Paradox Development Studio's Crusader Kings 3, a strategy game set in the Middle Ages, has received a lot of acclaim since releasing September 1 and is one of the top-rated games of 2020 so far. However, that hasn't stopped players from going out of their way to try and improve the experience further with mods, such as one that has caught people's attention for letting them remove in-game characters' clothing at any time.
The aptly-named "Undress" mod was uploaded to Steam Workshop on September 2 by user Der Grobe Konig, and has a five-star rating based on 295 reviews as of this writing. There are already in-game events like characters being caught in affairs that allow them to briefly get naked, according to Polygon. In fact, Paradox said the Crusader Kings 3 AI had to be nerfed during development because it "constantly" tried to seduce female players.
However, having the ability to intentionally strip any characters "in diplomatic range" (not including minors) has led to fun screenshots, such as Reddit user Applebeef1 using their "Irish nudist hippies" to defeat the Pope. Whether players be declaring war on opposing nations or levying taxes on their subjects, doing so with a nude character model potentially makes any situation more hilarious — or at least makes the character in question seem more unhinged.
Modding communities have a long history of squeezing as much content as possible out of any given title, as there are endless possibilities when developers provide fans the opportunity to incorporate any type of content they desire. Some mods are mostly aesthetic adjustment, like the Crusader Kings 3 Undress mod, while others add more mechanics and depth, such as a Witcher 3: Wild Hunt mod that gives Geralt access to guns.
Other mods also offer players ways to cheat the system in certain games by giving them infinite resources or similar boons. Those kinds of cheats are already available in Crusader Kings 3, which provides players access to console commands, so it's likely more player-driven adjustments to the game will lean in the direction of aesthetics and new mechanics.
That being said, the possibility for fans to further modify the new game will undoubtedly give it a longer shelf life. Titles like The Witcher 3 or Skyrim are games that were popular upon release on their own merits, but became even more beloved due to mods. Crusader Kings 3 could follow a very similar path to global conquest.
Crusader Kings 3 is available now on PC.
Sources: Steam Workshop, Polygon