Making a strong first impression is imperative for any incoming monarch. Ensuring the support of your people from the second the crown caresses your brow is crucial not only to the survival of your kingdom, but, as a bloodied history of assassinations and executions illustrates, also to your longevity. In short, be more Louis XIV than Louis XVI. Until Crusader Kings 3 announced its Coronations DLC, this element of statecraft was largely overlooked. Now, it's almost time to add a little pomp, panache, and politicking to the mix as Paradox confirms when you'll be able to ascend the throne.
Moreso than its penchant for producing some of the best strategy games out there, Paradox excels at churning out a dizzying quantity of Crusader Kings 3 DLC. The activity-based Coronations is the latest in a long content lineage for Crusader Kings 3, placing special emphasis on one of the most important aspects of ruling: getting doled up, throwing a huge banquet, and ending the night with a raucous rendition of 'God Save the King' (or Queen).
In Coronations, you'll also get to establish exactly what kind of leader you want to be. Will your benevolence expand to the poorest in the realm, or will you look to make the rich richer? And what will your realm look like? Are you content with protecting your borders, or are you looking to yoink the odd island here and there? In taking your oath, you're cementing your playstyle for the foreseeable.
The scope of Coronations doesn't end on day-one, either. As game designer Jason Cantalini recently noted in his rundown of what's to come, the new DLC concerns itself with the opening, "often dramatic" years of an incoming monarch. Indeed, as much as putting on a show will impress your vassals and neighbouring leaders, there's still a lot to do to cement your place on the throne. Coronations will have you build a power base, bringing your faction closer with one hand while pushing detractors away with the other.
Crusader Kings 3 Coronations launches on Tuesday September 9, 2025. The pack, which you can check out on Steam here, will retail for $4.99 / £4.29.
Until then, if you're looking for more ways to enrich your CK3 playthrough then check out our Crusader Kings 3 mods list. Or, if you're looking for more monarch-filled adventures yonder Paradox's hit, peep our best medieval games guide.
If you're gassed for Coronations, ride on into our community Discord server and let us know.