-based and real-time strategy games, Victoria 3 has been designed to encourage peaceful resolutions to conflict. While you can invade other nations and defend your borders through military action, Paradox says diplomatic efforts can achieve anything gained by warfare. When Victoria 3 was first revealed last year, the studio was keen to present its diplomatic systems as more robust than any of its previous titles.

Like those other grand-strategy games, however, Victoria 3 leans heavily into alt-history. Although the central campaign will be punctuated by historically significant events that were vital to shaping the 19th Century, the globe’s many nation-states will respond to your actions. Victoria 3 looks to be as much a playful sandbox as a historical simulator.