Crusader Kings 3's second expansion promises enough pomp and circumstance to distract everyone while you 'murder a quarrelsome rival'

Crusader Kings 3's next expansion, Tours and Tournaments, has finally got a solid release date. You'll be able to take your medieval show on tour on May 11, when the DLC hits Steam and the Microsoft Store.

Tours and Tournaments is CK3's second bonafide "major expansion," and aims to beef up life outside the confines of the throne room. "Prove yourself in one of the many forms of gallant Tournaments, either abroad or at home," reads the blurb, "or use the festivities to murder a quarrelsome rival". Murdering quarrelsome rivals is, like, my favourite thing to do, so I'm eager to see how Tours and Tournaments innovates in the space.

The DLC will add new "grand activities," like fancy weddings and "stirring falconry hunts," that will let you use new means of winning the hearts and stabbing the backs of your vassals and liege-lords. Considering they were one of the linchpins of real-life feudal politics, marriages have always been a bit of a damp squib in Crusader Kings games, so I'll be glad to see a bit more pomp and circumstance when I tie the knot (or make one of my ungrateful offspring do so).

It's adding a feature it's calling the Epic Tour, too, which looks to me like a more detailed version of the pilgrimages that are already part of the game. You'll pick out an entourage, plan a route, and set off on a jolly old wander. Along the way you'll meet all sorts of people, pick up new traits, and doubtlessly put yourself in mortal danger.

There's also a new tournament system, which will let you participate in jousts, win prizes, and charm onlookers as you smite your enemies from horseback. All in all, a lot more intrigue, politicking, and ostentatious displays of wealth and glory.

Tours and Tournaments is the first expansion since Paradox rejigged its DLC plan for Crusader Kings 3 last year. While it originally intended to put out DLC split between smaller "flavour packs" and bigger expansions, it's since added a new, bitesize tier of "event packs" and ratcheted up the price of the flavour packs. That caused a bit of an upset when it was announced, but perhaps Paradox can win over the doubters when Tours and Tournaments releases in May.

One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.