Oh boy, PDXCon (Paradox Convention) has had a seriously huge amount of announcements and new content this year, as is befitting of grand strategy gurus. Since there’s so much we’ve decided to stick it all in one big post and let you dig through it to your own pace. If anything new gets announced over the rest of the day we’ll update this post with anything extra. First up, the new games:

Imperator: Rome

Paradox have announced a new grand strategy game, Imperator: Rome. Set in the classical world from the glory days of Athens to the Roman Empire four centuries later. You’ll be able to rule any nation on the most detailed Paradox map ever, stretching from the Pillars Of Hercules to the far reaches of India. Sounds exciting. You can check out the trailer above or read the features list below. Imperator: Rome is expected to release sometime in 2019.

• Character Management: A living world of characters with varying skills and traits that will change over time. They will lead your nation, govern your provinces and command your armies and fleets. We also introduce our new, more human-like character art.
• Diverse Populations: Citizens, freemen, tribesmen and slaves – each population with its own culture and religion. Whether they fill your armies, fill your coffers or fill your colonies, keep an eye on their happiness – your success depends on their satisfaction.
• Battle Tactics: Choose your approach before battle to counter the stratagems of your foes.
• Military Traditions: Each culture has a unique way of waging war. Romans and Celts have different options available to them. Unlock unique bonuses, abilities and units.
• Different Government Types: Manage the senate in a Republic, hold your court together in a monarchy, answer to the clans in a tribal system.
• Barbarians and Rebellions: Migrating barbarians may sack or settle your best land, while disloyal governors or generals can turn against you – taking their armies with them!
• Trade: Goods provide bonuses to their home province. Will you take advantage of stockpiles for local strength or trade excess goods to spread the wealth around?
• Provincial Improvement: Invest in buildings, roads and defences to make your kingdom stronger and richer.

Age Of Wonders: Planetfall

The second new game announcement comes courtesy of Triumph Studios and Paradox, Age Of Wonders: Planetfall. The newest entry to the Age Of Wonders series, Planetfall will take the turn-based empire building sim to a sci-fi setting. Players will emerge from the dark age of a fallen galactic empire to create a new future for their people. You’ll explore planetary ruins, encounter other factions, and unravel the history of a destroyed civilization. There’ll be all the usual tactical shenanigans including fighting, construction, negotiation, and technological progress. There’ll also be a single player campaign, multiplayer, and the ability to play on random maps in both modes. Here’s the official feature list:

• Strategic Turn-Based Sci-Fi Combat – Perfect your combat strategy in intense turn-based battles that offer tactical challenges, a large cast of races, units with customizable weapons, and destructible environments.
• Discover a Rich Science Fiction World – Uncover the history of the fallen galactic empire as you explore lush landscapes, and experience the emergent story. Encounter NPC factions and rival houses, and discover hidden technologies that can strengthen your society and give you advantage over enemies.
• Planetary Empire Building – Create your own unique House, and build prosperous colonies through economic specializations of planetary sectors and governing doctrines.
• Multiple Paths to Victory – Achieve your end goals through conquest, diplomacy or doomsday technologies. Engrossing options with NPC factions and rival Houses won’t make the decisions easy!

Expect Age Of Wonders: Planetfall to land on PC and consoles sometime in 2019.

Hearts Of Iron IV

Hearts Of Iron IV is getting a new expansion titled Man The Guns. Focusing on naval combat, the expansion will allow you to design your own warships in detail, adding armour and guns through a modular system. You can also refit and upgrade older ships to keep up with changing technology. It’s not all just big boats and big guns though; big words are getting some love with new options for democratic nations, including new paths for the United States and other free nations. As usual, there’ll also be a large, free update for Hearts Of Iron IV when the expansion is released – sadly we don’t have a date yet, only “soon”. However, we do know that it’ll cost $19.99 when it lands.

Hearts Of Iron IV has also hit the 1 million sales mark and as such is getting a celebratory Anniversary Edition physical release which will include the base game (on Steam), the new Man The Guns expansion, and a historical diorama from Power Up Factory that depicts the Italian army raising its flag over the ruins of London. More expensive editions will also include keys for the other expansions; Together For Victory, Death Or Dishonor, and Waking The Tiger.

