Expansion overview
The Great Wave is the second expansion for Victoria 3, developed and published by Paradox Interactive. It requires the base game to play and was released on 28 April 2026 alongside patch 1.13. It adds naval construction and management systems, new diplomatic options, and Japan-focused narrative content.
Naval systems
The expansion reworks how ships function in the game. Ships are now individual objects constructed through Shipyards, with their own attributes, damage states, and crew requirements drawn from a new Naval Administration building.
- Ship Designer — construct fleets tailored to your nation's strategic needs, choosing between ocean-going warships for projecting power or coastal defense vessels.
- Flagships — design a customized lead ship for your navy.
- Ship purchase treaties — sell vessels to other nations and generate income from shipbuilding capacity.
- Gunboat Diplomacy — use naval strength to apply pressure through new diplomatic actions.
Japan narrative content
The expansion includes historically-inspired content focused on Japan during the late Edo period.
- Scenario covering internal challenges to Tokugawa samurai rule and external pressure from foreign powers.
- New historical characters and decisions tied to reform or resistance.
- Updated Meiji reform chains integrated with the new content.
- New Zaibatsu companies and custom Interest Group names for Japanese factions.
- Japan flag variants for the Taikunate, Buddhist Theocracy, and Shinto Theocracy.
Art and audio
- New clothing assets and a Japanese building style.
- Japanese-inspired UI skin, map, and table assets.
- New main menu illustration featuring historical characters from the era.
- Eight new music tracks evoking the Edo and Meiji periods, totaling approximately 27 minutes.