Crusader Kings 3's new republics get to the heart of its politics at a more manageable size

Upcoming Crusader Kings 3 expansion Silk and Silver promises to “rework the economy of the entire game,” from the widespread integration of trade across the world to the introduction of merchant governments and republics. These allow you to run what are effectively small city-states, inspired by (but not limited to) the likes of Venice, Florence, and the free cities of the Holy Roman Empire. Size isn’t everything, and these tightly packed hotspots can quickly escalate into bubbling cauldrons of internal politics and schemes.

Developer Paradox promises the potential to create many different types of republics across the new Crusader Kings 3 DLC, though all will have a ruler and patricians “who trade in some fashion to fund their political endeavors.” It notes that many of history’s most famous republics began as communal city-states, only to grow into “semi-tyrannical” regions under the grasp of a single family. “We wanted families to matter, and to both squabble and plot together.”

This opens up the notoriously expansive grand strategy game by compacting down your immediate area of influence. “It was supposed to be a playstyle for people who didn’t want to go wide and build a huge realm, but rather focus on internal politicking, scheming, changing laws, and trade,” Paradox explains. While they can start with as little as one main family, most republics will have several ‘actors’ in play, each with their own house ambitions.

As you might expect, the court of public opinion weighs even more strongly for republics than for more traditional governments. “Being a very unpopular ruler in a republic might have some consequences for your health,” Paradox notes. Big decisions, however, are made in the Assembly. Any member is able to propose law changes here at any given time, with voting on any new matters proceeding over the subsequent six months.

In fact, the nature of the Assembly itself requires laws to be set before other decisions can be made. Who is considered to be part of the voting group? The patrician house heads? An elected council of members? Or a wider parliament of heads and vassals? You’ll also have to determine the percentage required for proposals and decrees to pass. Even the line of succession is typically decided by vote, although you could decide that’s not a good idea if you want to pursue the path of the despot.

Republics, by their nature, have quite limited access to land. One way to expand this is via a Trade Post, which is functionally a new type of district held in someone else’s land. Every county in the world can have one, but your patricians are limited on the number they can hold at one time. You’ll also be able to expand them with buildings to improve your trade prices, negotiate alliances with local rulers, or recruit otherwise culturally locked men-at-arms.

As a medieval merchant republic, there’s a good chance you’ll be drawn towards the promise of a trade confederation, akin to the real-life Hanseatic League. Come together with other republics to pool your resources and make sure you all profit, using your combined influence to overpower less well-connected rivals. Paradox wants these to be a key goal for republics, one “which, in some ways, puts them at the very top of the food chain.”

Crusader Kings 3: Silk and Silver is set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2026. It’ll be included in the Chapter 5 bundle, which is priced at $43.99 / £36.99, or available separately. You can wishlist it now if you want to be notified when it arrives.

Paradox has one other note regarding the expansion for today. Silk and Silver will also introduce a cap on the number of mercenaries that one faction can employ at a time. “It was always curious that people who had a lot of money could, in theory, just ‘money away’ wars by tossing enough of it at the problem,” it notes. There are lots of ways to impact this number, and republics will start with a “somewhat higher” limit than regular rulers to compensate for their weaker internal military, but the ultimate goal is to reward players “who are actually good at war.”