Paradox Interactive is taking players to the heights of religious authority. With the upcoming By God Alone expansion, Crusader Kings 3 fans will finally be able to play as a Pope. This new core expansion introduces playable theocracies and deep mechanics designed to let you influence the church directly.

Rise to Power: How to Play as a Pope

"For the first time in the Crusader Kings franchise, we're also introducing playable theocracies, allowing you to rise to the power of the Pope himself," explained Mikael Andersson, lead designer on the expansion. The update aims to expand how players engage with the Christian faith and its institutions.

According to Andersson, By God Alone extends your options for engaging with the Christian faith and the church behind it. It provides more strategic options for dealing with this institution, as well as interacting with other rulers of the same faith. Beyond letting you play as a Pope, the expansion offers several structural changes:

  • Revised taxation: Changes to how much tax is collected from temple holdings.
  • Direct control: The ability for players to direct certain taxation to their own ends.
  • New Rites: The introduction of local variations of practice to represent historical upheaval.

The expansion is scheduled to arrive in Q3 of this year as a paid expansion, giving players plenty of time to plan how to wield the word of God to their advantage. Andersson noted during a video reveal that the team is "fleshing out the Christian church to make the institution itself feel like a living entity."

New Expansions and Free Updates

The reveal also teased another core expansion titled Silk & Silver. This upcoming content will allow players to live the medieval merchant life by establishing trade routes and undercutting their business rivals.

If you aren't looking to play as a Pope just yet, there is something for everyone dropping today. A new free update has arrived, introducing:

  • Age-related ailments for older characters.
  • A new system for personal, character-bound Stories within the game.

Since its 2022 release, Crusader Kings 3 has been hailed by IGN as "a new king of historical strategy." These upcoming expansions promise to add even more depth to the game's signature drama, marriages, and feuds.