Hearts of Iron IV has more expansions than base game, and they do not all do the same kind of thing: some rewrite systems everybody uses, some add focus trees for one nation, and four have been folded into the base game so everyone has them already. This page lists what each one is and when it landed, so you can decide what is worth owning.
Quick answer
| What | Answer |
|---|---|
| Newest expansion | Thunder at Our Gates, released 2026-06-11 |
| Already in the base game | Man the Guns, Waking the Tiger, Death or Dishonor, Together for Victory |
| Buy first for gameplay depth | An expansion, not a country pack — expansions change systems, packs add nations |
| Country packs | Focus trees and flavour for specific nations, no new mechanics |
| Expansion passes | Bundles of upcoming expansions, cheaper than buying each separately |
| Do you need them all | No — an expansion you do not own simply leaves its systems switched off |
The one distinction that matters
Expansions change how the game works. They rework naval combat, add the intelligence agency, replace the special forces system — and they change the game for every country you play, not just the ones on the box.
Country and theater packs add nations. New focus trees, new advisors, new events for a specific part of the map. They are flavour, and a player who never touches those countries will not notice the difference.
An expansion you do not own does not lock you out of the game — its systems are simply switched off, and the base game keeps its older versions of them. Achievements are the exception: an achievement belonging to a DLC you do not own will not appear in your game at all.
Expansions
| Expansion | Released | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| No Compromise, No Surrender | 2025-11-20 | Mould new paths in history for Japan, China and the Philippines in No Compromise, No Surrender, an Expansion for Hearts of Iron IV. Seize a greater depth of control over factions, forge new military doctrines and decide the fate of the Pacific and beyond. |
| Götterdämmerung | 2024-11-14 | Players can write new histories of Germany, Austria, Hungary and Belgium. Build the industrial and research foundation to survive the world's greatest conflict. |
| Arms Against Tyranny | 2023-10-10 | * Finland Finnish Focus Tree: Relive the defining moment of Finnish history, defying the odds in a war against a much more powerful Soviet adversary. * Sweden Swedish Focus Tree: The richest of the Nordic nations, Sweden is well-suited to a path of vigorous neutrality and to serve as both an arms designer and arms trader. |
| By Blood Alone | 2022-09-27 | Build a new empire, resist foreign aggression or explore the limits of neutrality. The expansion adds new alternate history options and gameplay variety for three nations, as well as other significant changes. |
| No Step Back | 2021-11-23 | The Second World War's hardest fighting was on the Eastern Front of Europe. This expansion adds greater detail for many nations in Eastern Europe, unique game systems to reflect Soviet politics, and many improvements to the military aspect of the game. |
| La Resistance | 2020-02-25 | * France Updated Focus Trees for France: New National Focuses for Free France and the Vichy France Regime, as well as an option for conservatives to restore the old French Monarchy. * Spain More in Depth Spanish Campaign: New National Focuses for Republican Spain and Nationalist Spain, as well as an expanded Spanish Civil War that can spiral into a wider conflict. |
Country packs
| Expansion | Released | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Graveyard of Empires | 2025-03-04 | Navigate the difficult channel between nationalist dreams and imperial oppression. Resist the demands of foreign great powers and claim your own place on the world stage, engaging in diplomacy and warfare to lead a great national rebirth in the vast lands between the Euphrates and the Gulf of Bengal. |
| Trial of Allegiance | 2024-03-07 | * National Focus Tree for Brazil: Challenged by a decade of internal strife and constitutional crises, Brazil can follow the historical path as a late but valuable member of the Allied cause. Alternately, seek continental hegemony under a new government with new priorities. |
| Battle for the Bosporus | 2020-10-15 | New dedicated national focus trees to the minor powers around the Black Sea and the Aegean. Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey can each chart unique historical and alternate history paths as they resist efforts by the major powers to dominate the strategic sea-lanes of the Bosporus and Dardanelles. |
Theater packs
| Expansion | Released | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Thunder at Our Gates | 2026-06-11 | Step into the heart of command in Thunder at Our Gates, a Theater Pack for Hearts of Iron IV. Expand on the art of organizing a campaign with new features such as military headquarters and navy captains, as well as unique new content for nations caught between rival empires; Australia, Siam and Indonesia: * Australia Australia Focus Tree: Support your Allies across the world and hold fast as the last bastion against Japan in the Pacific, or make use of your unstable political climate to change your course entirely. |
