Paradox Interactive delivered Crusader Kings 3, the long-awaited sequel to one of the most popular grand strategy games ever made, in late 2020 to very positive reviews. But as the Crusader Kings and grand strategy community ever is, the demand for additional content grew quickly. Now Paradox is ready to deliver on those expectations. During today's PDX Insider event, Paradox revealed Crusader Kings 3's upcoming DLC Flavor Pack, Northern Lords.
As the name implies, the Northern Lords Flavor Pack DLC is Norse-themed, filled to the brim with new Viking content. The primary addition of the Northern Lords being what Paradox is calling Norse adventurer realms. This feature allows Norse characters to abandon their home regions to invade foreign regions and establish their own kingdoms. Paradox says that even if the player chooses not to do invasions, Crusader Kings 3's AI will, attacking historical targets like Britain and Russia.
There will also be plenty of Norse-themed cultural content to make players' campaigns rich in historical depth. The expansion's going to include multiple special Norse dynastic legacies as well as a variety of other cultural innovations and events. As examples, Paradox listed Norse blot sacrifices and trials by combat. Paradox also mentions that it's reworked its dynasty legacies to be more interesting, and applying this greater effort to the Norse dynasties as well. Specifically, there will be two Norse dynasty tracks, one focusing on adventure and one on pillaging.
Other content to be featured in the Northern Lords Flavor Pack includes new units like Jomsvikings, Shieldmaidens, Berserkers, Varangian adventurers, and missionaries. There's also new art and music to suit the theme, plus other features like runestones, new decisions, and more content focusing on Norse history.
As should be clear, Flavor Pack DLC comes in a smaller size than Paradox's full-sized expansions. What Paradox is trying to do with Flavor Packs is release a DLC that captures a very specific region, culture, or area in great detail. All of the content in the DLC will focus entirely on this specific theme, rather than covering a broad swathe of applicable in-universe subjects.
Alongside the release of the Northern Lords DLC, Paradox will also be releasing a free 1.3 patch. The patch will introduce the winter to Crusader Kings 3, which will spread snow in wintery regions like those found in the Northern Lords regions. The ability to duel rivals will also be added through a perk. Also, players will be able to become poet characters, which have their own unique benefits. Both the Northern Lords premium Flavor Pack and the free patch will be available starting March 16.
Crusader Kings 3 is available now on PC.