Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord News

Greetings warriors of Calradia!

Before we dive into this edition of #CommunityTales, we would like to invite you to the next official Multiplayer event.

[h2]Calradian War #14 - Pixelated Apollo vs Artem[/h2]
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Come join us this Saturday for the fourteenth official large-scale event with up to 700 players on the same server.

We`re having a special treat, as two renowned content creators in the Bannerlord community, Pixelated Apollo (YouTube) and Artem (YouTube), will lead their factions in an epic showdown.

We will be switching between Battle and Siege modes during the event. Players are encouraged to form protective formations around their leaders and follow their orders.

Playing in the event will also grant you three times the Loot & Exp that you would normally get.

⚔ Are you ready for war? ⚔

📅 Date & Time: Saturday, 26th of April, 20:00 CET / 2 PM ET
🎯 Event Type: Siege & Battle
📍 Server Name: [EVENT] Calradian War #14 - Pixelated Apollo vs Artem - 3x Loot & Exp
👥 Players: Up to 700 warriors

Don’t miss it—victory awaits!

Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
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[h2]Artisan's Atelier [/h2]

Lord of the north by pacienciaaa&克白


Empress of Calradia by Cypripediun

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[h2]Knightly Vistas[/h2]

Too slow by mellowtonin


Battanian Folk by Ulfkarl

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[h2]Crafting Marvels[/h2]

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[h2]Chronicles in Motion[/h2]

Bannerlord Tips You Have to Know by Collier
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I Survived as STURGIA for 300 Days by Krowns
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The Start - Bandit King by Knightly
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[h2]Chivalrous Assemblies[/h2]

[h3]Bannerlord Native League #7[/h3]

After six seasons of wonderful work with the organization and maintenance of the tournament, the Bannerlord Native League organizers have treated us with its seventh iteration!

BNL #7 signup period has stared and lasts until 2nd of May, 23:59 CET.

Thinking of joining? Sign-up as a team or if you do not have a team, you may also sign up as a free agent in the hopes of playing as part of an existing team..

For those unfamiliar with BNL, it is a community skirmish tournament where teams are split into divisions - with multiple teams in each division. Usually, one match is played per week against the other teams. This leads to some epic competitive fights with teams on similar footing, with more skilled players in higher divisions!



[h3]Bannerlord Calradic Campaign #58[/h3]

The next Calradic Campaign event will be announced in the #announcements channel on M&B Discord server a week before the date of the event.

The date of the fifty-eighth event in their Bannerlord series is scheduled to be the 3rd of May.

Join for some hack and slash on their Calradic_Campaign server using their Module.

If you would like a quick overview of the CC events, check out this video - What is the Calradic Campaign?



[h3]Bretonnie Roleplay Events[/h3]

The Bretonnie Roleplay Events are highly immersive weekly multiplayer community events organized by the Le Royaume de Bretonnie [BRE] clan. Their next Sunday event is on the 27th of April at 20:30 CET.

This recurring event focuses on strict formation and roleplaying rules in an effort to re-create massive medieval battles with more than 500 players on the server at once. The story continuously unfolds and is impacted by the results of the battle events and roleplay scenarios. This narrative is further supported by the Mod Pack which contains custom maps and items.

It is required to participate with or as part of a clan to join the event, so if you’re already in one - sign up with your clan here. Still searching for a clan? Then make your way to the Clans board and find your new home!

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If you would like to suggest content for the next #CommunityTales, make sure to tag @Mount_and_Blade on X or @mountandblade on Facebook with the #CommunityTales. Alternatively, you can reach out on our forums to Piconi or Dejan.

What's summer for if not heading to the nearest body of water and flinging yourself into it? But if you'd rather stay dry, you can instead send an army of hardened warriors into the sea in Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord's upcoming naval expansion, War Sails...
Read more.

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, is coming up to three years now, but at the Future Games Show this evening, all these years on, developer TaleWorlds Entertainment announced that the strategy action game will be getting its first bit of DLC, War Sails. If you can't gather from the name, featured image above, and trailer below, the DLC is all about boats; sailing 'em, fighting with 'em, trading with 'em, you name it, these boats can do it (within reason).

Read more

Greetings warriors of Calradia!

We’re thrilled to announce a major expansion to Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. War Sails will be arriving on PC and consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) on the 17th of June, 2025!

Watch the announcement trailer to get a first look at the intense naval warfare and epic battles that await.

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Wishlist now to stay updated and be ready to set sail on launch day!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2927200/Mount__Blade_II_Bannerlord__War_Sails/
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Sail the high seas, lead mighty fleets, and forge your legacy in War Sails, the epic single-player expansion for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. Bringing naval warfare to Bannerlord for the first time, War Sails lets players command powerful ships, engage in thrilling sea battles, and master maritime conquest.

Embark on daring naval adventures with new mechanics, territories, and challenges. Customize your fleet, conquer settlements, and carve your legend on the high seas!



