Best EU4 Mods

Summary

• Explore mods like The Third Odyssey to rebuild the Roman Empire in EU4 with new nations, religions, and event chains.
• Enhance graphics quality in EU4 with mods like AFPS and Shader Boost for smoother FPS, improved shaders, and a crisper experience.
• Transform EU4 gameplay with mods like EU40K, offering a grand strategy experience in the Warhammer 40K universe with unique factions and events.

In Europa Universalis 4, players already have quite a bit of content to occupy their time. However, once players get the hang of the base mechanics, successfully running a country in Europa Universalis 4 becomes a much more feasible endeavor. Where can the game go from there?

Luckily, EU4 isn’t lacking in mods on the Steam Workshop. A dizzying array of selections are available that overhaul both large and small aspects of the gameplay. When looking to spice up the next playthrough, players can’t go wrong with installing these excellent add-ons. Best of all, downloading them is as easy as clicking the “Subscribe” button on the Steam Workshop.

Updated on January 9, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam: Although fans of Paradox Interactive wait with bated breath for the devs to announce Europa Universalis 5, they still have the wonders of Europa Universalis 4 to try and satiate their desire for exciting alternate history experiences. And for players who want to enhance their experience even further, they may want to consider checking out mods for EU4 that can drastically alter their overall experience. Among must-try mods for EU4 include ways of accessing a much sleeker map, and total conversions focused on returning the Roman Empire to its former glory and even a simulation of the Warhammer 40K universe.

26

Third Odyssey: Back to the Motherland

Reform The Glory Of Rome Or Die Trying

Players who want to experience the world of Europa Universalis 4 from the perspective of a new nation will enjoy The Third Odyssey: Back to the Motherland. The mod offers a new experience geared towards “rebuild” the great Roman Empire, alongside opportunities to encounter new religions, minor nations, event chains, Vikings, and even a new formable Rhomania nation from the ashes of the Byzantine Empire.

Gamers can even play as the new Nation of Elysia, which in itself has the potential to become a local superpower when grown correctly.

Players should take note that Third Odyssey isn’t compatible with Ironman modes and is incompatible with other gameplay-altering mods, making this mod rather limiting. However, its alternate timeline appeal should be enough for history buffs to consider checking out this new experience.

25

AFPS and Shader Boost

Get A Sleeker Map

Players who want something to improve their Europa Universalis 4 experience without drastically affecting gameplay should consider installing AFPS and Shader Boost. This specific mod improves the game’s overall graphics quality with much smoother FPS and more effective shaders alongside more visible islands, star symbols for capitols, and brighter fog – giving players a crisper experience while playing the grand strategy title.

Given the mundanity of Europa Universalis 4’s UI and overall graphics, the boosted shaders are a welcome change for players. The mod is compatible with Ironman sessions, allowing players to enjoy a reinvigorated gameplay experience with the game’s more challenging difficulties.

24

EU40K – Total Conversion

Replay The Great Crusade In EU4

Players looking for a much wilder version of Europa Universalis 4 total conversions will enjoy EU40K – Total Conversion, a reinvigoration of the EU4 gameplay within the Warhammer 40K universe. Players can enjoy a WH40K grand strategy experience as most of the game’s major factions and planets, giving an in-depth take on grand strategy in the 41st Millennium that no other game has provided gamers.

Given the conversion’s settings, EU40K – Total Conversion comes with factions with their own Mission Trees, National Ideas, government and religious ideas, as well as units and tech groups. While the mod devs said that most events, mechanics, and missions are limited to the Imperium of Man, the wealth of content associated with the faction should be enough for players to whip up a quick session as the Imperium and enjoy some of the series’ most iconic events in EU4 fashion.

23

Theatrum Orbis Terrarum for 1.30+

Enjoy The Known World’s First Atlas

• Created By: EarthwormDan
• Link

When players install the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum for 1.30, they will experience one of the most immersive takes on a Europa Universalis 4 mod. The mod is roughly translated to “Theatre of the World,” and represents the first true modern atlas as created by Abraham Ortelius in 1570. The mod largely recreates Ortelius’s version of the atlas in the game, translating into a historical-flavored map complete with lettering and drawn details such as mountains and rivers. The recolored feel of the map refreshes EU4 with a never-before seen vibrance.

The mod is a complete map overhaul, with improvements to the GUI and other elements such as map lighting, dynamic transparency, shields and flags, trade routes and arrows, and other UI elements that can make the game much easier on the eyes and to the overall experience.

22

Show National Ideas

See More Of Their National Ideas

Given the strategic depth of Europa Universalis 4 gameplay, players of the acclaimed grand strategy title might want to make sure they can stick to a decision before ever making them. This is especially the case when forming a new nation, as this decision can make or break the player’s endgame trajectory. While there’s always the option to look up the new nation’s potential National Ideas prior to creating them, seeing them live in the game can give players more room to think about their decision. This is something Show National Ideas achieves.

