Europa Universalis 4 is one of Paradox Interactive’s most beloved games. Its early modern nation-building combines crunchy economics, historical authenticity, and emergent storytelling, while DLC adds breadth and depth. On the other hand, it’s over a decade old – that’s a long sequel gap, even for Paradox. Fans like us are asking: when are we going to see Europa Universalis 5 come out? This guide tracks the best answers we have.
Even by the standards of Paradox grand strategy games, the venerable Europa Universalis 4 has had an extended lifespan – kept afloat by an extraordinary bumper crop of 37 total expansion packs and DLC addons, alongside a slew of free updates and a DLC subscription service. With far-reaching mechanical updates and hyper-focused tweaks, the current iteration of EU4 stands apart from its vanilla version.
But, despite the near-constant flow of additional content, EU4 is starting to show its age. Released back in 2013, its gaudy map can’t hold a candle to the pristine, 3D visuals of Crusader Kings 3, and its nation-building doesn’t compete with the meticulousness of Hearts of Iron 4.
There’ll always be more nations to add, cultures to tweak, and immersion packs to release, but at this stage it’s reasonable for fans to wonder: when can we expect Europa Universalis 5?
Here’s all we know, as of March 2024.
Europa Universalis 5 release date estimate
A Europa Universalis 5 release date hasn’t yet been announced, and we don’t expect that to change anytime soon.
Developer Paradox Tinto hasn’t made any official announcement about the game, or confirmed the sequel is in active development. For now, it looks like the studio is still working on more EU4 expansion content before moving onto the development of Europa Universalis 5 in earnest.
However, thanks to your friendly neighborhood Wargamer Dot Com, we do know for sure that EU5 was in discussions at Paradox as early as 2021.
In an interview with Wargamer in April 2021, series director Johan Andersson told us Paradox Tinto would continue developing DLC for Europa Universalis 4 for some time, aiming to release two to three new expansions each year. Andersson said these would likely take the form of smaller expansions that tweak the game’s overlooked geographical areas, and make minor improvements to its existing system.
More categorically, when we asked Andersson when Europa Universalis 5 might appear, he said: “Eventually, yes. But it’s like, eventually, we’re all gonna die also” – not exactly a vote of confidence for those expecting a hasty EU5 announcement.
Our chat with Andersson did, however, confirm that internal discussions regarding the game were ongoing at that time. A Europa Universalis 5 release date might not be forthcoming, but we can rest assured that the game will appear sometime in the future.
Since then, we’ve seen three major new EU4 DLC packs: 2022’s Lions of the North, focusing on Nordic and Slavic peoples; April 2023’s Domination, developing Ottomans, East Asian powers, and some Western European countries; and November 2023’s King of Kings, with big upgrades to Persia, Mamluk Egypt, and the Byzantine Empire.
But, as of March 2024, we still have no confirmation from Paradox that EU5 is on the way. Our ear remains firmly to the ground, and we’ll update you as soon as we know more.
Europa Universalis 5 gameplay
As above, we’ve no concrete details on what Europa Universalis 5 might play like. When the game finally does rear its head, many will be interested to see whether it sticks firmly to the staple Europa Universalis grand-strategy formula – of national politicking and economic management – or tries to replicate the character-focused, RPG-like success of Crusader Kings 3.
As with all Paradox sequels, we’re eagerly waiting to see what systems and mechanics are introduced in the base game. Will it try to replicate all of EU4’s DLC at launch, or leave vast swathes of the game ripe for additional expansion? Either way, it will be exciting to glimpse the game.