Paradox Interactive is expanding its historical grand strategy game, Europa Universalis 5, with a new downloadable content pack called Across the Pillars. The expansion focuses on the Iberian Peninsula, bringing additional content for Castile, Granada and Morocco while introducing new historical situations, events and exploration opportunities.

The DLC gives players more reasons to explore southwestern Europe and experience the historical competition surrounding the Strait of Gibraltar. It also adds new expeditions that allow nations to discover distant locations and expand their influence beyond Europe.

However, while the additional content improves the experience in this region, it does not completely transform the core gameplay. Some of the new historical situations feel limited, and certain diplomatic interactions can become repetitive.

Based on the published reviewer's experience, Across the Pillars is a worthwhile addition for players interested in Iberian history and colonial expansion, although it leaves room for improvement.

What Is Europa Universalis 5: Across the Pillars?

Across the Pillars is a Chronicle Pack for Europa Universalis 5 developed by Paradox Interactive.

Released on October 28, 2026, the expansion focuses on three important nations:

• Castile: A major Iberian kingdom with ambitions of unifying the Spanish territories.

• Granada: A kingdom representing the remaining Muslim presence in medieval Iberia.

• Morocco: A North African power seeking greater influence across the Strait of Gibraltar.

The expansion introduces additional historical content for these nations, giving players more opportunities to explore political conflicts, territorial expansion and the development of the Iberian Peninsula.

One of its central features is the Battle for the Strait, a historical situation involving the struggle between Castile and Morocco over Granada and the surrounding territories.

Battle for the Strait Introduces a New Historical Conflict

The Battle for the Strait is one of the main attractions of the new DLC.

It places Castile and Morocco in competition for control over Granada, one of the last remnants of Al-Andalus in Iberia.

Castile's objective is to conquer Granada and eventually incorporate its territories into a larger Spanish kingdom. Morocco has different ambitions, including expanding its influence in the region and potentially restoring the legacy of the Umayyads in Iberia.

This creates an interesting historical setting in which players must manage military campaigns, diplomatic relationships and territorial ambitions.

However, the situation does not always offer enough meaningful decisions to maintain its excitement throughout a campaign.

In the reviewer's Castile playthrough, Granada repeatedly attempted to gain independence, even when diplomatic relations were extremely positive. Morocco and Tlemcen also frequently initiated wars without creating particularly challenging military situations.

As a result, the central conflict sometimes became more of a waiting game than an engaging strategic challenge.

New Expeditions Are the Best Part of the DLC

One of the strongest additions in Across the Pillars is its new expedition system.

These expeditions give players a more engaging way to explore distant territories and search for mythical cities, valuable discoveries and opportunities for expansion.

Rather than relying entirely on traditional exploration missions, players can participate in more detailed journeys featuring unique events and historical elements.

The system adds additional variety to colonial gameplay and creates opportunities to discover new locations across the world.

For players who enjoy exploration and building overseas empires, this feature could become one of the main reasons to purchase the DLC.

The original reviewer particularly enjoyed these expeditions, describing them as the most interesting part of the expansion.

Castile and the Iberian Union Offer More Strategic Possibilities

Castile provides another interesting way to experience Across the Pillars.

Players can work toward establishing the Spanish Monarchy by bringing the crowns of Castile and Aragon together.

The Iberian Union introduces additional political and diplomatic challenges as players attempt to consolidate different territories into a stronger Spanish state.

However, the experience is not always predictable. The reviewer's campaign encountered unexpected problems involving Aragon's control of the union, making the process of forming a unified Spain more complicated than anticipated.

France also remained a significant military threat, with its large armies creating difficulties during several campaigns.

These experiences demonstrate that even with the new DLC content, existing strategic challenges remain an important part of Europa Universalis 5.

Does Across the Pillars Improve Europa Universalis 5?

The expansion adds useful content to a region that benefits from additional historical depth.

Players interested in Castile, Granada and Morocco will find more events, historical situations and opportunities to develop their nations.

The expedition system is particularly valuable because it gives colonial gameplay more personality and variety.

However, the Battle for the Strait could benefit from additional decisions and more meaningful interactions between the involved nations.

Some diplomatic situations also feel repetitive, especially when Granada continuously seeks independence despite improved relations.

Overall, the expansion improves the experience without completely changing the way Europa Universalis 5 is played.

Is Europa Universalis 5: Across the Pillars Worth Buying?

Whether the DLC is worth purchasing largely depends on the type of campaign players enjoy.

It may be worth considering if you:

• Enjoy playing as Castile, Granada or Morocco.

• Like historical conflicts and nation-building.

• Spend considerable time exploring and colonizing new territories.

• Want additional events and content for Iberia.

• Enjoy long grand strategy campaigns.

You may want to wait if you:

• Prefer major gameplay-system changes.

• Expect extensive new decisions in every historical situation.

• Rarely play in the Iberian or North African regions.

• Prefer large expansions with substantial new mechanics.

The DLC is focused on a specific geographical region, so its value will naturally depend on how much time players want to spend there.

Final Verdict

Europa Universalis 5: Across the Pillars is a welcome addition for players interested in the history and politics of the Iberian Peninsula.

Its new expeditions provide an enjoyable exploration experience, while additional content for Castile, Granada and Morocco creates more opportunities for historical campaigns.

Nevertheless, the Battle for the Strait lacks some of the strategic depth that could have made it a standout feature. Repetitive diplomatic conflicts and limited decisions also prevent the expansion from reaching its full potential.

Despite these weaknesses, Across the Pillars improves the regional experience and offers plenty of content for players who enjoy colonial expansion and historical grand strategy.

For dedicated Europa Universalis 5 fans, it is an interesting addition, although players expecting a major gameplay transformation may want to keep their expectations realistic.