How to Downgrade HOI4

Hearts of Iron IV got patch 1.19.4 on October 27, 2026. Paradox calls it a “very large update,” with new features and a big batch of balance changes.

It also gave the game a new checksum, a783, as the HOI4 wiki records. A mod that hasn’t caught up, a long campaign you started last month or a friend still on 1.19.3 can all leave you stuck.

The good news is that Paradox keeps dozens of old patches on Steam, going back to 2019. Rolling back is a pick from a menu.

Back up first. Copy the save games folder from Documents\Paradox Interactive\Hearts of Iron IV. A save made on a newer patch may not load on an older one, so finish each campaign on the patch you started it on.

Pick the version you need

Check your mod’s page for the game version it supports. A version like 1.19.* means any 1.19 patch.

Version	Steam branch	Released
1.19.4 (latest)	None	October 27, 2026
1.19.3	1.19.3.0	September 17, 2026
1.19.1	1.19.1.0	June 17, 2026
1.18.3	1.18.3.0	June 4, 2026
1.17.5.2	1.17.5.2	March 26, 2026
1.16.10	1.16.10	September 25, 2025
1.15.4	1.15.4	January 21, 2025

Dates come from the wiki’s patch list. Steam’s dropdown adds a code name to each branch, such as Operation Postern (Old) for 1.19, and its full list goes back to 1.5.4 from 2019.

Most players want 1.19.3, the last patch before 1.19.4. Going further back has a cost: newer DLC can’t be turned on in an older patch, so 1.18.3 leaves out Thunder at Our Gates, the DLC that came with 1.19.

Roll back on Steam

1. In your Steam Library, right-click Hearts of Iron IV and choose Properties.
2. Open Game Versions & Betas. Older Steam versions call this tab Betas.
3. Pick the branch you need, such as 1.19.3.0. Steam downloads it right away.
4. Start the game and check the version number before you load a save.

These are Paradox’s own steps. If Steam won’t switch, verify the game files from the same Properties window and try again.

Staying on the branch is all it takes to stop updates. Steam installs that branch’s build instead of the default one.

You don’t need a beta code

Some guides tell you to get an access code from your Paradox account first. That only applies to old patches: the wiki says the Steam steps won’t work for versions from before October 1, 2018.

Every branch from 1.5.4 on is open to anyone who owns the game. Steam’s data shows none of them needs a password.

Set up your mods for the old version

The Steam Workshop always gives you a mod’s newest build, since subscribers download the latest version by default. If that build needs 1.19.4, it won’t work right on 1.19.3.

1. Find the mod’s older release. Many big mods keep them outside the Workshop, like Kaiserreich’s past releases on GitHub.
2. Unzip it into your mod folder, Documents\Paradox Interactive\Hearts of Iron IV\mod.
3. Copy the mod’s descriptor.mod file up into the mod folder and rename it after the mod, such as kaiserreich.mod. Open it and set its path line to the folder you unzipped. Kaiserreich’s readme walks through this.
4. Unsubscribe from the Workshop copy so the launcher doesn’t list both. Then turn on your old copy in the launcher.

Playing multiplayer

Everyone in a game needs the same checksum, so the whole group should pick the same branch. Mods change the checksum too, so match your mod lists as well.

Go back to the latest patch

When your mods catch up, pick None in Steam’s dropdown. Steam then installs the newest patch.

Then turn off your manual mod copies and subscribe to the Workshop versions again.

Skip the steps next time

Version Lock is our free Windows app. It snapshots your game before Steam updates it, so next time you can roll back in one click.

Still crashing after the switch? Work through the broken mods checklist, or see how game patches work for the basics.

Last reviewed: October 2026.