Crusader Kings 3 is heading north for its first DLC, coming next week

Paradox has revealed Crusader Kings 3's first bit of DLC, which will be good news for anyone wanting even more Vikings in their lives, and bad news for anyone hoping this would be the first expansion. Instead, it's a 'flavor pack', which is a bit slimmer than an expansion, but also cheaper.

The Northern Lords Flavor Pack will toss in new art, 3D models, music, events and features like adventurer realms created by formerly landless warriors. So it's not purely cosmetic. Since we've already got Viking raids and invasions, it looks like this pack is more interested in what the Norse get up to when they're not pillaging monasteries and burning down villages.

If any of this is giving you an itch to make a new Norse lord, then you won't have long to wait. It's launching on Tuesday, March 16. It will also be accompanied by a hefty free patch, 1.3, which Paradox has been teasing over the last month. It's thematically in keeping with the Northern Lords pack, but should have a bit more broad appeal.

Included in 1.3 is winter weather and map tweaks, a poetry trait that lets you spit out randomised couplets and a new duelling system. It covers a lot of ground beyond these highlights, and might actually be a bit more compelling than the DLC.

Sadly, it doesn't look there's anything from my Crusader Kings 3 DLC wish list. Oh well! Maybe next time.

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.