Europa Universalis 5 is the latest grand strategy game by Paradox Interactive and, while it only just released on November 4, the developers have already confirmed that three big DLC packs are on the way. In Europa Universalis 5, gamers get to watch nearly 500 years of history unfold before their eyes as they take part in diplomacy, trade, and war. As with other titles in the series, this game emphasizes the importance of history, paying close attention to even small details when bringing the world to life.
Paradox’s Europa Universalis 5 is already a major success, as it has gained a lot of traction on Steam. Shortly after its debut on November 4, the title reached over 78,000 concurrent players on the platform. It even briefly managed to climb ahead of the hit game Arc Raiders on Steam’s sales charts, which is pretty impressive given the extraction shooter’s current popularity. Europa Universalis 5 has a “Very Positive” rating on Steam and is sitting at an 87 on OpenCritic as of writing.
Ahead of launch, Paradox Interactive advertised that two chronicle packs and one immersion pack would be included with the premium edition of Europa Universalis 5, touting that it would be the most cost-effective way to experience the upcoming content. Now that the title is out, the developers have released a small roadmap, detailing the DLC players can expect to get their hands on in 2026.
Europa Universalis 5 Immersion Packs and Chronicle Packs
- Fate of the Phoenix (Q2 2026)
- Across the Pillars (Q3 2026)
- The Auld Alliance (Q4 2026)
The Fate of the Phoenix immersion pack is set to make its debut in Q2 of 2026 and will focus on the Byzantine Empire restoring the glory of its Roman roots, adding even more historical depth to Europa Universalis 5. Across the Pillars, releasing in Q3 2026, is a chronicle pack that will decide the fate of the Strait of Gibraltar while adding more options for Morocco and Castile. In Q4 2026, players will be able to get their hands on the chronicle pack The Auld Alliance, which will focus on the conflict between France, Scotland, and the English. While it may seem early to start talking about DLC, Paradox Interactive has a long history of supporting the series through expansions. The developers released a steady stream of content for Europa Universalis 4 for a decade, and some fans have been wondering if the same will be true for its sequel.
Europa Universalis 4 Expansions and Immersion Packs
- Conquest of Paradise (January 14, 2014)
- Wealth of Nations (May 29, 2014)
- Res Publica (July 16, 2014)
- Art of War (October 30, 2014)
- El Dorado (February 26, 2015)
- Women in History (March 8, 2015)
- Common Sense (June 9, 2015)
- The Cossacks (December 1, 2015)
- Mare Nostrum (April 5, 2016)
- Rights of Man (October 11, 2016)
- Mandate of Heaven (April 6, 2017)
- Third Rome (June 14, 2017)
- Cradle of Civilization (November 16, 2017)
- Rule Britannia (March 20, 2018)
- Dharma (September 6, 2018)
- Golden Century (December 11, 2018)
- Emperor (June 9, 2020)
- Leviathan (April 27, 2021)
- Origins (November 11, 2021)
- Lions of the North (September 13, 2022)
- Domination (April 18, 2023)
- King of Kings (November 6, 2023)
- Winds of Change (May 8, 2024)
With such a strong track record of support through a variety of DLC packs, many folks are hopeful that Paradox is just at the beginning of another decade-long journey with Europa Universalis 5. It’s worth noting that immersion packs are different from full expansions, though both have added valuable content to the series in the past. For instance, Europa Universalis 4‘s Lions of the North DLC is considered an immersion pack. As such, it added new sprites for many units, additional music, and quest trees for Scandinavia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and more. The scope of an immersion pack is often limited to specific regions, as opposed to the wide-sweeping changes one may expect to see in a major expansion.
This time around, Paradox Interactive is labeling larger expansions as chronicle packs, though there aren’t many details regarding what players can expect from them yet. In a recent post on Reddit, the community manager for the game only said that chronicle packs will be bigger than immersion packs and stated that the developers will go into more details about the size and scope of both at some point in the future. If the past is any indication, gamers can look forward to seeing even more depth in the representation of historical nations in Europa Universalis 5 with both types of DLC. With so much content to enjoy in the base game and three expansions on the way in 2026, many fans are feeling optimistic about the future.
- Released
-
November 4, 2025
- Developer(s)
-
Paradox Tinto
Source: Paradox Interactive
