The season of shows is upon us once more and Paradox Interactive are the first out of the gate with their PDXCON Remixed show. We’re only covering the announcements here, but there’s also an awards show available via their channel if you care who got what souvenir shop trophy this year. As usual you can watch the entire show above or continue below to skip the fluff and just learn about the games. Without further ado, the games:

Crusader Kings 3

Crusader Kings 3 has already had a couple of free updates, bringing in stuff that was DLC for CK2 but Royal Court is the first paid expansion for the medieval period simulator. The expansion will introduce the throne room, which players can enter to interact with their courtiers or dispense justice. It’s not all “off with his head” though, rulers can hear petitions and grievances, dish out rewards, and be judged by your vassals based on how well you’ve decorated. Sorry if your married your immortal god-horse and your new wife pooped on the rug. Additionally, the expansion will bring changes to the culture system, introducing pillars of culture and how cultures change over time. Royal Court doesn’t have a release date yet.

Empire of Sin

Romero Games have announced that the next free update for Empire of Sin will be bringing precincts to the game (don’t know what that means and it’s never explained) as well as bringing modding support to the PC version. Additionally, the first paid DLC will be titled Make it Count and will bring new items, missions, and rackets. There’ll also be a new boss, Meyer Lansky, known as “the mob’s accountant” he’ll be bringing new combat moves and ways to take over the city. Make it Count and the free update are coming later this year.

Hearts of Iron IV

No Step Back, the next expansion for WW2 grand strategy title Hearts of Iron 4 will be focusing on the eastern front, Soviet Union, and more military modification including designing your own tanks. The DLC will also be bringing supply systems with trains and transport to the already complex sim.

Cities: Skylines

Cities Skylines will be receiving a couple of new content creator packs. Bridges & Piers focuses on stuff you can stick over the water. No, not fishing rods, or oil rigs. It’s bringing twelve new bridges, eight new quays, and two new piers. Frankly we don’t know how we’re going to contain our excitement. Secondly we have Train Stations, another content creator pack that will add twelve new train stations and four new transport hubs. Two new radio stations, Rail Hawk and Sunny Breeze are also a thing. The content creator packs are out now.

Prison Architect

The fifth DLC for Prison Architect is titled Second Chances; the DLC is focusing on rehabilitation and reform and will be bringing new facilities and reform programs. These will include things like animal therapy, meet & greet sessions, and conflict management classes to make your violent inmates more agreeable. New jobs will be introduced too, allowing prisoners to work in the prison bakery and restaurant. Prisoners will be able to reduce their sentences with good behaviour and extend their sentences for crimes committed while incarcerated. Players will be able to set uniform colours, prisoner wages, and more. Second Chances is coming on 16 June 2021 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. 29 June 2021 for Switch. Additionally, a free update will be introducing wall panels, a narcotics search order, and new policies.

Stellaris

Surviving Mars

We got an announcement of an announcement of future content. Did we really need a video segment in a show to tell us that? Instead we got a single teaser image of a space-suited human looking down a big hole in the ground. Presumably that means they’re adding Martian Graboids to the colony sim. Or that you’ll be able to make your colonists dig space latrines. Oh! Maybe it’s a well so your colonists can throw a little girl down there and make a piece of haunted anachronistic storage media. There’s a reason we don’t do much speculation here at PJ.

Victoria 3

Game director Martin Anward took to the virtual stage dressed as Elon Musk cosplaying an 1800s textile mill owner to announce Victoria 3. It’s been eleven years since Victoria 2, and frankly we’d forgotten it even exists. But, for fans of the Victorian-era grand strategy series the third game is finally confirmed. Anward confirmed that the game is still focusing on the population management that the series is known for but will be bringing new systems to make the game more accessible to newer players. Sounds a bit like what happened with Crusader Kings 3.

That’s it, the end of the show. Normally we’d say what was most and least interesting for us but grand strategy makes our tiny monkey brains hurt with all those squiggles the smart people call numbers so we’re not qualified to cast judgement upon what looks like the best DLC. We are qualified to say that the Surviving Mars announcement of an announcement was definitely the worst part of the show and a complete waste of everyone’s time. Shame on you Paradox, you shouldn’t be making things to waste people’s time.