Crusader Kings III Chapter 3 is bringing the Black Death to gaming

When a grand strategy game gets it right the potential to pour in hundreds and hundreds of hours in it is endless. Paradox Interactive has three on the go at the moment with Hearts of Iron IV, Europa Universalis IV, and Crusader Kings III, each offering a different flavor of history.

The latter is the youngest of the trio and will, next month, receive a huge update with Paradox unveiling a 2024 roadmap that will have fans of the game readying their armies for an invasion onto foreign soil, medieval style.

It all spins up around an expansion called Legends of the Dead – Paradox is calling this a Core Expansion. Game Director Rageair said in a dev post on Steam, “Chapter III is definitely our most ambitious chapter yet, with a Core Expansion, Major Expansion, and an Event Pack (as well as an instant chapter unlock!) New ways of playing the game, and big, sweeping systems are the name of the game this year.”

Part of this initial core expansion will feature the arrival of major diseases that swept the time period – the likes of plagues of consumption, measles, and Holy Fire (the Dancing Plague), before, as the game progresses, the inevitable sweep of The Black Death plague, wiping out all the good work you have managed before it.

The overarching aim of Legends of the Dead is to, “Turn yourself into a figure of legend in this Core Expansion, where great feats and effective propaganda can enhance the power of your bloodline through the centuries. Direct the course of your dynastic legend through Court Chroniclers, whether building a reputation for great buildings or legendary feasts.”

Legends of the Dead is due to be released on the 4th of March.

The whole 2024 roadmap is being referred to as Chapter 3 of Crusader Kings and, later in the year we will get the Major Expansion, Roads to Power which is billed as, “The majesty of the Byzantine Empire takes center stage in this Major Expansion. Rule from Constantinople through a new Administrative Government form and experience a variety of new Byzantine-themed events and flavor. Or, be truly daring and live a life where your noble reputation is not tied to the land, roaming the map as an Adventurer for hire.”

There is no date for this new major expansion yet other than Q3, so we should be expecting it around Fall potentially.

Crusader Kings III is a great game, and if you haven’t played it yet, now would be a good time to get used to its key mechanics before the new stuff arrives.