Victoria 3 finally launches in October, but it's dropping its day one Game Pass launch

Update, August 31, 2022: Victoria 3 is no longer set to be released on PC Game Pass. A representative of Paradox Interactive reached out to confirm that the game will be exclusive to to Steam at launch.

"The game will be a Steam exclusive at the release - after discussion with our partners it was decided that Victoria 3 won't be a part of Game Pass or Microsoft Store," Paradox says in an official forum post. "Xbox fans of Paradox’s epic grand strategy titles can enjoy our games like Crusader Kings III, Stellaris, Shadowrun Trilogy, Hearts of Iron IV and more with Game Pass today and we look forward to sharing more details on our next partnership with Xbox in the future."

Original story: Victoria 3, the long-awaited next entry in the Paradox line of grand strategy games, finally has a release date, set for October 25.

Confirmation of the October 25 release date for Victoria 3 comes alongside an extensive gameplay reveal from the game's developers. I'd try to recap some of the highlights, but, well… It's still ongoing as I write this and it's already over three hours long, so maybe you should just tune for yourself if you want to take a look at Victoria 3 in action.

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Victoria 3 was confirmed as a day one addition to PC Game Pass alongside its original announcement last year. Players have noted that Game Pass branding has been conspicuously absent from recent trailers for the game, though there's been no official indication of a change in plans for that day one Game Pass launch. Much of Paradox's catalog, including the recent Crusader Kings 3, is also available on PC Game Pass. You can also grab the game via Steam, of course.

If you're not familiar with Paradox's grand strategy format, the basic idea is that you take control of a single historical figure through a meticulously-detailed simulation of the social, political, and military machinations of the era.

Victoria 3 is big on the social and political sides in particular, putting you in control of one of 100 nations in 1836 and letting your relations with the countries around you dictate your fate over the century that follows.

Whether you're looking to make war or find alternate paths to victory, there are plenty of options among the best strategy games.