The release of best grand strategy games on PC, Hearts of Iron 4 has seen plenty of updates since its 2016 release, and By Blood Alone represents the continuation of that process with a huge aircraft overhaul and new focus trees for Switzerland, Ethiopia, and Italy.
In line with the release of By Blood Alone, developer Paradox Interactive – the team behind several of the best strategy games on PC including Stellaris, Europa Universalis, and Crusader Kings, alongside the likes of Cities: Skylines and Pillars of Eternity – made the decision to offer the base Hearts of Iron 4 temporarily free-to-play from September 26 – October 3, helping bring in players curious about the game in the wake of its new update.
The move appears to have proven successful – Steam charts, which chart the best-selling games by total revenue, show that Hearts of Iron has leapt up 56 spots to become the 12th top earner for the week, ing the likes of Modern Warfare 2 and Slime Rancher 2.
If you want to hear more about how Hearts of Iron 4's newest addition strikes a balance between implementing additional depth with its new features and avoiding bloat, check out the HoI4: By Blood Alone review over at our sister site Wargamer.
If you're one of those new players and you aren't sure what to pick up, our Hearts of Iron 4 DLC guide should help you sort out the various options at your disposal. Meanwhile, our pick of the best Hearts of Iron 4 mods offers even more ways to customise your World War II campaign.