Crusader Kings 3's Coronations DLC ensures taking the throne actually matters

With a name like Crusader Kings 3, it's no surprise that establishing a ruler is one of the founding pillars of Paradox's cutthroat medieval grand strategy game. The new Coronations DLC is set to give this core aspect a major makeover that feels substantial and meaningful. In a new developer blog, CK3 game designer Jason Cantalini reveals that the team wanted to try "something a little different" from past additions. "Where these prior event packs scattered little tasty flavor treats throughout the game, Coronations is instead one single, discrete bundle of highly visible and mechanically impactful content."

The new Crusader Kings 3 Coronations DLC is naturally focused on the beginning of a reign, though it goes beyond the crowning ceremony and extends to your ruler's initial years as a sovereign. "They're often dramatic years, aren't they?" Cantalini emphasizes that the pack will ground the process more firmly among all the interlocking pieces that make CK3 one of the best grand strategy games around.

"Our intent is that the activity helps them situate themselves in their new position," Cantalini explains. "It should highlight your new foes and help you identify the sources of your new character's strength. By holding a coronation, you might hope to (without the strain of war) address the teething problems of a new rule that we all know well; factions, claimants, et cetera."

Acting as an 'uncrowned' ruler will now harm both your opinion and legitimacy, so you're encouraged to hold the ceremony quickly and set your position in stone if possible. If things go well, you'll find yourself in the proverbial money, with everything from beneficial modifiers to currencies and incentives at hand. A bad coronation, however, could result in drama and cacophony, and might even end up as "a venue for your humiliation and even deposition."

The actual activity "brings together courtiers, vassals, and neighboring rulers to witness the creation of a new sovereign, to socialize, and to politic frenetically in the shadows." It's designed to be replayable and reactive to your current circumstances, Cantalini remarks. "These moments were never merely ceremonial," he says of coronations across history, "they were always also political."

Naturally, you'll want a little pomp and extravagance to celebrate your ascension to the throne, and not just for your benefit. "Magnificence, the measure of a coronation's success, is the main metric we use to determine how troubled and unflattering your coronation is becoming - or how majestic and glorious," Cantalini says. "It's drawn from the setup, from the actions of the host, and the maneuvering of the most-significant friendly and hostile attendees."

Those who come will interact with you and one another, and likely present tough decisions for your newfound leader. Visitors might wish to declare their support for you, to undermine the coronation process, or simply to advance their own interests. The hosts, meanwhile, must determine which guests merit the most attention, and how to handle each group present during the activity.

If your would-be ruler is at emperor tier and part of an appropriate faith, you have an even grander option: Anointment. This requires the head of your faith to act as the crowning official, and must be held at a holy site. It comes with additional benefits, however; not only will it help weed out sinners and illegitimate claimants, but it also provides more dramatic bonuses, "particularly where legitimacy and the opinion of others are concerned."

While most of the Coronations DLC takes place during the early years of your reign, Cantalini notes that "its arms reach out across your ruler's years on the throne." In the process of taking the crown, you'll be asked to select an 'oath,' which acts as an objective for your time in charge. "Sometimes, the transition from one character to another can dull a player's sense of purpose and stagger the momentum of their game. Committing your new ruler to an oath sets you on a new path, and may serve to get things rolling again."

The Crusader Kings 3 Coronations DLC is currently scheduled to launch by the end of September, although no firm date has been set. It will be available individually, or as part of the CK3 Chapter 4 bundle, which includes Khans of the Steppe, All Under Heaven, and Crowns of the World, and is priced at $43.99 / £37.15. You can wishlist Coronations now on Steam.

Take a trip back in time with more of the best medieval games, or consider an upgrade to the best gaming monitor in 2025. Nothing less will do for a would-be sovereign, after all.

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