Paradox Interactive, publisher of popular gaming franchises such as Crusader Kings, Age of Wonders and Cities: Skylines, held a 2023 showcase today in which they unveiled a plethora of new game announcements and expansions all set to release sometime within the current year. The 33-minute-long presentation, which can be found on Paradox Interactive’s YouTube channel, was highlighted by the announcement of a sequel to Cities: Skylines, the critically acclaimed city-builder released back in 2015, along with DLC announcements for several of its biggest games including Crusader Kings III and Europa Universalis IV. Here’s a full recap for everything that was revealed today:
The headliner of Paradox’s showcase was the reveal of Cities: Skylines II, which is set to release later in 2023 for the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC platforms. According to Paradox, the city builder title will be the most realistic and open-ended of its genre ever, and will come “complete with fully-realized transport and economy systems, a wealth of construction and customization options, and advanced modding capabilities.”
Another new game announcement was The Lamplighters League, a turn-based strategy game developed by Harebrained Schemes, who are responsible for the Shadowrun Trilogy and BATTLETECH. Set in an alternate 1930s, this title promises a “character-driven story of adventure and intrigue” with a unique cast of characters and real-time infiltration mechanics.
While information and footage was sparse, a new Sims 5 competitor Life By You was also announced during the presentation. This will be the debut project for Paradox Tectonic, a studio founded only in 2019, and will be directed by Rod Humble, known for his work on The Sims and Second Life franchises. More details on this title will be revealed in a separate presentation on March 20.
Paradox Arc, a publishing label initiative which launched back in 2022 to elevate complex and replayable titles from smaller development teams, announced two new games during the showcase. Knights of Pen and Paper 3, a third installment to the pop-culture-infused turn-based RPG franchise, will be available on Steam starting from March 7th. Mechabellum is a sci-fi tactical auto brawler filled with mechs and robots, and will launch its Steam Early Access on March 11.
Across the Obelisk, another title published under Paradox Arc will receive its first expansion DLC tilted: The Wolf Wars. Fans of this deckbuilding RPG can enjoy a new mode of play that allows them to control of a preset party of characters and cards as they relive one of the defining historical events of Serenthia. This expansion will also come with new cosmetics, cards, and a hero to unlock.
Crusader Kings III: Tours and Tournaments is a new PC expansion that will allow players fight in jousts and hold grand weddings among other new events and role-playing opportunities as they become stronger in their medieval society.
Europa Universalis IV: Domination is another expansion, slated to arrive in Spring 2023. This DLC will provide content such as new mission trees, military units, historical events and more political Estates to manage for countries like the Ottoman Empire, Ming China, Russia, France and others.
Surviving the Aftermath: Rebirth is a new expansion for Iceflake Studios’ survival city builder arriving later this Spring. This DLC features terraforming mechanics that players can use to revitalize the environment, as well as new buildings and ways to research and cure the Blight infestation.
Paradox also announced the release dates for its two new expansions for Stellaris. Overlord will come to consoles on March 8th and will add empire management features. First Contact will release on PC March 14, and will add new civilizations, cloaking technology, and mechanics that will give players opportunities to tell stories about their civilizations’ early histories.