Paradox Development Studio is giving Hearts of Iron IV’s next major expansion more time, while Patch 1.19.3 is planned for September 17. The date remains subject to change, but the upcoming patch is intended to close out the game’s active post-release work tied to Thunder at our Gates.
Niels, studio manager for PDS Gold, outlined the roadmap in the studio’s September 2026 Studio GoldUpdate. The announcement covers the next patch, the delayed expansion, a separate quality-of-life project, and several ongoing community concerns.
Patch 1.19.3 closes out Thunder at our Gates support
Patch 1.19.3 will add a new secret path for Australia, along with extra content for late-game Siam and Indonesia. Bug fixes and balance work will round out the update, which is planned as the final active post-release work for Thunder at our Gates.
Some balance changes from the summer Open Beta will also move into 1.19.3. The studio is still analyzing the results and aims to carry more balance work into War Effort, the Quality of Life Update, and future releases.
Hearts of Iron IV’s next expansion will take longer
Instead of beginning its usual discussion about the next expansion, Paradox has chosen to delay the project and spend more time bringing it to the quality the team wants. The studio plans to continue with Romania Dev Corners for now, then begin Dev Diaries earlier than in previous years, with Romania’s release the most likely starting point.
A quality-of-life patch will come before the next Expansion Pass
A separate Quality of Life Update is in development with a focus on reducing both unnecessary clicking and the mental overhead of playing Hearts of Iron IV. The team aims to show the work during a livestream in the near future and plans to release the patch before the next Expansion Pass.
Multiplayer problems remain under review
Paradox is continuing to investigate hacking and griefing affecting parts of the multiplayer community. Niels said the team is not sure it can solve every issue, but it will keep working to improve the current situation.
The studio also addressed the Hearts of Iron board game project, describing its current situation as unfortunate after the project appeared to be progressing well before problems emerged. Solutions are being discussed, and the team hopes more information will become available soon.
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Hearts of Iron
Developed by Paradox Development Studio
Hearts of Iron is the first ever World War II PC game of true Grand Strategic scope. The game map spans the entire world and allows players to take part in any front they choose. You can play any nation in the world, but the game focuses on the epic struggle between the great alliances of the world orders - Fascism, Communism and Democracy.
- Genre Strategy
- Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows)
- Perspective Bird view / Isometric
- Modes Single player
- Release December 29, 2002
- Publisher Strategy First
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Age Rating
