Hearts of Iron IV
A grand strategy wargame focused on World War II.
Last updated
Paradox Development Studio created and Paradox Interactive published the grand strategy title Hearts of Iron IV, which came out in 2016.[1]
Timeline of the series
15 releases, 2016–2026. Select one to open its entry.
Dates: Wikipedia: Hearts of Iron IV (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Making and release
Hearts of Iron IV had slipped a Q2 release and would land later in 2015, according to a May 2015 developer diary.[2] The game was aiming for June 6, a thematically appropriate release date for any World War II aficionado, according to a PC World article.[3] Since its release, Paradox has released large amounts of downloadable content for Hearts of Iron IV.[4] On 4 April 2024, Together for Victory, Death or Dishonor, and Waking the Tiger were integrated into the base game and are no longer sold separately.[5]
On 20 November 2025, Man the Guns was integrated into the base game upon the release of No Compromise, No Surrender.[5] Paradox first revealed Hearts of Iron IV in 2014, with an initial target of a late 2015 launch.[6] Additional content has featured graphical upgrades like fresh armor designs and new musical tracks, including partnerships with the Swedish power metal group Sabaton.[7] Since its initial release, the game has received numerous complimentary updates, totaling 19 significant patches and over 100 overall, frequently released alongside paid DLC.[8]
What the cited sources add
Paradox Development Studios explained that sitting on the fence is a political strategy for nations not wanting to get sucked into any of the three major ideologies.[2] Neutral nations mostly want to be left alone, but their lack of a solid stance means members of the main ideologies have an easier time influencing them.[2] World Tension is the other major new system in Hearts of Iron IV.[2] Hearts of Iron IV simulates the tumultuous political landscape of the early 20th century, from 1933 to 1949.[9]
Game director Dan Lind told Kotaku that in 99 out of 100 cases, Paradox won't squash mods for objectionable content, preferring to let the community decide.[9] Paradox Interactive's copyright for Hearts of Iron IV is dated 2016, and the Sabaton Soundtrack Vol. 2 was released on January 26, 2017.[10][11]
References
- Wikipedia, "Hearts of Iron IV" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dingman, "Paradox Interactive reveals release dates for Hearts of Iron IV and Stellaris", PC World, Mar 15, 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Priest, "World Tension and neutrality in new Hearts of Iron IV dev diary", GameWatcher, May 8, 2015. facts only, no text reused. gamewatcher.com
- Dingman, "Paradox Interactive reveals release dates for Hearts of Iron IV and Stellaris", PC World, Mar 15, 2016. facts only, no text reused. pcworld.com
- Wikipedia, "Hearts of Iron IV" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Next Hearts of Iron 4 DLC beefs up Scandinavia, Winter War", Wargamer, 2023-06-07 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Hearts of Iron IV" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Thank you for your Service | Spring Sale | Steam Store Update", March 14, 2024; "Dev Corner Final Countdown: Sneak Peeks & What's Next", forum.paradoxplaza.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Hearts of Iron IV" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Frank, "Hearts of Iron 4 launches this 'D-Day'", Polygon, March 15, 2016 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Hearts of Iron IV" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Save 50% on Cosmetic Pack – Hearts of Iron IV: Allied Armor on Steam", store.steampowered.com; "Save 50% on Music – Hearts of Iron IV: Sabaton Soundtrack Vol. 2 on Steam", store.steampowered.com; "Save 50% on Music – Hearts of Iron IV: Sabaton Soundtrack on Steam", store.steampowered.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Hearts of Iron IV" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Hearts of Iron IV Patches and Updates", SteamDB; "Hearts of Iron 4 getting another free update along with new DLC this week", PC Gamer, 2017-06-12 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Winkie, "The Struggle Over Gamers Who Use Mods To Create Racist Alternate Histories", Kotaku, 6 June 2018. facts only, no text reused. kotaku.com
- "Save 50% on Cosmetic Pack – Hearts of Iron IV: Allied Armor on Steam", store.steampowered.com. facts only, no text reused. store.steampowered.com
- "Save 50% on Music – Hearts of Iron IV: Sabaton Soundtrack Vol. 2 on Steam", store.steampowered.com. facts only, no text reused. store.steampowered.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Hearts of Iron IV (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Hearts of Iron IV (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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