Holy Moly, Crusader Kings 3 Will Let You Play as a Pope
Paradox Interactive has announced its Chapter Five expansion plans for Crusader Kings 3, introducing major new mechanics centered around religion and trade. The cornerstone feature is the introduction of playable theocracies, allowing players to rise to power as the Pope himself—a first for the Crusader Kings franchise.
The new expansion, titled “By God Alone,” will significantly expand religious gameplay options and church interactions. According to Mikael Andersson, lead designer on the expansion, the update extends player agency in how they engage with the Christian faith and its institutional structures. Beyond papal gameplay, the expansion introduces strategic options for dealing with other rulers of the same faith, broadening the game’s diplomatic and religious systems.
Chapter Five will also bring merchant republic mechanics alongside the papal features, introducing new trade systems to complement the religious expansion. This follows the successful Chapter Four expansions, which extended the game’s map into Asia and introduced mechanics for playing as Mongolian nomads, Chinese courtly bureaucrats, and Indonesian god-kings.
By God Alone is scheduled for release in Q3 2026 as a paid expansion, giving players several months before the update arrives. The expansion represents Paradox’s continued commitment to deepening Crusader Kings 3’s role-playing depth and strategic options, allowing for increasingly diverse playstyles within the grand strategy framework.