Crusader Kings III‘s By God Alone expansion is out now, released on September 30, 2026 alongside the free 1.20.0 “Crozier” update, Paradox announced in its launch post. The paid DLC is $19.99 on Steam and is also part of Crusader Kings III: Chapter V.
In Paradox’s words, your characters “will wrestle with sin as they try to live up to their faith’s ideals” while navigating the politics of the Christian Church.
What the Paid Expansion Adds
- The Christian Church. A new Situation covering all of Christendom, with every Christian ruler of County tier or above taking part. It moves through seven Chapters, from Fragile Unity to the Investiture Controversy and Concord, and a Crisis Chapter can end in the Great Schism.
- Playable theocracies, with clerical titles and regions and a new Ecclesiastical government.
- Cardinals and the Papacy, including Papal Bulls and Ecumenical Councils where you debate doctrine.
- Monastic orders, saints and relics, plus a Grand Cathedral great project and an Ecclesiastical Estate.
- A new bookmark, dynasty legacy, achievements, music and art.
What Every Player Gets for Free
The 1.20.0 update reworks religion for everyone, expansion or not:
- Rites. Every existing faith branch and school, from Mozarabic to Theravada, becomes a Rite with its own head, tenets and map color. Characters can found new Rites, and a Rite that drifts far enough from the mainline becomes a heresy or splits into a new Faith.
- Heresies now break out in faiths whose Fervor falls below 40, with ten historical heresies added, such as the Cathars and Hussites.
- Excommunication, antipopes and holy war changes, new personal tenets, and reworked monastic and military orders and holy sites.
- Balance, AI, performance and multiplayer improvements.
What This Means for Players
Expect your religious setup to behave differently even without buying anything, since Rites and the new heresy rules apply to every save. The changelog also restructures the religion database for modders, so religion mods will likely need updates before they work again. If you play Christian realms, By God Alone is the expansion built for you; other faiths get most of their changes from the free update. For more strategy, see Age of Empires IV’s Raiders of the North, Total War: Warhammer III’s Lords of the End Times and our best Civilization 6 mods.
When and Where
- Out now: September 30, 2026.
- Price: $19.99 on Steam, or as part of Chapter V.
- Free update: 1.20.0 “Crozier”, for all players.
- Platform: PC.
Source: Paradox Interactive, Crusader Kings III Steam announcement and changelog, September 30, 2026.