For grand strategy games like Europa Universalis V, the time period it covers defines a slate of important details, including the countries that we can play when beginning a new playthrough, the historical situations we encounter right off the bat, and what type of technologies are available to us. Knowing its start date, thus, lets us better plan our next playthrough, while its end date tells us how much time we have to pursue our objectives.
Even before its official unveiling, when it was still known as Project Caesar, EUV’s time period was a hot topic, with questions about its start and end dates popping up in online discussions. We’re closer to solving that mystery now that the game has officially been unveiled.
EU5 Start and End Dates
Having previewed the game, we can now confirm that Europa Universalis 5’s start date is April 1, 1337.
- Europa Universalis 5 start date: April 1, 1337
- Europa Universalis 5 end date: Sometime in the 19th century
- Europa Universalis 5 time period: “About” 500 years
The beginning of the game’s time period was actually confirmed earlier in 2024 by Paradox Tinto Studio Manager Johan Andersson, who also shared some of the reasons behind the team’s choice.
Among those he mentioned, we find adding the Black Death as an early game challenge, getting to model the transitions from feudalism to modern states and from feudal levies to standing armies, as well as powers like the Mali, Delhi, or Yuan finding themselves at their zenith but soon to face significant challenges.
Andersson also gave us the first hints about EU5’s end date, claiming that the game stretches across “about 500 years” of gameplay. This would be reinforced by the title’s announcement trailer, which mentions the same time period in its description.
Although we don’t have solid confirmation on the exact end date, it seems likely to occur at some point during the 19th century.
Whether or not additional options will be added in the lead-up to launch or after the grand strategy game releases remains to be seen. That is what we know so far about Europa Universalis V’s time period, alongside its start and end dates.
For the latest gaming news, follow GameWatcher on BlueSky, check out our videos on YouTube, or give us a like on Facebook. We sometimes include affiliate links in our posts, which grants us a small commission, thank you. Please support independent Games Media. ❤️
