Paradox Development Studio (PDS) is a Swedish video game developer founded in 1995. It is closely associated with its parent company and video game publisher, Paradox Interactive. It is best known for its grand strategy wargame series Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Victoria, Crusader Kings, Stellaris, and Imperator.
History PDS is based on the heritage of the Swedish board game company Target Games, and has been a game developer of PC-focused grand strategy games since 1995, including the Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Victoria, Crusader Kings, Stellaris, and Imperator series. The company continued to create PC games and in 1999, the company was divided into two separate entities: Paradox Interactive, which focused on creating grand strategy games for PC, and Paradox Entertainment, which focused on creating board and role-playing games.
In January 2012, the company divided yet again into two studios, becoming Paradox Interactive and Paradox Development Studio. Paradox Interactive became the game publisher focused on PC games of various genres and Paradox Development Studio became the game development studio focused on grand strategy games.
The game development studio was one of the first video game developers to create games in the grand strategy genre, and most of the games the studio has developed fall into that category. Grand strategy games are strategy games that usually cover the entire world map and include elements such as economy, diplomacy and warfare.
Studios In 2021, Paradox announced that its former wholly organized development-division Paradox Development Studio was reorganized and split into several individual internal development teams, with each one handling one of the Paradox's own IPs respectively, whereas PDS was initially split into PDS Gold (HoI:IV), PDS Red (Vic3, CK3), and PDS Green (Stellaris). While this left Imperator: Rome without a dedicated development team, PDS leads stated that they are figuring out how they will return to the series in time.
Later on, the need arose to further divide PDS Red already handling the games Victoria 3 and Crusader Kings into splitting off the handling of the latter into another individual dedicated studio for the game, to efficiently proceed in further development, which became PDS Black.
In 2024, PDS Red was replaced by PDS Purple. Additionally, PDS Teal, was created, working on a yet unannounced project.
Name Studio Lead Game Location Paradox Tinto Johan Andersson Europa Universalis V Sitges, Spain PDS Black Johanna Uddståhl Friberg Crusader Kings III Stockholm, Sweden PDS Gold Niels Uiterwijk Hearts of Iron IV PDS Green Rikard Jansson (Åslund) Stellaris PDS Purple1 ? Victoria 3 PDS Teal ? ? PDX Tectonic2 Rod Humble Life by You (Cancelled) Berkeley, California 1 Formerly PDS Red2 Closed after cancellation of the game
The US-based studio Paradox Tectonic was founded in 2019 for the development of the game Life by You. After several delays and ultimately following the cancellation of the game the day prior, PDX Tectonic was subsequently closed down the next day on June 18, 2024.
Game engines To date, Paradox have engineered two main proprietary game engines for its titles, Europa and Clausewitz. Both were also designed to be open to anyone who wishes to modify the original game files to create mods. As a result, games can be modded with as little as a text editor, which has led to the development of strong modding communities for each of Paradox's games.
Europa Engine Paradox developed its debut game Europa Universalis in 2000, and used large chunks of its code for its next games. Although this code overlap was subsequently referred to as the Europa Engine, studio manager Johan Andersson clarified that the 'engine' had not been part of the initial designs of each of the company's first six games, and that it just resulted from copy-pasting large parts of code from one game to the next. In April 2008, Paradox allowed certain indie game developers to freely use the (by then) superseded engine as part of their Europa Engine Licensing Program. The move led to the development of games such as For the Glory, Arsenal of Democracy, Darkest Hour, and Iron Cross.
Clausewitz Engine In 2007, the studio debuted a new game engine, called Clausewitz Engine in Europa Universalis III. Named after the Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, the new engine is written in the C++ programming language and provides a 3D view of part or the totality of the world map, depending on the played game. Sengoku (released 2011) was the first game utilizing the Clausewitz 2 engine. The studio's 17th game, Imperator: Rome (released 2019), was also built using Clausewitz, but with the addition of new 64-bit software known as "Jomini" (named after 19th century Swiss general Antoine-Henri Jomini) that allows for better 3D rendering and easier creation of mods. The newly improved engine now also features support for DirectX 11.
List of games developed List of games developed by Paradox Development Studios. Note that in addition to this list there are two other games developed in the early 2000s when the studio was part of Paradox Entertainment, Crown of the North and Two Thrones, both part of the Svea Rike series.
Europa Engine Name Released Expansions DateEuropa Universalis2000colspan=2Europa Universalis II2001colspan=2Hearts of Iron2002colspan=2Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun2003Revolutions2006Crusader Kings2004Deus Vult2007Hearts of Iron II2005Doomsday2006Armageddon2007
Clausewitz Engine Name Released Expansions DateEuropa Universalis III2007Napoleon's Ambition2007In Nomine2008Heir to the Throne2009Divine Wind2010Europa Universalis: Rome2008Vae Victis2008Hearts of Iron III2009Semper Fi2010For the Motherland2011Their Finest Hour2012Victoria II2010A House Divided2012Heart of Darkness2013Sengoku2011colspan=2Crusader Kings II2012Sword of Islam2012Legacy of RomeSunset InvasionThe Republic2013The Old GodsSons of AbrahamRajas of India2014CharlemagneWay of LifeHorse Lords2015Conclave2016The Reaper's DueMonks and Mystics2017Jade DragonHoly Fury2018March of the Eagles2013colspan=2Europa Universalis IV2013Conquest of Paradise2014Wealth of NationsRes PublicaArt of WarEl Dorado2015Common SenseThe CossacksMare Nostrum2016Rights of ManMandate of Heaven2017Third RomeCradle of CivilizationRule Britannia2018DharmaGolden CenturyEmperor2020Leviathan2021OriginsLions of the North2022Domination2023King of KingsWinds of Change2024Stellaris2016Leviathans2016Utopia2017Synthetic DawnApocalypse2018Distant StarsMegaCorpAncient Relics2019Federations2020Nemesis2021Overlord2022First Contact 2023Galactic ParagonsAstral PlanesThe Machine Age2024 Cosmic Storms Grand ArchiveBioGenesis2025 Shadows of the ShroudHearts of Iron IV2016Together for Victory2016Death or Dishonor2017Waking the Tiger2018Man the Guns2019La Résistance2020Battle for the BosporusNo Step Back2021By Blood Alone2022Arms Against Tyranny2023Trial of Allegiance2024GötterdämmerungGraveyard of Empires2025No Compromise, No SurrenderThunder at our Gates2026Peace For Our Time
Clausewitz Engine with Jomini Toolset Name Released Expansions DateImperator: Rome2019The Punic Wars2019Magna Graecia2020EpirusHeirs of Alexander2021Crusader Kings III2020Northern Lords2021Royal Court2022Fate of IberiaTours and Tournaments2023Legacy of PersiaLegends of the Dead2024Roads to PowerKhans of the Steppe2025All Under HeavenBy God Alone2026Silk & SilverVictoria 32022Voice of the People2023Colossus of the SouthSphere of Influence2024Pivot of EmpireCharters of Commerce2025National AwakeningIberian TwilightThe Great Wave2026State and RevolutionCentury of Strife2027Europa Universalis V2025Fate of the Phoenix2026Across the PillarsThe Auld Alliance2027
Notes
References
External links Official website