Crusader Kings 3 just got massive. The All Under Heaven expansion launched on October 28, 2025, and it’s the largest content drop in the entire Crusader Kings franchise history. The map now extends east to include China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, adding thousands of new provinces and characters in a 40% expansion that fundamentally changes the game. For the first time ever, players can rule the Celestial Government of China, unite Japan under a warrior clan, or build temple empires in Indochina. This isn’t just another DLC. It’s a complete reimagining of what Crusader Kings can be.
The Celestial Bureaucracy
Playing as China introduces the Celestial Government, a completely unique government type inspired by the centralized administrative system that made Imperial China one of history’s most sophisticated bureaucracies. The emperor holds the Mandate of Heaven, earning the title Son of Heaven, but maintaining power requires navigating layers of ministers, governors, prefects, and magistrates all competing for influence and position.
Unlike feudal systems where you distribute land to vassals who inherit titles, the Celestial Government operates on merit rank. Your government accreditation level determines which positions you qualify for. Rising through the bureaucracy requires passing civil service examinations, building relationships with powerful families, and accumulating enough merit to be considered for higher offices. When a position becomes vacant, it goes to the candidate with the highest score based primarily on merit rank, though you can still spend influence to boost your chances.
The Examination System
Characters can excel in civil service examinations to climb the ranks of Chinese bureaucracy. This represents the historical Imperial Examination system that selected officials based on knowledge of Confucian texts and administrative competence rather than noble birth. A peasant with enough intelligence and education could theoretically rise to become Grand Chancellor, though political realities often prevented such dramatic ascents. The system creates fascinating gameplay where you’re managing not just military conquest but intellectual achievement and bureaucratic maneuvering.
Japan’s Warrior Clans
Japan offers completely different gameplay centered on House relations and clan politics. Two government types define Japanese play. Ritsuryo rulers use an administrative system similar to the Celestial Government, representing centralized imperial bureaucracy. Soryo rulers operate more like feudal lords, emphasizing military power over administrative legitimacy. In 867 and 1066 start dates, most Japanese rulers have Ritsuryo governments. By 1178, the shift to Soryo dominates as the warrior class gained power historically.
The House Bloc system creates dynamic factional politics. Japan’s political landscape always features competing power blocs built around influential houses. You must choose which bloc to join, balance relationships with rival families, and position your clan to determine Japan’s future. House strength, bloc membership, and your standing with the imperial court all matter. Expanding through conquest is considered criminal under imperial law, meaning your top liege can revoke titles freely. Protecting what you’ve earned requires maintaining strong political positions and ensuring the powers above you stay friendly.
The Path of the Samurai
Warrior culture defines much of Japanese gameplay. Revere the Yamato emperor and serve as regent controlling power behind the throne, or embrace the samurai warlord path and take what you want through force. The tension between legitimate imperial authority and raw military power creates compelling narratives where you’re constantly balancing honor, ambition, and survival. One wrong move can turn powerful allies into deadly enemies.
Southeast Asian God-Kings
Southeast Asia introduces the Mandala system, representing the unique political structures of Indochina’s temple kingdoms. Build monumental temple facilities in the jungles and compel weaker kingdoms to pay tribute to your greatness. The Mandala concept describes how power radiated from central temple complexes, with influence decreasing as you moved further from the sacred center. Unlike European-style fixed borders, Mandala kingdoms exercised varying degrees of control over tributaries who might serve multiple overlords simultaneously.
Playing as a God-King means managing both spiritual and temporal authority. Your legitimacy comes from divine mandate and religious prestige as much as military might. Temple construction becomes critically important, with massive religious complexes serving as both spiritual centers and demonstrations of wealth and power. The expansion models how these kingdoms functioned differently from anything in European medieval history, creating unique strategic challenges around tribute, religion, and architecture.
Map Overhaul and New Biomes
Beyond just expanding east, Paradox completely overhauled terrain generation across the entire map. Seven distinct biomes now exist, from the Great Wall to the temple cities of Indochina, from Mount Fuji’s foothills to China’s river valleys. The visual upgrade makes both new and old territories more breathtaking, with improved detail and atmospheric effects that bring the medieval world to life.
The addition of island nations transforms naval strategy. Previous Crusader Kings games featured mostly landlocked conflicts. All Under Heaven introduces extensive maritime territories across Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and island Southeast Asia. Naval movement and ocean warfare become viable strategic alternatives to traditional land campaigns. This geographic diversity means East Asian playthroughs feel fundamentally different from European or Middle Eastern games.
The Silk Road Realized
Perhaps history’s most important trade route finally receives proper representation. The Silk Road connected East and West for over 1,500 years, facilitating not just commerce but cultural exchange, religious spread, and technological diffusion. All Under Heaven models this critical economic artery, creating new strategic considerations around controlling trade nodes and protecting merchant routes. Prosperity flows along the Silk Road, making its control essential for any power aspiring to regional dominance.
Update 1.18 Crane for Everyone
The free 1.18 Crane update launches alongside All Under Heaven, bringing improvements to all players regardless of whether they purchase the expansion. New unit models include Japanese ships and infantry. Flowering Sakura trees appear on maps in Japan, creating seasonal visual variety. Three tiers of temples allow more granular religious building management. Various quality-of-life improvements and balance changes affect the base game.
The update’s name, Crane, references the bird’s significance in East Asian culture. Cranes symbolize longevity, good fortune, and high status in Chinese and Japanese traditions. The symbolic naming reflects the expansion’s cultural focus and attention to representing Asian civilizations respectfully and accurately.
