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Götterdämmerung | Expansion Pass


Aaand there we have it, with the release of this video there can be no more subterfuge: our expansion Götterdämmerung drops November 14th.

Of course, we’ve kept this one under wraps for a bit longer despite some … subtle hints, so now is our opportunity to explain a little about what Götterdämmerung heralds, and what else is coming for Hearts of Iron in the near future.

With the above said, I’d like to draw attention to the fact that Dev Diaries and related events will be arriving with high frequency over the coming six weeks - two or three items per week up until launch. This means today we won’t be diving into extreme detail on each of the headline items, but you won’t have long to wait to see more.

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Note: The original schedule was changed to swap the Raids and the Small Features DD's to give the Devs more time with the Raids DD

Special Projects
A German themed expansion is something many of you have been clamouring for for many years, and as we’ve been quite clear about in previous roadmaps, we’ve also wanted to work on a super-weapons feature since the release of HoI4. Naturally, these two things made sense to tackle together.

War drives all sorts of technological innovation in an attempt to out-do opponents and although many projects ultimately never saw the battlefield, Götterdämmerung aims to tie together existing research systems with a new experimental research mechanic that allows for both historical and less historical but plausible super-projects to be pursued. The research process will become an important part of gameplay, with scientists, map-located experimental facilities, and supporting infrastructure all combining to produce a wide variety of outcomes that can augment your forces or change the very nature of the war you are fighting.

Military Raids
Of course, the story of experimental project development during the war was one fraught with strategic implications. From the secrecy around the Manhattan project, to the dambusters raids or targeted strikes on important facilities such as Peenemunde, there are numerous examples of targeted military strikes that had a severe impact on the nature of the conflict.

The military raids feature aims to add more narrative to your conflict while remaining an inherently strategic tool in your arsenal. Target experimental facilities, important military installations and more with high-risk, high-reward planned operations across multiple disciplines. We’ve aimed to have as much integration as possible here with special projects: raids will be one of your main counterplays to an opponent scheming to develop their own [redacted].

Germany
Germany will be receiving a totally revised historical national focus tree and a host of new alternate historical paths. We’ll go into further detail about exactly what is coming here, but we’ve put a high premium on retaining the core feeling that Germany’s old tree gave the player: a sense that they are the protagonist in the events leading up to the war; that the conflict revolves around their actions.

Austria
Resist the oncoming storm, cast off the shackles of enforced military impotence and retool your nation around your chosen identity. Forge a new history for Austria free of German control, standing as a beacon of resistance or reclaiming your fractured empire.

Revised Hungarian Focus Tree
A completely overhauled Hungarian focus tree, with a detailed historical revision and a completely unique perspective on reforging the Austro-Hungarian Empire, independent of Austrian content.

Belgian Focus Tree
Resist or welcome German supremacy. Draw on the natural wealth of the Congo and build potential for an African government-in-exile. Alternatively, play as the Belgian Congo, and either support the war effort, or throw off your old masters.


And of course that’s not all. With any release there’s a host of other items that will appear, some small, some bigger, and notably some pretty nice improvements to the way the AI will play on a tactical and planning level.

Expansion Pass

With Götterdämmerung we’ll be trying something a bit new. The release will be part of an expansion pass. Expansion passes are our way of both giving you a roadmap for the content that’ll be arriving over the next few releases, and for letting you sign up to get that content when it arrives with a discount of 20%.

The expansion pass will include:
  • Instant unlock of three new 3d tank models and a music track​
  • The Götterdämmerung expansion (Nov 14th 2024) - $24.99/£21.99/€24.99​
  • The Graveyard of Empires country pack (Q1 2025) - $14.99/£12.79/€14.99​
  • Prototype Vehicles unit pack (Q3 2025) - $6.99/£5.89/€6.99​
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To see the Expansion pass on Steam, click the image above or this link https://pdxint.at/EP1Store
Now to get ahead of the game here: we understand that this method won’t appeal to everyone. All items listed above except for the first bullet-point will be available for purchase separately as per usual, or in the DLC subscription.
 
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People are probably aware that I'm not exactly a fan of the Nazis (and this likely colour my answer) but I do hope that superweapons proper are somewhat historical-with the notable exception of the atom bomb, the kind of program that only one nation had the capacity to ressearch while waging industrial war-that is flashy toys that are deadly, but very expensive.

Because, in a similar vein, a lot of very expensive toys that are historical, it's worth wondering if they were worth it. historically or in game (superheavy tanks, superheavy battleships, strategic bombers...) : if you are not playing Soviet Union/USA/Germany, I'm genuinely wondering if the best bang for your buck is not always far more mundane weapons.
 
I think that attacks like the Pearl Harbor raid are supposed to be modeled already by the "coordinated strike" spy operation. If you have a war goal and use that operation (takes 7 days), all your port strike and strategic bombing missions execute multiple times with a damage multiplier while being immune to disruption at the start of the war.

In practice, it doesn't work because I've basically never seen the USA, either as a player or as an AI, base any ships in Pearl Harbor. The fleet is always docked in San Diego or wherever else the AI feels like sending it.

You cannot even target a specific harbour in the base game....
 
3D models are nice and I try to pick them appropriately in the designer. If I ever make a single battalion division I would see them on the map. But I don't and it's always the most numerous model, unless I specifically wanted my divisions to be represented by a sub-component, for some reason.

One option is break it down from one big monolithic 3D model to a group representing the top equipment. This would differ to taste, like nato symbols, but could just be a toggle.
 
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I made a thread about it several patches ago, but one issue that I have with HOI IV is that patches ''do not interact'' much with each other.

Logically, to make something like the (I would say, somehwat overhyped) heavy water raid, you would need an integration with other patches features : Resistance (to get intel) Spy networks (to get intel again) and so forth). Likewise, military raids would be extremely useful against other patches features : transportations hubs, major oil production provinces (AKA, Ploiești)
 
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Because currently, for me the German focus tree, as nice as it is until 1939, pretty much stops after going "Danzig or War" & "Around Maginot". Whatever you pick afterwards (all the Eastern and South-Eastern European efforts, including Hungary, Romania, Jugoslavia and even Russia) can also be achieved by pure military strength & just declaring war on them as well. You don't even need Norway to naval invade Britain (even if it makes it a cheese). No need for the foci. And apart from those, there are not really any other meaningful picks left in the focus tree. Nothing feels like it is urgent to get or that it would have a considerable impact on the campaign. ^^
Necro, but invading norway gives you more steel from Sweden, which is very useful in a non-singleplayer context