Paradox Interactive's January - June 2026 interim report underlines importance of post-launch support for Crusader Kings 3, Europa Universalis 5, and other titles versus new game launches

Paradox Interactive’s latest interim report presents a brighter picture, with Crusader Kings 3 and Europa Universalis 5’s post-launch content solidifying the company’s strategic shift to long-term engagement versus a barrage of new releases.

The second quarter report highlights an improvement over the Q1 2026 period, which was softer due to past misfires, but already teased some hope on the horizon due to positive post-launch performance from key strategy titles. Before we jump into the bigger news, here’s the quick rundown with updated financial information:

• Revenues amounted to MSEK 524 (MSEK 459), an increase of 14% compared to the same period last year.
• Operating profit amounted to MSEK 182 (MSEK 133), an increase of 37%.
• Revenues for the quarter are primarily attributable to Age of Wonders 4, Cities: Skylines, Cities: Skylines 2, Crusader Kings 3, Europa Universalis 5, Hearts of Iron 4, Stellaris, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, and Victoria 3.

Looking back at Q2 2026 and the first half of the year as a whole, it was downloadable content – like Songs of the Realm for Crusader Kings 3, Secrets of the Archmages for Age of Wonders 4, or Fate of the Phoenix for Europa Universalis 5 – that drove much of the growth. During the quarter, and as teased in previous reports, “Paradox Interactive AB’s shares were admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stockholm Main Market on 9 June 2026.” Another key event was the announcement of a deal with Urban Games for the publishing of Transport Fever 3.

“Many years ago, our business was largely about launching games. Today, it is about building worlds that players want to return to for many years. When our largest franchises continue to grow long after launch, it confirms that this shift has been the right one,” said CEO Fredrik Wester.

Looking at Paradox’s future, we’re expecting already established games to continue to be developed as long as their communities remain strong, with the publisher explicitly confirming earlier this year Victoria 3 and Age of Wonders 4 still have a long road ahead of them too. Rumours also suggest a Lego Cities Skylines game may be coming sooner rather than later.