Performance Considerations
Adding 40% more map and characters inevitably impacts performance. Early reports indicate the game runs slightly slower on patch 1.18, though not drastically. Performance depends heavily on realm size, just like before the update. Players with large empires will notice more slowdown than those running smaller kingdoms. Paradox appears to have optimized reasonably well given the massive content addition, but players with older hardware should expect longer turn processing times.
Years in the Making
All Under Heaven represents years of research and development. The last time any Crusader Kings map expanded this significantly was Crusader Kings 2’s Rajas of India DLC back in 2014, which added the Indian subcontinent. CK2’s Jade Dragon DLC allowed interaction with China as an external force, but you couldn’t actually play within Chinese borders. Crusader Kings 3 hadn’t included even that limited China interaction until now.
The expansion faced immense pressure to represent Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian cultures accurately and respectfully. Getting these civilizations right required consulting historians, researching primary sources, and understanding political systems that operated fundamentally differently from European feudalism. The development team clearly invested significant effort into avoiding superficial or stereotypical representations, instead building mechanics that reflect how these societies actually functioned.
Part of Chapter IV
All Under Heaven serves as the centerpiece of Chapter IV, Paradox’s seasonal content structure for Crusader Kings 3. Players can purchase the expansion standalone or as part of the Chapter IV bundle, which includes previous Chapter IV releases. The bundle structure gives players flexibility to buy what interests them while offering savings for those who want everything.
The expansion launches across all platforms simultaneously, including PC via Steam and Microsoft Store, plus console versions. This unified release prevents the frustration of PC players getting content months before console audiences.
FAQs
When did All Under Heaven release?
All Under Heaven launched on October 28, 2025, alongside the free 1.18 Crane update. It’s available on PC via Steam and Microsoft Store, plus console platforms.
How much bigger is the map?
The expansion adds approximately 40% more provinces and characters to Crusader Kings 3, extending the map east to include China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia from the Great Wall to Papua New Guinea.
What is the Celestial Government?
The Celestial Government is China’s unique government type based on centralized bureaucracy. Officials are appointed based on merit rank earned through civil service examinations, rather than inheriting feudal titles. The emperor holds the Mandate of Heaven but must navigate complex bureaucratic politics.
Can I play as Japan?
Yes, Japan features two government types. Ritsuryo rulers use administrative bureaucracy similar to China. Soryo rulers operate as feudal warrior lords. The House Bloc system creates factional politics where you balance clan relationships and imperial loyalty.
What is the Mandala system?
The Mandala system represents Southeast Asian temple kingdoms where power radiates from sacred centers. God-Kings build monumental temples and compel tributaries to recognize their divine authority, modeling how Indochina’s political systems differed from European-style fixed borders.
Do I need the DLC to get update 1.18?
No, the 1.18 Crane update is free for all Crusader Kings 3 players. It includes new unit models, visual improvements, and quality-of-life changes regardless of whether you purchase All Under Heaven.
How much does All Under Heaven cost?
Pricing varies by platform and region, but as a major expansion, expect similar pricing to previous major Crusader Kings 3 DLC. It’s also available as part of the Chapter IV bundle for players who want the complete seasonal content package.
Will this work on my computer?
The game runs slightly slower after patch 1.18 due to the 40% larger map. Performance depends on your realm size and hardware. Players with older systems should expect longer turn processing, though optimization appears reasonable given the content scale.
Is the Silk Road in the game?
Yes, All Under Heaven properly implements the Silk Road trade route for the first time in Crusader Kings 3, creating strategic considerations around controlling trade nodes and protecting merchant routes between East and West.
Conclusion
All Under Heaven represents Crusader Kings 3 at its most ambitious. Expanding the map 40%, introducing three entirely new government systems, and properly representing Asian civilizations that operated on fundamentally different principles than European feudalism is a monumental undertaking. The expansion could have easily failed by superficially reskinning existing mechanics or relying on stereotypes. Instead, Paradox invested years researching how the Celestial Bureaucracy, Japanese clan politics, and Southeast Asian Mandala kingdoms actually functioned, then built systems that capture those unique characteristics. Playing as China feels nothing like playing as France. Navigating Japanese House Blocs creates completely different strategic challenges than managing European vassals. Southeast Asian God-Kings pursue objectives and face pressures alien to Christian kings. This diversity is what makes All Under Heaven special. It doesn’t just add more map. It adds genuinely new ways to play Crusader Kings. Whether you’re climbing the ranks of Chinese bureaucracy through civil service examinations, positioning your samurai clan to dominate Japan’s factional politics, or building monumental temples to demonstrate your divine mandate in Indochina, you’re experiencing gameplay that didn’t exist before October 28. The performance hit is real but manageable. The learning curve for these new systems is steep. And yes, Paradox’s relationship with DLC pricing remains contentious. But if you’ve been playing Crusader Kings 3 since launch and wondering what could possibly keep the game fresh after hundreds of hours, the answer is here. It’s China. It’s Japan. It’s Southeast Asia. It’s 40% more medieval world to conquer, manage, and lose yourself in. Just remember that the Son of Heaven watches all. The samurai never forget slights. And the God-Kings of the Mandala kingdoms have ruled these jungles for centuries. You’re entering their world now. Show proper respect, or they’ll remind you why they’ve endured while empires crumbled around them.