Europa Universalis is a settler game: Mitchell P. Losito, ‘Is EU4 only about Map Painting?’ Settler Colonial Ideology in Europa Universalis IV, MA dissertation, Georgetown University, 2023 | settler colonial studies blog

Europa Universalis is a settler game: Mitchell P. Losito, ‘Is EU4 only about Map Painting?’ Settler Colonial Ideology in Europa Universalis IV, MA dissertation, Georgetown University, 2023

11May23

Abstract: This thesis considers the historical strategy video game Europa Universalis IV (2013) in terms of its account of the history of the early modern era. It aims to show that this account is one which is predicated off settler colonial attitudes. To do so, this project will interrogate the game in terms of its settler colonial gameplay systems and the ways in which players interact with these systems. The two main chapters will more deeply explore these themes, exploring both how the game is a contemporary wargame, how settler colonial modes represent themselves in the underlying code, and the manners in which players navigate these modes through writing “After Action Reports” and modding. The thesis concludes by thinking about how incorporating perspectives from indigenous creators and settler colonial theorists might help move the game from being just about conquering a map and toward a more cohesive, authentic account of the game’s historical moment.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Closed

%d bloggers like this: