Paradox Interactive launched Victoria 3 on October 25th. Developed in-house by Paradox Development Studio, it is the long-awaited third installment of the beloved grand strategy series. It lets players build political and economic empires amid the upheaval of the Industrial Revolution. While Victoria 3’s seen mixed reviews so far, only time will tell if it eventually lives up to its predecessor’s legacy.
If that happens, it will likely be after Victoria 3 has gone through many years of updates and expansions. Given how DLC-heavy Paradox Interactive games like Victoria 3 tend to be, some fans may be tempted to get in on the ground floor with the new game. Players may be able to get a leg up in that regard by purchasing Victoria 3’s Grand edition, which offers guaranteed access to multiple upcoming DLC. However, some fans will want to know what they are getting for their money before shelling out for the more expensive package.
What is in Victoria 3: Grand Edition
Victoria 3: Grand Edition is available now on Steam for $79.99, $30 more than the base game costs on its own. It is not currently possible to upgrade from the standard edition to Grand Edition, though players can always refund the base game and then purchase the Grand Edition if they want. The Grand Edition includes the base game of Victoria 3, the remastered Victoria 2 Soundtrack, the American Buildings Pack, the Art Pack, the Music Pack, and the first Immersion Pack and Expansion Pack. Paradox has confirmed that the listed prices will be the same in Euros as USD.
As the name implies, the American Buildings pack is a small DLC that adds unique Building models for the United States of America in Victoria 3. Unfortunately, it is not currently available for purchase outside the Victoria 3: Grand Edition, though Paradox may change that eventually. In addition, the publisher sometimes releases pre-order bonuses as free DLC further down the road, though there’s no guarantee that Paradox will do so with this item.
Paradox hasn’t revealed much information about most of the rest of the Victoria 3: Grand Edition’s Expansion Pass content, as none of its DLC has been officially announced. However, Victoria 3’s Community Ambassador Pelhamds offered some insight in a post on the Paradox Forum. The Music Pass will include about 45 minutes of new compositions. Players will be able to listen to the new songs in-game as well as in separate FLAC and MP4 files. Victoria 3 players who don’t buy the Grand Edition can later purchase the Music pack separately for $4.99.
The upcoming Art Pack includes a variety of new visual content for Victoria 3. This may consist of new assets for character portraits, alternate City skins, and different paper maps. The Art Pack will be $4.99 when sold separately.
Victoria 3 Immersion Packs and Expansion Packs
Victoria 3’s Immersion Pack will include new content built around a specific region, theme, or time period. This will consist of new visual assets, Journal Entries, Events, and Historical Characters. The Immersion Pack may also include new mechanics, Laws, Technology, Traits, or more related to the pack’s theme. A good comparison would be Crusader Kings 3’s Northern Lords and Fate of Iberia DLCs, which added a wealth of new content for Scandinavia and the Iberian Peninsula, respectively. There’s no word on what Victoria 3’s first Immersion pack will focus on, but it’s included in Victoria 3: Grand Edition and will be sold separately for $14.99.
Victoria 3: Grand Edition also includes the game’s first Expansion Pack. These are likely where Victoria 3 players should expect the most radical changes to the gameplay. Pelhamds says, “Where Immersion Packs increase the depth of the game, Expansions increase its breadth.” The Expansions will introduce significant new mechanics and modes with a focus on expanding Victoria 3’s simulated world. Victoria 3’s Expansion Packs will also contain new laws, traits, and additional content similar to what players will find in the planned Immersion Packs.
Paradox Interactive has yet to officially announce Victoria 3’s first Expansion Pack, so it’s hard to guess at specific content. However, in terms of scope, good comparisons might be Crusader Kings 3’s Royal Court DLC and Stellaris’ Overlord expansion. Both added significant new content and major reworks to some existing mechanics, though Paradox is probably hoping Victoria 3’s first Expansion sees a more positive reaction than those divisive DLCs. The unannounced Expansion Pack will retail at $29.99 for players who don’t purchase Victoria 3: Grand Edition.
Victoria 3: Grand Edition Price Comparison
Many Victoria 3 players will be wondering how much money they would save by purchasing the Victoria 3: Grand Edition compared to buying each piece individually. As indicated above Victoria 3 retails for $49.99 on Steam, with the unannounced Expansion Pack costing an additional $29.99. This brings the total to $79.98, so the Victoria 3: Grand Edition is worth it for anyone who definitely plans to purchase Victoria 3’s first Expansion.
The Immersion Pack is set to retail for $14.99, bringing the total up to $94.97 if purchased separately. Meanwhile, the Music Pack and Art Packs will cost $4.99. This would bring the final tally to $104.95 for players who wanted to purchase each item individually. That means buying the Grand Edition gives players a discount of a little over 23%, or $24.96 off the whole package.
Of course, Victoria 3 players will have to decide for themselves how comfortable they are spending extra money on content that hasn’t even been announced yet. Anyone who buys Victoria 3: Grand Edition would probably be annoyed if the Expansion and Emersion Packs turned out not to be to their taste. Still, taking almost $25 off the price of those purchases is more than nothing.
Victoria 3 is out now on PC.