The next major Stellaris expansion is built around the idea that beliefs can travel further than spaceships. Paradox Interactive and Abrakam have announced that Willpower will launch on PC on 23 November, adding new mechanics centred on turning an empire’s Ethics into Ideologies that spread across the galaxy. Willpower is part of the Season 10 Expansion Pass, and players without the Pass can pre-purchase it separately now for a suggested retail price of $24.99, £20.99, €24.99 or local equivalent.
At the heart of the expansion are Ideologies. An Ethic held with fanatical conviction can become an Ideology that crosses borders, spreading to nearby systems through Starbases, Hyper Relays and Ideological Beacons placed in other empires. Foreign populations that adopt these values can form Fanatic Factions that weaken rival empires from within. Staying true to those beliefs matters too, as letting Momentum slip can lead to internal factions revolting and demanding the empire live up to its Tenets.
Galactic Halls give each Ideology a physical presence on the map. These relocatable structures boost local output and Ideological Reach when placed above a colony, or push an empire’s message into contested space when placed on the frontier. There is a design for every Ethic, including a biological one.
Willpower also introduces a new Ambition, Force of Will, offering a path to victory that does not rely on conquest. Instead, players aim to bring the galaxy around to their way of thinking and defeat all of the Fallen Empires, converting populations, drawing other empires into their orbit and maintaining the Momentum that powers their Willpower.
Ideology also reaches into diplomacy. Other empires can adopt a player’s doctrine, Federations can set an official belief for the whole alliance, and rival doctrines can be denounced in the Galactic Community. Espionage Operations can be used to manipulate Ideological Reach, spread doubt and stir up revolt where a belief has already taken root. When subtler methods fail, a new Casus Belli allows an empire to impose its Ideology through war.
Three new Origins are included:
- Golden Generation, where players educate promising students at the Golden Academy and later recruit them as leaders
- Lost Makers, following a Machine Intelligence searching for its creators, whose story ties into one of the galaxy’s existing Precursors
- Great Mosaic, which starts with an additional Civic and no set narrative path
The expansion also adds new Civics, events, ideological Paragons and buildings, an inquisitor shipset, a city set and a new advisor.