Crusader Kings 2

Crusader Kings 2 is also getting a new expansion. This time titled Holy Fury. The new expansion will focus on the conflicts between Pagan defenders and Christian Crusaders. Pagan rulers will be able to reform their religion and design Reformed Paganism to their own liking. Holy Fury will also include: a fictional map of Europe or a random map with historical analogues to old kingdoms. Warrior Lodges will give pagan rulers a chance to raid their way to powerful allies and greater military skill. Descendants of great heroes will have bonuses that match their ancestors, including bloodlines like Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, and more. Pious Catholics can become canonized, passing on their glory and making their resting place a site of great value. Coronations will require clergy to crown a new ruler. Crusade events. Succession laws will allow a Pagan Elder Council to divide a realm amongst heirs or one ruler may challenge his brother to combat in order to unify the realm. There’ll also be changes to religion, custom names for people and objects, deeper baptismal mechanics, lists of people you’ve killed, and other small changes. As with Hearts Of Iron‘s expansion, there’ll also be a free patch to the game for all players including the changes to Crusades. You can read the official list below:

• Shattered and Random Worlds: Start your game on a fictional map of Europe as a small realm fighting for space, or on a random map with historical analogues for the great kingdoms of yore.
• Warrior Lodges: Join a Pagan warrior lodge and raid your way up the ranks, unlocking access to powerful allies and greater military skill.
• Legendary Bloodlines: Descendants of great warrior heroes will have bonuses that match the accomplishments of their forefathers, including historical bloodlines of Charlemagne, Genghis Khan and others..
• Sway or Antagonize Your Neighbors: Try to win a reluctant vassal through charm and persuasion, or provoke someone you want to push into conflict.
• Sainthood: Pious Catholics can become canonized, passing on their glory to their descendants and making their resting place a site of great value.
• Coronations: Feudal kings and emperors must find clergy to crown them, since all power descends from the heavens.
• New Crusade Events: Deeper gameplay for the religious wars of the era.
• New Succession Laws: A Pagan Elder Council may have the final word in how a realm is divided among heirs, or a ruler may challenge his brother to combat to unify a realm.
• And much more: Changes to religion, custom names for people or objects, deeper baptismal mechanics, lists of people you’ve killed, and other small changes for flavor and variety.

Holy Fury is coming sometime this year and will cost $19.99.

Europa Universalis IV

The venerable Europa Universalis IV is getting a new expansion too. Titled Dharma, the expansion will focus on the Indian subcontinent. Dharma will put more focus on peacetime interactions, especially between the nations of India and the colonial powers who want to make their fortunes. There’ll be the ability to design your government, which you can read about below. There’ll also be a free update for all Europa Universalis IV players which will include the major reworking of the map of India, Tibet, and Burma.

• Design Your Government: Unlock reforms that will define how you govern your kingdom or republic, earning free policies and boosting the power of some estates.
• Reworked Policy System: Policies get a new look in the free update, but Dharma will include special bonuses that make this system even more attractive.
• Trade Company Investments: Upgrade and improve the provinces tied to your trade companies, conferring bonuses both to the European master and neighboring Indian nations.
• New Cossack Government: Exclusive for owners of The Cossacks expansion.
• New Indian Mission Trees: Unique mission paths for the most important Indian sultanates and kingdoms.
• New Indian Estates: Alongside a free update to the estate system, India gets five new castes. Raise the brahmins to reduce unrest in a province or install Jain governors for a boost to income while reducing manpower..
• New Mughal Culture Bonus: The Mughal Empire can assimilate and accommodate newly conquered cultures with ease.
• Charter Companies: Europeans can buy a foothold into trade charter zones in Africa and Asia, if they can find a prince that trusts them.
• Upgraded Trade Centers: Invest in the development of your Centers of Trade
• And more, including: new ways to suppress rebellion, the monsoon season, new uses for colonists in non-colonial development, scornful insults, multiplayer teams, new art, and a host of new achievements.

Expect Dharma later this year at a price of $19.99.

Stellaris: Distant Stars

The newest story pack for Stellaris, Distant Stars, will be releasing in just a couple of days: 22 May 2018. The expansion will overhaul the exploration phase with ~50% increase in anomalies over the base game. Old anomalies will also be overhauled, new events will be included, three new leviathans have been added, L-Gates will lead to the L-Cluster but must first be activated. The free update that will accompany the story pack will also include; new types of stars (binary and trinary), brown dwarves, red giants, reworked anomaly system and anomaly tracker, and apparently more but it wasn’t detailed specifically. Distant Stars will cost $9.99.