Hearts of Iron IV

Paradox Development Studio and Hearts of Iron IV continue their musical synergy with Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton. Best known for their songs about real historical events and the human side of war, Sabaton has licensed ten new songs for Hearts of Iron IV, each illustrating a moment of World War II with passion and power chords.

Highlights of this second music pack for HoI4 include 40:1, a song honoring the brave but futile defense of Wizna by a Polish army far outnumbered by invading Germans, and To Hell and Back, the story of highly decorated war hero Audie Murphy and his struggles with PTSD. The full music list follows:

• Ghost Division
• Resist and Bite
• Coat of Arms
• Uprising
• Screaming Eagles
• 40:1
• Panzerkampf
• Smoking Snakes
• To Hell and Back
• The Last Battle

The Sabaton music pack is available now for $5.99 (or €5.99) at the Paradox Store and on Steam.

Reinforcements Have Arrived, eh? Together for Victory is Here.

The time has come for all the subjects of his Majesty to stand shoulder to shoulder against Fascism. Will you answer the call?

Together for Victory, the first expansion for Hearts of Iron IV (PEGI 7), is now available on major digital retailers. This add-on for Paradox’s grand strategy epic about the tumultuous years leading to and including WWII puts the British Dominions and Commonwealth nations in the spotlight.

The major new mechanic is the Autonomy system. Nations still subject to a greater power have a range of actions available to them depending on how subservient they are. A Dominion will have some constraints on its foreign policy, but will be more independent than a puppet regime. Through decisions and actions, these subjects can assert themselves and gain full independence.

Together for Victory also includes:

• New National Focuses: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India each receive their own National Focus Trees, bringing their history to life
• Spearheads: A new order simplifies breakthroughs in land invasions
• Continuous Focuses: Choose a National Focus to boost your nation’s capabilities over time, prioritizing one aspect of your military machine over another
• Alternate Histories: Each of the Dominion nations has alternate history branches. Lead South Africa to a Communist revolution that will end segregation but alienate Great Britain. Make Canada a Fascist state warily eyeing the giant to the south.
• Tech Sharing: Cozy up to an advanced great power and take advantage of their research progress to accelerate your own development.
• Combat Log: Extensive details on the performance of your divisions in battle are now available for you, Commander.
• Request Lend Lease: Ask for assistance from across the seas in the form of lend lease, adding new vehicles and equipment to beleaguered armies.
• New Art: New portraits for new leaders, old leaders have some portraits redone, and new unit designs and event pictures make their debut.

Enlist for a new challenge in Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory.

For more game information click here.

Invasion Date Set, Together for Victory Lands December 15

The British Dominions and Commonwealth states take centre stage in Together for Victory, the first expansion to Hearts of Iron IV, the hit World War II grand strategy wargame from Paradox Development Studios. And now a date has been set for the brave offspring of the Empire to show off their new uniforms.

Together for Victory will be available on December 15, 2016 for $14.99 at major digital retailers, including the Paradox Store.

This expansion is not only the first for Hearts of Iron IV, but sets the model for many future add-ons, bringing new detail and gameplay options to nations outside of the great powers. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Raj of India have been given unique National Focus trees, more leaders to choose from, and a selection of industrial corporations to add extra color to your experience.

Game Designer Dan Lind has enlisted to present a short video summarizing what you can expect.

Together for Victory also includes:

• New Autonomy System: Subject states are not merely puppets, but can have a range of action. Dominions, Puppet States, and Colonies can either work their way to total independence.
• Spearheads: A new order simplifies breakthroughs in land invasions
• Continuous Focuses: Choose a National Focus to boost your nations capabilities over time, prioritizing one aspect of your military machine over another
• Alternate Histories: Each of the Dominion nations has alternate history branches. Lead South Africa to a Communist revolution that will end segregation but alienate Great Britain. Make Canada a Fascist state warily eyeing the giant to the south.
• Tech Sharing: Cozy up to an advanced great power and take advantage of their research progress to accelerate your own development.
• Combat Log: Extensive details on the performance of your divisions in battle are now available for you, Commander.
• Request Lend Lease: Ask for assistance from across the seas in the form of lend lease, adding new vehicles and equipment to beleaguered armies.
• New Art: New portraits for new leaders, old leaders have some portraits redone, and new unit designs and event pictures make their debut.

Together for Victory is just ten days away! Mobilize your inner army and prepare for an even wider perspective on the world’s darkest hour.

For more game information click here.

For King and Country, Paradox announces Together for Victory

When the fires of war erupt and your nation is under siege from the greatest war machine the world has ever seen, it is good to know that you are standing shoulder to shoulder with your brothers and sisters around the world. Together for Victory, the first expansion for Paradox Development Studio’s World War II game Hearts of Iron IV (PEGI 7), shines a bright light on the British dominions and colonies that rallied around the flag in England’s darkest hour.

The centerpiece of Together for Victory is a set of new National Focus trees for five subjects of the British crown: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the British Raj in India. Make history with appropriate technology or alternate history paths, as well as new portraits, new leaders and new companies for the Dominions. Together for Victory is the first step in a process that Paradox hopes will tell the story of every nation in the great conflict.

Watch the Hearts of Iron IV: Together For Victory, Mood Trailer here.

Together for Victory will also include:

• New Autonomy system has different levels of dependency and status for subject nations – puppets, Dominions and fully independent states
• Continuous National Focus ideas will add new bonuses and improvements to your country as you take it through the crucible of war
• Nations can request a Lend-Lease agreement from their allies and friends if they are in dire need of equipment and vehicles
• And much more, including updates and changes to the combat system

Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory is coming soon to major digital retailers, including the Paradox store.

