Paradox Interactive announces Hearts of Iron III is gold, news that would make King Midas and the alchemists of yore proud. They say the World War II grand strategy sequel will appear at North American retailers and on all major digital distribution portals on August 7, in UK and Scandinavian stores on August 14, and in Germany and France on August 28. Here's word:

Featuring rich battle simulations that occur throughout 1936-1948, Hearts of Iron 3 will appeal to both veteran players and newcomers alike with brand new features, including a huge game map with more than 14,000 land and sea provinces. Players will soon have the opportunity to put their battle plans into action and take control of countries ranging from larger superpowers such as Russia or the United States, to smaller nations such as Costa Rica.