It’s now 11 years since Europa Universalis 4 first arrived. The Winds of Change DLC landed back in May, and EU4, naturally, is so big that it feels like there’s plenty of life left in it still, but with Civilization 7 on the horizon, we’re very curious to see what Paradox is planning for the potential sequel. Though it’s still not been officially confirmed, a lot of signs suggest that Europa Universalis 5 is already in the works. In fact, Paradox is already sharing details about the would-be sequel’s systems and maps – it’s still codenamed Project Caesar, but we just got some fresh information on what may well be EU5.
Possibly the grandest grand strategy game of them all, Europa Universalis 4 effectively charges you with taking over not just a country, but the entire world. Through military might, trade, and shrewd diplomacy, you shape the culture and history of our planet over the course of centuries.
Beginning all the way back in 2000, and even before that, considering Philippe Thibaut’s original board game, the EU series has been a strategy and 4X mainstay for over two decades. Now, a sequel seems to be fully underway, and developer Paradox Tinto, which was founded back in 2020 specifically to handle the series, has plenty to share about the game that might be Europa Universalis 5.
Johan Andersson, Paradox Tinto’s studio lead and director of Europa Universalis 4, has been sharing regular updates on the progress and processes of what is currently called Project Caesar. There’s no confirmation yet, but based on the information that’s been steadily posted, this is almost certainly EU5. The latest update offers a few more choice clues, as well as additional details on how Europa Univers- I mean, Project Caesar will work.
Andersson explains that Project Caesar will use a ‘prosperity and devastation’ system (just like EU4) where the productivity and liveability of a map area vary depending on positive or negative factors. Players can’t influence this directly, but if the surroundings are fertile and peaceful, prosperity will rise. If an area is blockaded or occupied by an opposing military, devastation will go up instead.
‘Development’ is similar insofar as it’s a value that signifies how many citizens can live in an area and how much of it is available for exploitation. Players can directly influence this, however, by – for example – mobilizing their highest-ranking government ministers to intervene when development drops too low.
According to Andersson, Project Caesar “includes one of the most in-depth systems of roads we have ever made.” In later stages, multiple road advancements are available that can reduce the proximity between map spaces even further. Andersson compares the system to other Paradox strategy games.
“This may sound like it could be a lot of micromanagement if we had used the ways railroads were built in Victoria 2, or how roads were built in Imperator, but we have a few easier ways to build or upgrade road networks. You can always build a road into the location of any country that has a positive opinion of you, so road networks can and will be connected for trade.”
Finally, the Europa Universalis 4 director explains naval units, specifically pirates and privateers. Players can sponsor pirates to convert them into privateers, and more options and tools for recruiting them will become available as time in the game progresses. When it comes to combating piracy, heavier ships are not well suited.
Galleys can do the job, but light ships are better, and will reduce the presence of pirates in any areas where they are deployed. Nevertheless, when you reach the 16th century during Project Caesar, pirates will appear in more concentrated numbers on certain parts of the map, aptly mirroring real history.
Further Project Caesar updates are expected each week and we will keep you up to date with any information about what certainly seems to be Europa Universalis 5.
While we wait for more, check out some of the best 4X games, or maybe the best RTS games on PC.
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