Paradox Interactive yesterday launched a subscription service for its early modern grand-strategy game Europa Universalis 4. For a monthly fee, you’ll gain access to all of the game’s expansions and add-on content released, with all future DLCs, including the upcoming Leviathan expansion, also heading to the service. Subscriptions cost $4.99 / £3.99 per month.
Through the subscription service, you can grab all of EU4’s 14 expansions, 3 immersion packs, and 9 content packs in one go, and will have immediate access to the content. You’ll have to own the base game already, but subscriptions are entirely handled in-game, anyway. Subscribing to the service doesn’t change or offset any DLCs that you own already, and will only unlock those expansions you don’t currently own. When your subscription lapses, you can still jump into those DLCs you bought previously.
The subscription model was first teased by Paradox back in January, and was announced as a way of making the game more accessible to new players who might be overwhelmed, or put off, by the sheer quantity and price of DLC for the game. Through the subscription service, you can now grab all DLCs without shelling out nearly $415 / £300 to buy them at retail price.
In January, Paradox explained: “We have heard for years from existing and potential new players that the cost of getting the game and all expansions all at once is quite expensive (and might be discouraging for completely new EU4 fans), it’s been supported for almost 7 years after all.”
Read more about the subscription model in the official blog post on the Paradox forum.
Alongside the new subscription model, comes a multiplayer ‘Nakama’ 1.30.6 patch. In terms of immediate content, there’s nothing new, but the update is designed to tweak the game’s multiplayer backend, allowing Paradox to implement more features and complex multiplayer content in the future.
A post on the Paradox forum outlining the update and patch notes, said the update will allow EU4 to support cross-platform multiplayer in the future.
If you’re keen on Paradox’s signature grand strategy flavour, read our beginner’s guide to Crusader Kings 3, and start your medieval ruling on the right foot. Or, if you’re firmly an EU4 player, did you know Aboriginal Australians will be made be playable in an upcoming patch?