Nations

There are twelve nations available in Cossacks 3 as of release. Each is based on a real-life power that existed in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The game mixes contemporary and modern names when designating factions. The differences are detailed in the Behind the scenes section.

The "Days of Brilliance" DLC (release 13.12.16) added the Netherlands and Denmark as playable nations.

In "Cossacks 3: Rise to Glory" (release 15.02.17) Bavaria and Saxony were added as playable nations.

In "Cossacks 3: Path to Grandeur" (release 16.06.17) Hungary and Portugal were added as playable nations.

In "Cossacks 3: The Golden Age" (release 24.08.17) Piedmont and Switzerland were added as playable nations.

List of nations

 * Algeria
 * Austria
 * Bavaria (*DLC RtG)
 * Denmark (*DLC DoB)
 * England
 * France
 * Hungary (*DLC PtG)
 * Netherlands (*DLC DoB)
 * Piedmont (*DLC tGA)
 * Poland
 * Portugal (*DLC PtG)
 * Prussia
 * Russia
 * Saxony (*DLC RtG)
 * Spain
 * Sweden
 * Switzerland (*DLC tGA)
 * Turkey
 * Ukraine
 * Venice
 * Scotland (*DLC GotH).
 * Luxembourg

Behind the scenes

 * The game uses a number of anachronistic or blatantly erroneous names in naming nations, likely to make it more accessible.
 * England is actually the Kingdom of England and Wales, and then the United Kingdom once the transition to the 18th century is made, and use Scottish highlanders as units in game.
 * Poland wasn't a distinct, sovereign entity in the game's time period, but a constituent state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
 * Turkey didn't exist at all, what existed was the Ottoman Empire.
 * Ukraine is a Cossack military state that emerged in the territories that constitute Ukraine proper.
 * Piedmont is just a principality of the duchy of Savoy, a country which existed from 1004 to 1860, and represent central Italy in game.