Crusader Kings 3 expansion Silk and Silver gets November 17 release date

Silk and Silver, the merchant republics expansion for Crusader Kings 3, will release on November 17, according to Rock Paper Shotgun. It is the second large expansion for the strategy game this year. The first was By God Alone, which centered on the Church and came out recently.

Rock Paper Shotgun reports that the expansion belongs to the game’s fifth chapter of DLC. It gives merchant republics such as Venice the same kind of attention By God Alone gave to realms ruled by popes and clergy. Players gain power by founding a profitable trading company and building up a patrician family, with the goal of eventually ruling as Doge.

According to the outlet, players will be able to choose what their republic specializes in. The options include naval trade, populist “bread and circuses” policies, and a large noble class whose members are sent across Europe to win favor. Republics also get a constitution that players can shape to benefit themselves or the public. In foreign policy, players decide which trade routes to try to control, and whether to chase a monopoly or join other republics in trade leagues.

The expansion will not add naval warfare, even though it focuses on maritime trade. In a deep dive on Silk and Silver published earlier this year, Paradox said players care about the topic and link it closely to republics. The studio explained that, given the balancing work and the number of new systems already in the expansion, “we chose not to spend time and energy on trying to pack in another large feature” that it could not do well.