Sunflower Update Brings Host of Improvements to Wargame

Today, Paradox Development Studios released the first major update for its hit World War II grand strategy wargame, Hearts of Iron IV. The “Sunflower Patch” is largely devoted to improving the game’s AI and user interface, as well as the usual changes to Hearts of Iron’s balance and historical database, plus a number of bug fixes.

You can read the full list of changes and updates on the official Paradox Community forum here. But read on for a brief list of some of the highlights in Sunflower.

• Changes to how peace conferences are handled, based on a design by Steam user Neutrino
• Hotjoin now available for multiplayer games, so you can connect to a match already in progress
• Custom difficulty settings let you adjust the relative power of Germany, Italy, France and the Soviet Union
• More nations can now be released as independent countries
• Re-sync button added to address connection issues without rehosting the game
• AI more likely to update templates, build nuclear reactors and cancel unnecessary production
• AI less likely to risk encirclement, opt for a Communist France or throw everything at North Africa
• Naval combat has been balanced to prevent light cruiser spam
• Changes to national territorial cores (Portugal loses, Sinkiang gains)
• A number of crashes caused by modding have been fixed
• Submarines better at finding surface ships, worse at finding other subs

Go to the Community Forum for the complete rundown of all of the improvements and updates now available for everyone that owns Hearts of Iron IV.

For more information on Hearts of Iron IV, check out the games official website.

By James Cobb @ The Wargamer

After three years of meticulous preparation, the fighting can begin. For this part of the review, I’ve gone straight in with the ’1939′ starting option – trying out both Germany and Japan as they present very different starting positions.

Read on…

By James Cobb @ The Wargamer

Grand strategy games have always had two components: civilian and military. Although intertwined, one part usually dominants the other. Paradox Interactive’s fourth rendition of its World War II series, Hearts of Iron, may hay hit upon a way where each component is equal. To do this, the game is now very deep and comprehensive – so much so that each part, civilian and military, deserves its own review.

Read on…

Hearts of Iron IV Gets Some Expert Analysis - Swedish Officer Evaluates the Wargame as First Major Patch Arrives

One test of a strategic wargame is whether real-world military expertise and planning translates to the virtual space. We invited Lieutenant-Colonel Conny Hansen of the Swedish Armed Forces to play Hearts of Iron IV in our studio so he could get the measure of Paradox Development Studio’s newest grand strategy wargame.

In this short video, you can watch Lt. Col. Hansen plot an American war strategy that puts the Pacific theatre first. What will await him when he finally looks across the Atlantic? Stay to the end for his final verdict on Hearts of Iron IV.

Meanwhile, away from Central Command, the Paradox team has been busy patching Hearts of Iron IV. Here’s a quick rundown of the improvements you can expect in this first major update to the game:

• Command Group Postures: Your armies can now carry out orders Carefully, Balanced, or in a Rush.
• New Template Design: An empty template for new division designs is now available in the edit division drop-down tab.
• AI Production Priorities: Computer controlled opponents will have a greater emphasis on infantry and fighter production.
• Making Friends: Computer controlled opponents will be more likely to grant military access to countries fighting a common enemy.
• Boys From Brazil: Germany less likely to spam South America with justifications for war
• Bug Fixes: Tweaks to warscore calculation, the peace process and King George V only dies once, now.

For a complete list of the fixes to Hearts of Iron IV, check this thread on our official forum.

For more information on Hearts of Iron IV, check out the games official website.

Experiencing the finer points of all-out war in a truly grand strategy simulation.

By TJ Hafer, IGN 

Hearts of Iron 4 is an incredibly complex World War II simulation that will require potentially hundreds of hours to master, both in-game and poring over wiki articles that read like an economics textbook. And as someone eager to invest that kind of time into a game as long as it continues to reward me with new layers of depth, I consider that a very good thing. Thanks to an unusually striking look and clean, easily navigable interface, the biggest challenges we Hearts of Iron 4 presents us with are the good kind: strategic planning, division composition, and fine-tuning economic and political policies. The payoff is brilliant for those willing to put in the time to learn.

Read on…

Paradox’s Grand Strategy War Game Now Available

Paradox Development Studio returns to one of its most popular game series with the release of Hearts of Iron IV. This giant war game gives you control of any nation in the world during the chaotic years in and around World War II. Vast armies are yours to command, industrial infrastructures are yours to build and the far reaches of science are yours to research.

The Hearts of Iron series has always been one of the deepest and most sophisticated games about humanity’s greatest conflict. Hearts of Iron IV brings greater attention to the big picture of battleplans and sweeping troop movements, with a heavier emphasis on accessibility without losing the depth that fans have long admired.

As the world tension grows, you will be tested as a president, a commander and an industrial titan.

• Command the Great Powers: The seven strongest nations in the world come with exclusive National Focus trees to guide you through your new history
• Battleplan System: Set plans in advance for your armies and watch them execute their missions with the click of a button
• Two Historical Scenarios: Start the game with the explosion of war in 1939, or begin in 1936 to build up for the coming conflict
• Eleven Research Trees: Upgrade your weapons and vehicles, learn new military doctrines and unlock the mysteries of the atom and computing
• Change History: Can you bring the mighty Soviet Union to its knees? Get to Berlin by 1942? Build an alternate American empire in South America

Hearts of Iron IV is being released alongside the first minor power National Focus DLC, Poland: United and Ready which is available to all customers for free!

As well, the heavy metal band Sabaton, a popular group in the studio, has licensed a number of their World War II themed songs for a special Hearts of Iron music pack now available for purchase.
Take up arms in defense of your country, or sign up to impose your ideology on a hostile world. Hearts of Iron IV is here.

For more information on Hearts of Iron IV, check out the games official website.