Europa Universalis 5 borrows the best parts from Paradox's grand strategy giants

Europa Universalis 5 is real, and it’s arriving this November. Twelve years on from the launch of EU4, its sequel is finally coming over the horizon, and it’s taking some big steps forward for the series. It’s fair to say that Paradox Interactive has some of the grand strategy genre’s greatest champions under its belt, and it’s drawing on those to help make its next game even stronger. At Gamescom 2025, we spoke with EU5’s associate game director and art director David Horler about what the newest entry learns from Paradox’s extensive catalog.