UPDATE 31/8/22: Despite earlier word to the contrary and a listing on the Windows Store, Paradox has clarified Victoria 3 will be exclusive to Steam when it comes to PC on 25th October – meaning it won’t be on Game Pass for the foreseeable future, at launch or otherwise.
Announcing the news on the Paradox forum, a community ambassador for the company explained, “After discussion with our partners it was decided that Victoria 3 won’t be a part of Game Pass or Microsoft Store.” Paradox offered no further explanation, only saying it “[looks] forward to sharing more details on our next partnership with Xbox in the future.”
ORIGINAL STORY 30/8/22: Victoria 3, the latest entry in Paradox Interactive’s long-dormant society builder series, has been given a release date and is coming to PC and Xbox Game Pass for PC on 25th October.
Victoria, if you’re unfamiliar (which wouldn’t be all that surprising given that the previous game in the series released well over a decade ago), transports players back to the era of the Industrial Revolution for a take on Paradox’s beloved grand strategy genre that’s a little closer to a management game compared to the, say, RPG leanings of Crusader Kings.
Here, the focus is on building up the economic machinery of your state and country at the height of industrialisation – a process primarily achieved by tweaking and tinkering within your own borders, managing your people and fulfilling their needs to address political and social challenges and deal with diplomacy further afield.
If you’re curious to learn more, we chatted with Paradox about how it’s aiming expand and modernise the Victoria series back in 2021, at the time of Victoria 3’s announcement.
Victoria 3 will be available in two version when it launches via Steam and the Microsoft Store on 25th October: a £41.99/€49.99/$49.99 USD standard edition containing just the base game and a £66.99/$79.99 Grand Edition, which also includes the American Buildings Pack (unlocking on day one), expansion pass, music pack, art pack, and immersion pack.
Victoria 3 will be a day one release on Xbox Game Pass for PC too.