Europa Universalis follow-up goes gold

Strategy First has announced that Europa Universalis: Crown of the North has gone gold and is scheduled to ship on July 22. The next game in the Europa Universalis series takes place in Scandinavia between 1275 and 1340, a time when central power was weak, the nobility and the church were strong, and Sweden erupted in civil war.

Crown of the North will feature three playable sides (Sweden, Denmark, and Norway), and it will involve political intrigue and power struggles with the church and nobility. It includes three new campaigns set in the Europa Universalis II world: the alternative grand campaign, independent Europe, and Vinland. The game has a suggested price of $39.99.