Thanks to this mod, players can now see the National Ideas of the nation they are about to create, complete with custom icons integrated into the event text to hint at Ambitions, Traditions, and Ideas of their new nation. The mod even offers a movable window that lets players compare the new nation’s ideas with their existing ones, allowing them to make more informed decisions before making the switch.

21

Bigger UI V1.37

Expand UI For A Better Gameplay Experience

The mark of a useful mod isn’t always with the vast extent of its features. In the case of Bigger UI V1.37, this Europa Universalis 4 mod might not offer a grand list of new countries, cultures, and missions, but it does provide something that a lot of EU4 players are looking for: a larger but workable user interface.

At its core, the Bigger UI V1.37 makes it easier for players to access relatively smaller-scale parts of the UI that can make the game difficult to navigate. Technically inspired by Delincious’s series of “Bigger” mods, Prodarit’s take on the mod now adjusts the scale and locations of various icons and buttons for accessibility, provides larger room for Ideas, windows for War and Peace offer more space, and increases list lengths of information-intensive areas such as advisor choice, rival selection, province selling, and the like.

20

Religio Romana – Victorum Universalis

Get A Crusader Kings Spin On EU4

While not necessarily a large mod in itself, fans of older European religions may want to try Religio Romana – Victorum Universalis to revive the Old Hellenic Pagan religion in their Europa Universalis 4 experience. This mod tries to switch things up from the default Europa Universalis 4 generic events and transition into more “active” and overarching plotlines that the likes of Crusader Kings offers. The mod is an expansion of the Hellenic Polytheism mod from Jan.

From a thematic overview, players can now have any country within the Latin, Old Latin, or Byzantine culture group transition back to Paganism – although they can’t be the Pope, Defender of the Faith to do this. This option can be expanded into other more nuanced options, such as restoring the Imperial Cult and becoming the Pontifex Maximus. After transitioning back to Paganism, players now have to deal with the repercussions of losing faith in Christianity during the rise and height of the Renaissance.

19

Veritas Et Fortitudo

Get More Out Of EU4 With New Countries, Cultures, Events

Unlike other mods that try to add a feature here and there for a player’s Europa Universalis 4 playthrough, Veritas et Fortitudo transforms the entire grand strategy experience into a more immersive look into what the game can offer. From a top-down perspective, Veritas et Fortitudo offers entirely new mechanics that take into account new countries, cultures, decisions, religions, events.

Aside from an overhauled map, the game now provides a dynastic system that keeps track of how players manage their holdings. The mod also offers a more nuanced way of integrating vassals into one’s empire, subjects come in a wider range of variants, a more immersive (and demanding) estates system, and entirely new sets of missions to try.

18

Responsible Warfare

Make War More Meaningful

Unlike other mods that affect Europa Universalis 4 gameplay, Responsible Warfare is a more specific add-on that combines the former’s more fluid approach to history with the population-focused aspect of Victoria 2. As a result, players can encounter warfare where standing armies have drastically smaller sizes and dramatically increased costs. This aims to replicate a more realistic approach in combat while ensuring the economy doesn’t fall apart simply because a player engages in warfare.

Specific stats-wise, Development now grants half manpower and sailors, while Force Limits are effectively quartered regardless of whether they’re from Holy Roman Empire states or Trade League members. However, Maintenance Costs are almost doubled, and Manpower Levels now affect Morale upon reaching certain numbers.

17

Fast Universalis

Help Lower-Performance PCs Run The Game

Looking at Europa Universalis 4 at first glance might give players the impression that the game might not be as demanding as other grand strategy titles. While this much is true, given its age and general requirements, some players may still encounter difficulties running the game with much older devices.

Fast Universalis attempts to change this by providing more in-depth settings to aid players with lower-performance machines to run the game. When activated, the mod allows players to toggle various animated aspects of the game that may affect performance. These include more general components such as particles, borders, moving units, the minimap, and post effects, as well as more specific settings such as reflections, shadows, trees, and uncolonized terrain.

16

Lux In Tenebris

Tries To Remove Genericness In Nations

Originally conceptualized as an update for the accuracy-oriented Beyond Typus mod, Lux in Tenebris became a complete overhaul that aimed to remove many of the “genericness” present in countries of Europa Universalis 4 by introducing more nuanced elements to individual nations. The game’s main appeal involves introducing these flexible elements while working as close to the base game mechanics as possible. This should allow Lux in Tenebris to be accessible to newcomers without being overwhelming.

The mod adds new religions with special events and new provinces with different cultures. There are also new national ideas

15

The Idea Variation

Make Slight Variations To Ideas

While the core Europa Universalis 4 experience lets players use over 500 countries in their playthrough, its mechanics can feel stale for gamers who want a lasting grand strategy title with various gameplay options. Although The Idea Variation initially tries to solve this by adding slight changes here and there, its continuous progression allowed it to become a total conversion mod that enhances the EU4 experience with overhauled government reform mechanics, new idea groups and policies, and even buildings.

The mod features over 600 new policies across 42 new Idea Groups and 20 new Advisor types, complete with two new estates (Janissaries and Nationalists). The overhauls to Idea Groups can give players extra leverage regardless of their playstyles, with colonizers being able to expand faster, low-income nations with different cultures becoming more sustainable, and even making coring much easier for more aggressive strategists.

