Paradox exceeds all expectations.
Europa Universalis returns: on November 4, Europa Universalis 5, Paradox's new flagship strategy, will be released. This is already the fifth part of the famous series that tells about the main events of the late Middle Ages on a large map of the planet: from the Hundred Years War to the Age of Revolution.
Paradox calls Europe 5 the most ambitious project in its history. We spent several dozen hours on the upcoming strategy and are ready to call the new product one of the most developed games in the history of the genre.
Europa Universalis 5: the main thing of the game
Title: Europa Universalis 5 Platform: PC. Developer: Paradox Publisher: Paradox. Release date: November 4, 2025. Genre: global real-time strategy. Translation: the game will be released in Russian.
Europa Universalis 5: how to play?
The game will be officially released in Russia on November 4 in Russian.
The video was posted on the Europa Universalis YouTube channel. Video copyright belongs to Paradox.
What is Europa Universalis 5?
EU5 is a historical strategy game set from 1337 to 1836. The game is divided into 5 major eras: Renaissance, Discovery, Reform, Absolutism and Revolution. This strategy works in real time with the ability to pause or significantly accelerate the course of events.
During this period, absolutely the entire map of the Earth was available: from America to Europe, Africa and even Australia. Players act as the shadow leader of one of the powers, managing its economy, politics, colonies and other components for centuries.
The heart of the fifth “Europe” is population. Now these are not ephemeral numbers, but full-fledged mechanisms that influence everything. The development of the state and relations with other countries depends on the satisfaction of the people, their level of education and culture, and the size of the population itself is directly related to the number of the army. There are other important sliders in the game like Stability, Reputation, Recruitment, and Legitimacy, but the main one is population.
Real estate plays an important role in government – they offer many rewards if their demands are met.
In the fifth part, the developers modified many mechanics from EU4. For example, the development of the state there took place with the help of technology in the spirit of Victoria 3, where the pace of research was influenced by the literacy level of the residents. These discoveries themselves are reminiscent of the research tree from Civilization, where you can follow a specific branch and start developing the country in the chosen direction.
At the same time, the availability of technology depends on the Institute – another mechanic from the fourth part. For each Era, three institutions were formed, arising from historical origins, after which they gradually spread throughout the world.
For example, Renaissance institutions always appeared in Italy, while New World institutions always appeared in Spain or Portugal.
Another important EU5 mechanism is production. People need food and various goods, so the head of state must ensure a stable supply. This can be done in two ways: construction and trade.
Facilities not only meet the basic needs of the people and provide jobs for them but also increase the country's income. Surplus goods can always be sold at a higher price to other countries, and some buildings are necessary for the development of the state.
Therefore, libraries and universities accelerated the development of institutions, sailors appeared on the docks to build fleets, and recruits for the future army were trained in barracks. It is very important to monitor the construction sector and strengthen the country's economic and military potential.
Roads have become an important mechanism in EU5 – they speed up the movement of units and strengthen control over provinces.
Modern war
Warfare has always been a key element of Europa Universalis – the community has long tested how quickly it can take over the entire world. And EU5 will pleasantly surprise fans of the series because the creators have redesigned the combat system.
The events of “Europe 5” begin in the mid-14th century, when many countries did not yet have regular armies. Then wars were fought with the help of people's militias and experienced mercenaries, demanding a significant fee for their services, and only many centuries later did the great powers turn to regular armies. The EU5 has adopted a similar approach.
At the start, in 1337, the game's wars are fought entirely with the help of militias, which can only be called upon during hostilities. At first, there were not enough recruits for the regular army – the army could be increased by constructing special buildings and improving the Academy. But even in the middle of the game, when you already have your own army, the militia can still be useful due to its numbers.
In these wars, not only the morale, discipline or tactics of the army play an important role, but also the source of supply. Large armies need a lot of supplies, requiring supply columns and a developed economy. This mechanic opens up new ways to destroy a stronger opponent – once hunger has crushed Napoleon's army.
Army mobility was also affected by weather and season – experienced generals would not lead troops into the mountains during harsh winters.
With each century, the armed forces became more and more effective – cannons emerged to siege powerful fortresses and firearms became the norm among infantry. To create an effective army, you need to combine the skills of units, monitor supplies, conduct exercises and maintain the army. Only then can you try to restore the Roman Empire to Byzantium or soon reject the Tatar-Mongol yoke of the Novgorod Republic.
Medieval simulator
The Dark Ages are remembered not only for the rapid development of humanity but also for terrible incidents – pandemics. For hundreds of years, Europe has more than once stood on the brink of complete destruction, losing a significant part of its population – just remember the famous Black Death.
The epidemic in Europe 5 is one of the key mechanisms. This is an external situation that comes unexpectedly and steals all attention. If you do not build hospitals, do not buy medicine and do not take care of your people, the country will quickly lose a significant part of its population, the economy will collapse and there will be no development.
This terrible event must be survived with as few losses as possible, after which you can return to your activities – seizing territories, researching technology, colonizing, improving relations with neighbors, constructing buildings, etc.
There's a lot to do in EU5, and the developers know that the average player won't be able to keep track of everything at once. Therefore, an automation system was added to the game – almost all government management activities can be entrusted to computers. This is a very useful option at first, when the oddities are left to the AI while you figure out the basic mechanics of the game. For example, you can ask the bot to finance real estate and purchase necessary goods from abroad.
All EU5 terms are also available in Europedia, an integrated encyclopedia in the spirit of Civilization's Civilization.
Europa Universalis 5: is it worth playing?
For strategy fans – definitely. Europe 5 is a collection of the best Paradox ideas with advanced population mechanics, state leveling, medieval political intrigue and lots to do. Europa Universalis has always been Paradox's most comprehensive series yet, and the fifth installment takes it a huge step forward.
This is a great game that has captivated people for 500 years. This is a massive construction set in the late Middle Ages, where an alternate history unfolds. Friendship between France and England instead of the 100 years war, Constantinople of Egypt, the giant Voivodeship of Moldavia replacing the Golden Horde, the domination of Novgorod in Scandinavia, the almost complete extinction of Bohemia due to the Black Death – are entirely possible situations in the fifth “Europe”.
Europa Universalis 5 is one of the most developed strategies in the history of the genre, it will take you hundreds of hours to fully learn. But if you are ready to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the late Middle Ages and the New Age with colonization, war and political intrigues, then this game simply has no similarities.
