Crusader Kings 3 does have an end year, at which point the game will be over, regardless of your current status. When you reach this date under the default settings, you’ll get the game over screen where you can see details on your dynasty. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to turn this off and play indefinitely.
What’s the end year in Crusader Kings 3?
If you’re playing with the default settings, the end year in CK3 is 1453. When you reach the end date of January 1, 1453, your game will be over, and you’ll have to start a new game.
However, when you’re starting a new game, you can head into game rules and turn the end date off. As of launch, there are only two choices for what date the game is over, 1453, or never. This will likely vary from mod to mod and may be changed in a future expansion.
Why does Crusader Kings 3 end in 1453?
Considering how much was happening at the time, 1453 might seem like an arbitrary date to end the game. However, it’s far from it. In fact, something happened in that year that changed the face of the world forever.
The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 AD with the deposition of Romulus Augustulus. However, Rome’s reach stretched across North Africa and the Middle East. Though many of the empire’s European possessions fragmented, it lived on in the form of the Byzantine Empire in the east. However, throughout the Middle Ages, the empire shrunk. Eventually, in 1453, the capital, Constantinople, was sacked by Crusaders, and the Byzantine Empire was no more.
Most historians agree the Middle Ages began with the fall of Rome and ended with the fall of Constantinople. It makes sense that a game about Middle Age politics and religion ends when that period historically did.