Focus packs
| Expansion | Released | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Peace for Our Time | 2026-04-22 | The Allied betrayal of Czechoslovakia at Munich and the later German annexation of that country is a key moment in the historical march towards World War II in Europe. But imagine a world where the White Lion of Prague was prepared to face German aggression - bravery in the face of oppression. |
Integrated DLCs
| Expansion | Released | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Man the Guns | 2019-02-28 | * Major Alternate Paths: Revive the Old Confederacy as the United States and provoke a new civil war, or hasten decolonization of the United Kingdom. * Ship Design: Research new components and refit older vessels to take advantage of new knowledge. |
| Waking the Tiger | 2018-03-08 | * National Focus Trees for China: Guide China or the Communist China through the war, guided by your own vision of the future. * Modified Focus Trees: German Reich and Japan, two major Axis powers now have alternate history paths, including the chance to depose Hitler or restore democracy to Japan. |
| Death or Dishonor | 2017-06-14 | * Four New Focus Trees: Experience the war from the difficult perspectives of Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. * Equipment Conversion: Update your arsenal by converting older units - or make use of captured enemy vehicles and gear. |
| Together for Victory | 2016-12-15 | * New national focus trees and events: Focus trees for Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the British Raj (India) and South Africa. * Alternate historical path: For each of the Dominions, with options to stay loyal to Great Britain, or forge a new, more independent destiny. |
Free DLCs
| Expansion | Released | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Poland United and Ready | 2016-06-06 | Focuses on Poland * Adds a unique national focus tree. * 3D art for infantry and some more well known tanks and planes. |
Also worth knowing
- Four expansions are now part of the base game. They are marked as integrated on the wiki's own list, and their features are always on for everybody, whether or not the DLC was ever bought.
- Expansion passes bundle what has not shipped yet. They are cheaper than buying each expansion at release, and more expensive than waiting for a sale on the ones you actually want.
- Music, cosmetic and e-book packs change nothing in play. They are listed on the same page and are easy to buy by accident.
Source: Downloadable content on the Hearts of Iron 4 Wiki.
Cover screenshot from Thunder At Our Gates – Finally a GOOD DLC? by MachiavellianStrategist.
Frequently asked
Which Hearts of Iron IV DLC should I buy first?
An expansion rather than a country pack. Expansions rework systems that apply to every country you play, while country and theater packs add focus trees and flavour for specific nations, so they only matter if you play those nations.
Do I need all the DLC to play Hearts of Iron IV?
No. An expansion you do not own leaves its systems switched off and the base game keeps working. The one real loss is achievements: an achievement attached to a DLC you do not own does not appear in your game.
What is the difference between an expansion and a country pack?
Expansions change mechanics — naval combat, intelligence, special forces — for everybody. Country and theater packs add national focus trees, advisors, events and cosmetics for particular nations without changing the underlying systems.
Are any DLCs now free?
Four expansions have been integrated into the base game, so their features are active for every player whether or not the DLC was bought. The wiki's list marks them, and there are separate free DLCs alongside the paid ones.
Read next
HOI4 Country Tags
Every Hearts of Iron IV country tag, the three-letter code console commands use instead of a country's name, with the ideology each nation starts under. Includes how tag, annex and puppet take them, and why a run that uses them earns no achievements.
HOI4 Achievements
Every Hearts of Iron IV achievement, grouped by the expansion that added it, with what each one asks for and the country that makes it manageable. Covers the three rules that decide whether an achievement can unlock at all — ironman, console commands and mods — and six worth clearing first.
HOI4 Console Commands
Every Hearts of Iron IV console command worth knowing, grouped by what you are trying to do: resources, instant construction and research, switching countries, special projects, spies, and the debug tools. Includes how to open the console on different keyboard layouts, and why a console run earns no achievements.
HOI4 Intelligence Agency Guide
How the intelligence agency works in Hearts of Iron IV: what operatives are, what the five upgrade branches buy, how cryptology and the Spy Master fit in, and why an agency started late never pays for itself.