Not everything has to be brute force. Armies are necessary, of course, but there are other ways to succeed. Build a force of diplomats, for example, and use your flattery as a weapon against others. Or draw wealth and power from the remote regions of your realm to construct a metropolis to be the engine of your economy.

Picture a capital city that shines like a gemstone, improved by the wealth drawn from the hinterland - decorated by riches demanded from vassals. A capital not of a mighty territorial empire, but of a compact and concentrated state that can still use gold and favors to influence neighbors and rivals. Picture it and then make it so in Europa Universalis IV: Leviathan.

Leviathan is the newest expansion to Paradox’s flagship grand strategy game about the early modern world. Leviathan offers new tools that allow you to play “tall” with smaller and more focused realms with a few centers of power. It also has a host of other changes to well-established game features like Regencies and Colonies.

Among other things, Leviathan gives you new ways to quickly develop your capital, drawing resources and power from vassals or newly conquered territories, and allows you to build beyond your province’s construction limit if you are willing to pay the price.

One of the highlights of Leviathan is the ability to use diplomatic Favors to gain benefits from other nations. If you post a diplomat to curry favor in a foreign nation, you will slowly build up enough diplomatic power to request material aid, changes in alliances and even the return of core provinces.

Other features of Europa Universalis IV: Leviathan include:

• New Regency Options: Regency councils represent the interests of the most powerful estate, and can be extended to delay the ascension of an unfit monarch.
• Specialized Colonial Nations: Let your colonies focus on military help, trade power or self-government.
• Concentrate Development: You can now steal development from your vassals or territorial possessions to enhance the power of your capital city.
• Pillage Capital: Loot an enemy capital as a condition of peace, hauling development back to the capital metropolis.
• Expand Infrastructure: Provinces can expand their capacity to build new structures and manufactories, allowing smaller nations to create centers of wealth for a modest cost.
• Centralize State: Reduce the cost of government by spending unused Reform points.
• Totemism: Nations that follow the Totemist religion can revere a pantheon of past leaders, earning bonuses that reflect the skills they had in life.
• Monuments: Expand and establish great projects, adding new bonuses to your empire.
• New Unit Models: New army sprites for Southeast Asian nations, including Indochinese, Indonesian and Polynesian nations.
• And more: Including the ability to carpet siege enemy provinces, draft transports as a plutocratic nation, watch heirs gain legitimacy as they wait to inherit the throne and other changes.

As usual, Leviathan will be accompanied by a major free update available to all Europa Universalis IV players. This update includes modifications to the maps of Southeast Asia and North America, with major gameplay changes for North American First Nations. It also adds Australian Aboriginal nations.

Europa Universalis IV: Leviathan will be available on 27 April 2021 at the Paradox Store and major online retailers for the suggested retail price of $19.99/£15.49/€19.99.