Victoria 3

• Title — Victoria 3 • Developer — Paradox Development Studio • Publisher — Paradox Interactive • Platforms — * Windows • macOS • Linux • Engine — Clausewitz Engine • Release — 25 October 2022 • Genre — Grand strategy • Modes — Single-player, multiplayer • Director — Martin "Wiz" Anward • Designer — Mikael Andersson

Victoria 3 spans world history leading up to, during and following its namesake, the Victorian era, from 1836 to 1936, and allows the player to control any one of over 100 countries that existed during that time period. The game, however, does not allow players to control all regions in the game, as many of these are made up of what the game calls "decentralized nations", that typically represent regions inhabited by tribes lacking a central government. The game focuses on politics, demographics, and economic development, with gameplay focusing on appealing to and appeasing interest groups, who represent various social groups with different ideologies such as the Devout, Industrialists, and Rural Folk to name a few. The game presents a Marxist view of history as political affiliation is based on economic status, with designer Mikael Andersson stating, "It's no secret that Victoria 3 is in many ways the Historical Materialism Simulator." Though it can be considered a sandbox title, the main goal of the game is to modernize the controlled nation through industrialization. This is achieved chiefly through building mines and factories throughout the player's nation and increasing the capacity for construction. Supplemental mechanics towards this goal include trading on the world market, researching important technologies such as the Atmospheric Engine, and introducing liberal laws such as Free Trade and Laissez-Faire. Another system in the game is Diplomatic Plays, which borrows heavily from Victoria II crisis system. When attempting to force other countries to concede land or open markets, players will present a target country with a demand detailing what they desire, which will result in the target country having the opportunity to demand concessions from the aggressor. Following this exchange of demands, a timer will begin counting down as both sides have a chance to mobilize troops and attract potential allies by offering spoils or obligations. If no diplomatic resolution is reached before the timer runs out, war will be declared. Designer Mikael Andersson explained that this system was designed with the intent to tone down the role of warfare by making diplomacy equally as capable. The aforementioned decentralized nations, however, cannot be targeted by diplomatic plays and are primarily interacted with via colonization, which slowly absorbs the decentralized into the colonizing nation.

In the lead up to the game's announcement, Victoria 3 was seen as a meme by the Paradox fanbase due to players constantly asking about it, only to be ignored, with many joking that it would never see a release or that any mention of the number "three" from an official Paradox source meant that the game was on the way. The game was announced on 21 May 2021. Martin "Wiz" Anward served as director of the game's development. In April 2022, a beta version of the game was leaked online. Victoria 3 was released on 25 October 2022.

• Name — Accompanying patch — Type — Release date — Description • Volume 1 • Voice of the People — 1.3 "Thé à la menthe" — Immersion Pack — 22 May 2023 — Introduced the "historical agitators" system and overhauls France with new mechanics and decisions based on its long nineteenth century. • Colossus of the South — 1.5 "Chimarrão" — Region Pack — 14 November 2023 — Added unique events and mechanics related to the recovery of South American countries after their wars of independence. • Sphere of Influence — 1.7 "Kahwah" — Expansion — 24 June 2024 — Added new mechanics for diplomacy with a focus on the formation of power blocs that protect regional interests, investments in foreign economies, and interference in the politics of subjects. • Pivot of Empire — 1.8 "Masala Chai" — Immersion Pack — 21 November 2024 — Focused on the Indian subcontinent and the events following years of discrimination and suppression by the East India Company. • Volume 2 • Charters of Commerce — 1.9 "Lady Grey" — Mechanics Pack — 17 June 2025 — Reworked the trade, company, and treaty systems. • National Awakening — 1.10 "Kaffee" — Immersion Pack — 23 September 2025 — Added new content related to the Austrian Empire, the Great Eastern Crisis, and the prelude to the Balkan Wars. • Iberian Twilight — 1.12 "Chá de Tília" — Immersion Pack — 11 December 2025 — Added content for the tumultuous times of the 19th century Iberia, as well as the countries and regions in their sphere of influence such as Cuba, the Philippines, Hispaniola, and Morocco. • Volume 3 • The Great Wave — 1.13 "Matcha" — Expansion — 28 April 2026 — Added content for Japan; including the Sakoku period and the Meiji Restoration; as well as overhauling the navy system in general. • State and Revolution — 1.15 — Immersion Pack — 22 October 2026 — Russia and revolutions update. • Century of Strife — Immersion Pack — Q1 2027 — China and government update.

• Year — Award — Category — Result — Ref • 2022 — The Game Awards — Best Sim/Strategy Game • 2022 — The Steam Awards — Best Game You Suck At