Podcast asks if Crusader Kings 3 worth playing

Critical Moves - Strategy Gaming used its May 22 episode to ask a practical question for Paradox players: whether Crusader Kings III is still worth starting in 2026. The show’s Spotify and RSS listings describe Episode 82 as a discussion of where the game stands six years after release, what its downloadable content has added, and whether newcomers should buy in now. Jack and Adam host the episode, which runs 54 minutes and 48 seconds on RSS.com. (rss.com) The episode’s framing centers on a new-player test. The listing says Adam came to the discussion as a Crusader Kings II veteran with “zero CK3 experience,” giving the hosts a way to compare the current game against both its predecessor and the expectations of players arriving late. (open.spotify.com) ### Why did the hosts focus on a six-year-old game now? May 22 is the publication date shown on the episode pages, and the description ties the timing to Crusader Kings III’s long post-launch life. The hosts said they were examining “where it stands six years after release,” a question that has become common for Paradox titles that expand through yearly content passes rather than a single launch cycle. (open.spotify.com) Paradox Interactive is still adding paid and free content in 2026. The company’s Chapter V page says the current expansion pass includes one major expansion, one core expansion, one music pack and one cosmetic clothing pack, while the official forum post says the major expansion “By God Alone” is due in the third quarter of 2026. (open.spotify.com) ### What parts of Crusader Kings III did Episode 82 single out? The episode description names several systems and updates directly. Jack and Adam said they covered adventurer mode, the stress and traits system, and a recent free update that added old-age mechanics and a Kingdom Come: Deliverance crossover. (open.spotify.com) They also said the discussion looked at “what’s changed, what’s new, and what’s coming.” Roads to Power is one of the paid additions behind that conversation. Steam describes it as a major expansion focused on Byzantine politics and landless adventurers, with a listed price of $29.99. (paradoxinteractive.com) The Steam news post for the release says it launched alongside free update 1.13.0, called “Basileus.” ### How does the episode handle the DLC problem for new players? Adam’s lack of CK3 experience is the key device the show uses to address onboarding. The official description says that perspective made for a “useful breakdown” of whether the game is worth picking up if a listener has “never played a Paradox game before.” (open.spotify.com) Steam’s current store pages show why that question matters. Crusader Kings III remains sold as a base game, but Paradox also offers a larger collection bundle and a long DLC catalog, including cosmetic packs, music packs and major expansions. (store.steampowered.com) Those listings underscore the buying decision the podcast is describing: not only whether the game is good, but how much of the modern version a newcomer is expected to understand or purchase. ### What comes after this episode? Critical Moves’ YouTube channel says it releases a podcast episode every Friday, alongside Monday strategy-gaming news videos. (open.spotify.com) Episode 82 is already live on Spotify and RSS-backed podcast pages. Paradox’s next milestones are also already listed. The company says Chapter V is on sale now as an expansion pass, and its forum post says “By God Alone” is scheduled for Q3 2026, giving listeners a defined next checkpoint for judging whether Crusader Kings III’s value proposition changes again later this year. (paradoxinteractive.com) (youtube.com) (store.steampowered.com)