Europa Universalis V

Europa Universalis V is a grand strategy game developed by Paradox Tinto and published by Paradox Interactive. It is the sequel to the 2013 game Europa Universalis IV. The game was officially announced on 8 May 2025 and released on 4 November 2025.^[1] It received generally favorable reviews from critics.

Europa Universalis V
Steam storefront header
Developer	Paradox Tinto
Publisher	Paradox Interactive
Director	Johan Andersson
Composer	Håkan Glänte
Series	Europa Universalis
Engine	Clausewitz Engine
Platform	Windows
Release	4 November 2025
Genre	Grand strategy

Gameplay

Europa Universalis V is a grand strategy game that allows players to take control of a country and guide it through world history, spanning from 1 April 1337 to 1 January 1837.^[2][3] Unlike previous installments, most parts of the gameplay can be automated at the players discretion, allowing the player to focus on specific mechanics such as trade or military while giving control over the others to the game's AI.^[4]

Development

Europa Universalis V was developed by Paradox Tinto. During development, the game was known as "Project Caesar",^[3] and began development in 2020.^[5][6] Starting in early 2024,^[7] Paradox Tinto began quietly releasing forum posts called "Tinto Talks", which would showcase several aspects of the game.^[5] These included mechanics centered around the games economy management, its map and depiction of the Holy Roman Empire, and diplomacy features.^[8][9] Later, on 10 January 2025, Paradox began releasing posts under the name "Tinto Flavour", which focused on specific countries in the game.^[10] The game was officially announced on 8 May 2025.^[3]

Downloadable content

Paradox Tinto has announced the first downloadable content packs that will be released in 2026.^[11]

Name	Accompanying patch	Type	Release date	Description
Fate of the Phoenix	–	Immersion Pack	Q2 2026	TBD
Across the Pillars	–	Chronicle Pack	Q3 2026	TBD
The Auld Alliance	–	Chronicle Pack	Q4 2026	TBD

Reception

Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	85/100[12]
OpenCritic	100% recommend[13]

Europa Universalis V received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[12] OpenCritic determined that 100% of critics recommended the game.^[13]

IGN praised the game's unprecedented depth of simulation, and detailed population and terrain systems, but noted balance and tuning issues at launch.^[14] Rock Paper Shotgun also praised the game's depth, but cautioned that its overwhelming complexity makes it less accessible than other Paradox titles.^[15]