14

Anbennar: A Fantasy Total Conversion Mod

Enhance EU4 With Magic And Fantasy

• Created by JayBean, (THEA) Duke Jorgas, and Hehodas
• Mod Link

Like most games developed by Paradox, the collection of mods available for EU4 runs the gamut from historical immersion to high fantasy. Regarding the latter, Anbennar: A Fantasy Total Conversion Mod should satisfy fans who prefer to see more elves and warlocks in their grand strategy games.

Players of Dungeons & Dragons will find themselves right at home with this mod. With plenty of magic and other arcane arts at one’s disposal, it’s up to players to decide whether or not to be a force of good or evil. Fans can even start their own adventuring company before settling down to create a new nation. For fantasy addicts, this mod is certainly worth a try!

13

The Great Exhibition

Add More Artwork To Enhance Immersion

• Created by ernesttico, Aetherum, and Firerozes
• Mod Link

Anyone who plays a Paradox title for an extended length of time will eventually see every piece of artwork in the game. With so many events firing throughout a playthrough, the vanilla illustrations quickly lose their luster. Players who are about to start a new game may want to consider freshening things up in this department.

The Great Exhibition mod is the perfect antidote to this problem. Thousands of new pictures related to events in the game are added, and some of them even change based on the player’s religion, culture, etc. As such, it will take players quite a while before the artwork starts getting stale again.

12

Ante Bellum

Get Another Interesting Alt History

One thing that history buffs tend to enjoy is exploring alternate history scenarios. Imagining how the world would have looked if certain epochal events turned out differently offers a wealth of creative opportunities for modders. Fortunately, EU4 has a couple of fun options for players interested in alt-history.

Ante Bellum offers an alternate, but no less intriguing take, on the world in 1444. Among other notable reimaginings, the Carolingians still rule Francia, Andalusia is ascendant in Iberia, Bulgaria has the Byzantine Empire on the backpedal, and a few of the Crusader States even still exist in the Middle East. Fans can expect a wealth of new content to accompany these changes without having to learn brand-new mechanics. It’s certainly a mod that fans of Europa Universalis 4 shouldn’t ignore.

11

MEIOU & Taxes

Get More Out Of EU4 Economics

• Created by [EL] Moridin, matigietz, [M&T] Sun_Wu, [M&T] Gigau, Veheled, Jervaj, [M&T]Mepper, Dr. Oetker, and Pełpeł
• Mod Link

All-in-one overhaul mods are usually safe bets for beginners looking to test the waters of the modding community. MEIOU and Taxes brings several things to the table, including new provinces/nations, a revamped trading system, overhauled graphics, and much more. Check out the mod’s wiki page for a full list of features.

10

Extended Timeline

Play Much Further Down The Line

Players have a lot of time with which to achieve their goals in EU4. The vanilla timeline runs from 1444 to 1821, giving fans 377 years to scheme and conquer their way to the top. However, maybe three centuries still isn’t enough time for some players.

The Extended Timeline mod certainly lives up to its name. It extends the game’s timeline to the year 9999, while also giving fans the option to start playing in 2 AD. Over 500 new countries are also added to reflect the state of the world at any given date. Never want the game to end? Give this mod a try.

9

Graphical Map Improvements

Enjoy A More Immersive Experience

As a grand strategy game, players will inevitably spend a great deal of time looking at the map in EU4. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the game’s vanilla map, but there’s certainly some room for improvement.

Graphical Map Improvements is the quintessential map mod for the game. It tweaks a variety of effects regarding the map’s presentation. The mod adds HS textures, along with a clearer font for country names and more distinguishable borders. It creates an all-around experience that’s easier on the eyes.

8

Flavour And Events Expanded

• Created by Jay DoubleU, Catoscar, LimonenZitrone, Melvasul, UberEpicZach, Lumisentius, Vicryl, and ChuKoNoob
• Mod Link

Paradox Interactive games pack a ton of historical realism into their titles. Nevertheless, with a gargantuan subject like history, not every notable event can make it into a video game. In titles like EU4, fans also tend to appreciate a substantial variety of generic events and decisions to keep each new playthrough fresh and exciting.

In this regard, it doesn’t get much better than Flavour and Events Expanded. This mod adds over 1,000 new events to the game, which range from purely historical to creatively flavorful. Veterans of Crusader Kings 3 will be happy to know that plenty of heir education events are thrown into the mix as well. Overall, the mod adds enough interesting content to keep both old and new players hooked.

7

Trade Goods Expanded

Expand EU4 Economics

Trade often plays an important role in Paradox Interactive games, as fans of Victoria 3 are no doubt aware. The same is also true for EU4, which takes place in an age where international trade plays an increasingly important role in a country’s affairs.

In the same spirit as the previously mentioned mod, Trade Goods Expanded (as the name implies) adds a wealth of new trade goods to the game, along with a new resource mechanic and price events. Players interested in the more economic aspects of EU4 should check out this mod for a richer experience.