A new year, a new set of Europa Universalis 4 dev diaries! Last year was a big one for the epic grand strategy game and saw the release of three paid DLCs: Mandate of Heaven, Third Rome and Cradle of Civilization. In December, we speculated on what’s to come this year and guessed that we’d see more immersion packs and a greater focus beyond Europe. Well, we already know we’re at least half right: The first 2018 EU4 DLC will indeed be an immersion pack, and it will be set in Europe. More than that we can’t yet say.

Europa Universalis 4 2018 DLC: Immersion Packs!

The first Europa Universalis 4 dev diary of the year is a little light on detail, but it confirmed something that players had long suspected: Third Rome, the Russia-centric immersion pack that only focused on one region but came in a little cheaper than other DLCs, wasn’t as well-received as Paradox hoped. That probably explains why we didn’t get any other immersion packs in 2017. But Paradox isn’t ready to throw in the towel yet, and more are coming… but they’ve listened to fan feedback. In the future, all immersion packs will add at least some features that apply throughout the world and benefit gameplay everywhere, even though the primary focus of the pack will be on one particular region.

This week’s EU4 dev diary doesn’t shed much light on what the upcoming immersion pack will be—all we know is that it will be set in Europe in one of the “most played countries,” but it does offer tantalizing details in terms of new changes to the map in two of the great powers of Europa Universalis. Both England and France are having their maps partially redrawn to add new territories and better balance the current spread of development and trade. Intriguingly, several adjoining countries have also gotten makeovers. Scotland has new territories in the Highlands and on the English border, while Ireland—not a kingdom but a collection of independent states—has a few new provinces. More importantly, the Irish minor states will get their own sets of National Ideas, with the current set becoming a reward of sorts for a state that forms a united Ireland.

The Low Countries will also get a makeover. The region, already very powerful, will be further souped up, with most of the one-province minors like Gelre and Utrecht getting a second province. The whole region is getting a small development boost; only the local powerhouse Brabant is getting a nerf. The changes should make for an even stronger Low Countries—perhaps one that can even compete better in the hands of the AI.

Next week’s EU4 dev diary promises to reveal a little more detail about the shape of the changes coming in the next DLC—specifically, it should become clear what country it will affect. But clearly these map changes pave the way for gameplay changes to come, and it seems likely that the first EU4 DLC of 2018 is highly likely to affect France, England, the Netherlands, or all three.