Crusader Kings III: Silk & Silver brings merchant republics and trade routes on Nov. 17 for $29.99

Crusader Kings III finally hands the map to merchants and doges: Silk & Silver arrives on Nov. 17. Here’s the unlock time, what it costs and what changes for trade and republics.

When does Crusader Kings 3 Silk & Silver come out?

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, on PC. Paradox announced the date on Oct. 19 with a trailer, six months after it revealed the expansion with Chapter V and promised it for the fourth quarter. Steam lists the unlock at 17:00 UTC, and Paradox hasn’t confirmed the hour.

US clocks fall back on Sunday, Nov. 1, so the ET and PT times above are standard time. For the rest of the month, see our November 2026 release calendar.

How much is Silk & Silver?

$29.99 suggested, or £25.99 and €29.99, according to Paradox’s Oct. 19 press release, and Steam hasn’t listed the price yet. Every earlier CK3 Major Expansion launched at $29.99, and all four sell for €29.99 and £24.99 on Steam, so only the UK price goes up.

The Chapter V Expansion Pass costs $43.99 (£36.99, €43.99) and bundles Silk & Silver with the By God Alone Core Expansion, the Songs of the Realm music pack and the Symbols of Authority clothing pack. That is about 20% less than Silk & Silver, By God Alone and Songs of the Realm cost on their own, and Symbols of Authority is sold only in the pass. Steam has no standalone pre-order, so Chapter V is the way to secure Silk & Silver before launch.

Merchant families and trading companies

The first new government, Merchant, puts you at the head of a landless family that runs a trading company. Trade routes move more than 40 trade goods, and your company takes a purpose: Caravaneers haul goods, Creditors lend money to rulers and Artisans craft artifacts.

Patrons among nobles and royalty open doors, exclusive trade rights can grow into a full Monopoly, and a mansion upgraded with gold and prestige serves as your base. Merchant republics last starred in Crusader Kings II’s The Republic in 2013.

Republics, doges and Trade Leagues

The second new government, Republic, puts you at the head of a patrician family that turns its wealth into influence and courts the public to win the role of doge. The Assembly votes on the constitution, the length of a leader’s term and treasury spending, and an administration type, such as the Maritime Republic that Venice starts as, decides what each republic does best.

Trade Posts extend a republic’s influence into foreign counties, and Trade Leagues tie republics together for trade and military benefits. Paradox names Venice and Genoa as playable republics.

New start dates and the free update

Two bookmarks join the game: 1066, Channels of Commerce, built around famous merchants and the spice, silk and silver trade, and 1178, Guelphs & Ghibellines, where the papal and imperial camps of northern Italy slide toward open war. Republics also hold civic carnivals and Italian cultures gain new traditions, while the first dev diary names a rework of the economy across the whole game as a core goal.

With Silk & Silver, the Landless Adventurer character type moves into the base game for free through the free update that arrives alongside the expansion, while Paradox said in June that it was looking at keeping certain camp purposes and contract types with Roads to Power. Paradox hasn’t published the patch notes for that update yet.

Platforms and the base game

Silk & Silver runs on Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux and through the Xbox app on Windows, where the Microsoft Store sells it inside Chapter V. The console version of Crusader Kings III on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S has no Silk & Silver announcement. Steam lists single-player and online multiplayer, full English audio, eight more languages and a PEGI 12 rating. The base game costs $49.99.

This page is updated as soon as Paradox confirms the unlock hour and Steam lists the price.