Publisher Paradox Interactive has announced the next Crusader Kings 3 DLC, ‘Tours and Tournaments’, coming this spring. Revealed at the Paradox Announcement Show on Monday, the DLC will let players’ monarchs roam the realm, visit holy sites, or splash their cash on massive tournaments and weddings.
According to the announcement, hosting a ‘Grand Tournament’ will attract “nearby nobles and wandering knights” to participate in the joust, or whichever other events you pick. Paradox says that tournaments will improve your ruler’s “social standing or military prowess”, reflecting their role as political tools, not just massive parties.
Similarly, ‘Grand Weddings’ are an opportunity to curry favour with your ruler’s in-laws, “cater to your vassals, and demonstrate your power”, according to the publisher. Screenshots indicate you’ll also have the option for a ‘Bloody Wedding’, which we assume is a little bit Game of Thrones…
These events, plus new religious or secular ‘Grand Tours’, necessitate a new travel system for your monarch. Paradox says this will involve route planning – picking a safe route through civilized lands or something more direct and potentially dangerous – and whether your monarch is accompanied by a large, ostentatious retinue, or a small, practical ones.
Paradox says that all players will get a “major free update” when the DLC launches, including “updated interactions for pilgrimages, feasts, and hunts” in the Activity menu, “more intricate management of regency relations” and “major changes” to the vassal relations and domain management systems.
This seems to be a DLC that really leans into the tabletop RPG elements of Crusader Kings 3. If you’ve never played before, we have a Crusader Kings 3 beginners guide to help you orient yourself in the sometimes overwhelming world of medieval monarchy. If you’re already a player and can’t wait for this DLC to drop, check out our recommendations for Crusader Kings 3 mods that add both new scenarios and systems to the game.