Crusader Kings 3: Royal Court Expansion Makes You The Ultimate Judge

Crusader Kings 3 is already one of the most acclaimed role-playing and strategy games in recent memory, and it's about to get even bigger with the Royal Court expansion. You'll finally be able to truly see the tangible rewards of your success with a decorated court, which will also serve as your decision-making center on important matters.

Announced as part of Paradox Interactive's PDXCON Remixed event on May 21, the paid Royal Court expansion will be worked into the existing Crusader Kings 3 game to make it feel like an organic piece. The court will allow you to take petitioners, choosing who to hear speak and making decisions that will become law. However, Paradox told us in a media pre-briefing that "no conflict stays petty for long," so expect smaller squabbles to eventually have wider implications.

There are a number of other people who can appear in the court, as well, including food tasters to keep you from being poisoned, as well as royal champions and tutors who can teach foreign languages. Knowing these will reduce penalties for being a foreigner in certain areas. Special "inspired" people can also ask for sponsorship to take part in an expedition, which could bring back a relic for display in the court. These relics can age afterward, requiring them to be reforged.

Alongside the paid Royal Court expansion, there will also be a free "Culture" update coming to Crusader Kings 3. This will allow you to create hybrid versions of existing cultures to create something that incorporates elements of both, provided they don't come into direct conflict. You can also diverge cultures, splitting one off from an existing tradition and effectively creating a new culture. Both merging and diverging can happen dynamically or through your own actions.

Crusader Kings 3 originally launched back in September 2020. In GameSpot's Crusader Kings 3 review, David Wildgoose found its "freeform structure" to be "liberating" and said "role-playing as the ruler, rather than the empire, means every decision is more personally affecting."