Grand Strategy Dossier · 19th century · 1836 — 1936
Victoria 3
Victoria 3 is Paradox's economic and political grand strategy game, released in October 2022 after more than a decade of waiting since Victoria 2. Focused on the Industrial Revolution (1836-1936), it simulates populations stratified into social classes (POPs), complex production chains, shifting political ideologies, social movements and great-power diplomacy. More economic than military, it is the most abstract and hardest-to-learn Paradox game, but also one of the deepest once mastered.
State of the game
- Next expansion
- State and Revolution
- Nov 5, 2026
- Current version
- 1.15 « Ivan-Chai »
- Nov 5, 2026
- Latest expansion
- The Great Wave
- Apr 28, 2026
Start here
- Guide 01 Victoria 3 Beginner Guide 2026: Version 1.15 and First Steps Victoria 3 beginner guide for 2026: current version 1.15, what changed for new players, DLC you do not need, best first countries and the first decisions in order.
- Guide 02 Victoria 3 Console Commands & Cheats: Complete Guide 2026 All Victoria 3 console commands and cheats updated for 2026 — money, innovation, prestige, instabuild, full cheat sheet with FAQ and HowTo guide.
- Deep dive 03 Victoria 3 The Great Wave review: 5 days in — the expansion that revives Vic3? In-depth review of Victoria 3 The Great Wave after 5 days of play: Ship Designer, naval missions, Edo Japan focus. We assess the strategies that emerge.
- Guide 04 Victoria 3: the best companies to establish (2026 guide) Which companies to establish in Victoria 3: a suggested order, historical companies by country, slots, prosperity, charters and monopolies, based on the rules of version 1.13.
- Guide 05 Victoria 3: the best country for beginners (2026 guide) The best country for beginners in Victoria 3: Belgium, Sweden, New Granada or Dai Nam, the Japan debate, which nations to avoid and how to pick your own start, updated for 2026.
- Guide 06 Victoria 3: how to increase standard of living for your pops (2026 guide) How to increase standard of living in Victoria 3: wages, goods prices, taxes and laws. Useful thresholds, the expected SoL trap and what Update 1.15 changes.
Timeline
- 2022 Game release
- 2023 Voice of the People
- 2023 Colossus of the South
- 2024 Sphere of Influence
- 2024 Pivot of Empire
- 2025 Charters of Commerce
- 2025 National Awakening
- 2025 Iberian Twilight
- 2026 The Great Wave
- 2026 State and Revolution · upcoming
- 2026 1.15 « Ivan-Chai »
- — Century of Strife date TBC
All dispatches 18
- Victoria 3: the best companies to establish (2026 guide) Guide
- Victoria 3: the best country for beginners (2026 guide) Guide
- Victoria 3: how to increase standard of living for your pops (2026 guide) Guide
- Victoria 3 best DLC in 2026: what to buy, prices and Steam reviews Guide
- Victoria 3: 860 Quadrillion Famine Deaths in 12 Months, Paradox Stats Show News
- Victoria 3 State and Revolution delayed to 5 November: Tsars, favorites and Siberian exile News
- Victoria 3: free update 1.15 brings cold, copper and Cossacks on 5 November Deep dive
- Victoria 3 State and Revolution: Tsars, Revolution and Civil War, What the Russian Pack Promises News
- Victoria 3: the 1.14 AI overhaul lands in 1.15 on 5 November Deep dive
- Victoria 3 Patch 1.14 'The AI Update': Paradox Is Finally Fixing the AI News
- Victoria 3 Beginner Guide 2026: Version 1.15 and First Steps Guide
- Victoria 3 The Great Wave review: 5 days in — the expansion that revives Vic3? Deep dive
- Victoria 3: update 1.13 and The Great Wave overhaul the navy — everything changing on April 28 News
- Victoria 3 Console Commands & Cheats: Complete Guide 2026 Guide
- Victoria 3 and famine management: a deep dive into the 860 quadrillion death cataclysm (2025) News
- Victoria 3 players hit a stratospheric famine record: 860 quadrillion deaths in one year News
- Victoria 3 Expansion Pass 2: A New Era of Historical Strategy News
- Victoria 3: Industrial Revolution, Colonizations and Total Strategy | Ultimate Management Game News
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