[h3]MEET THE NORDS, A NEW VIKING-INSPIRED FACTION[/h3]
Chart your course to the Northern Kingdom, home of the fearless Nords—legendary seafarers and masters of close-quarters combat. Explore a land of jagged peaks, vast taigas and freezing fjords, where scattered settlements rise like ships from the sea. A bold adventurer may trade their goods, recruit their warriors, join their ranks or challenge their rule. Will you join the North or seize its riches?



[h3]MASTER NAVAL WARFARE[/h3]
War Sails introduces a unique and immersive naval warfare system that has been inspired by accounts of actual medieval sea battles. Featuring realistic wind and water physics, ship-to-ship combat lets you board enemies from multiple points, ram them, or attack from afar.

Captains can seize opportunities by boarding already engaged ships, prepare for an incoming attack by creating a floating fortress or take a risk to tie down several enemies at once - giving their allies an edge elsewhere. They may ram an enemy ship to sink it - or at least throw men off board, shatter oars and compromise buoyancy. Well-placed arrows and ballista fire can also tear through sails, further crippling mobility.



[h3]EXPLORE AN EXPANDED WORLD[/h3]
Calradia has been reimagined with a northern region, a settled island, coastal waters and open seas. The dynamic weather system was also refined to include storms and trade winds. Ships move faster when riding the gales, but beware—attrition can unravel even the best-laid plans.

The naval systems and Nord faction integrate into Bannerlord’s world, reshaping trade, warfare, and diplomacy. Ship production and new trade goods add regional variety. Coastal towns may grow rich from this — if they can fend off pirates and naval invasions.

Sieges have also been adapted to naval warfare. Armies will have to bring along a fleet and set up a blockade, if they want to stop supplies and reinforcements arriving over sea.



[h3]BUILD YOUR FLEET
[/h3]Players can choose from 18 ship types modelled after historical vessels, each with unique handling, shaped by realistic wind and wave physics. They can be customized with siege engines, cargo holds, sails, rams, and more. Shipyards build and stock vessels based on their town’s culture and development. Players can also capture ships and figureheads in battle.



[h3]EXPAND YOUR ARSENAL[/h3]
The character system has been extended with Nord hairstyles, beards, and tattoos. Three nautical skills were added that enhance navigation, tactics, and stewardship. There are also many new items including spears, swords, axes, shields, and armor.

Troop trees now include mariner troops that are more effective at sea. Players can also recruit new companions with maritime backgrounds.



[h3]LEARN THE ROPES[/h3]
A new questline introduces players to the seas of Calradia through cinematics, scripted missions, and classic Mount & Blade gameplay. Learn how to command your ship, then take it into battle against a pirate confederacy. Lead a growing fleet of newfound allies as you face a range of nautical challenges.



[h3]ENHANCED AUDIO[/h3]
The sounds of the sea come to life with new Mediterranean and Nordic-inspired musical tracks. Experience rich soundscapes with piercing winds, crashing waves and creaking ships. Feel the heat of battle as steel clashes and sailors cry out.

You can also check out the following FAQ page for more information.

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[h2]Base Game Plans[/h2]
We also want to give you a general update on Bannerlord - what we’ve been doing and what is yet to come.

After the full release in October of 2022, we published a number of updates that not only addressed important issues across the various platforms but also introduced additional features such as weather and weather effects, fog of war, sally out ambush, formation targeting, warehouses, alleys, and many more. Much like during our early access period, we’ve continued to expand and refine the game with your feedback and support. We’re truly grateful to have such a dedicated community, who’s been with us every step of the way.

As we mentioned in our post-release plans, we were open to exploring DLC as one way of introducing additional content. And while that remained true, we realize that our communication has not met the level you had grown to expect from us. The naval battle system being introduced with the newly announced War Sails expansion proved to be a technical and gameplay challenge. We had also been working on another project that was planned as a more story-driven DLC. While this was an interesting new approach, it ultimately didn't meet the quality we aim for. Rather than talking about and releasing something we weren’t happy with, we made the tough decision to cancel its launch. These hurdles caused a delay in our communication and we sincerely appreciate your patience during this time. The good news is that instead of shelving the work, we will be repurposing the new gameplay mechanics from this canceled project as content for the base game.

This involves the introduction of a robust stealth system that will allow you to infiltrate dungeons and hideouts, rescue prisoners, and dispatch enemies without ever raising alarms. The enemy AI will now detect sound and motion, becoming alerted by your actions through progressive levels of cautiousness. To succeed, you will need to not only carefully consider your position and movement, but also your environment - utilizing the elevation, darkness of the night, and natural cover to achieve your goals covertly. While these may be enough in some cases, you’ll find other stealth tactics like distractions and concealing corpses just as useful. Honing your effectiveness will further be possible through gear and the roguery skill. We’ll be sharing more stealth details in a future deep dive so stay tuned!

Stealth kill

We are also working on several features that we're planning to bring to the base game alongside the War Sails expansion. For one, we want to improve our trait system so that players will be able to better develop their characters. To this end, we are working on a feature that will prompt you with random events during your journeys. Ideally, this will not just offer a new avenue of character development but add further life to the world of Calradia.

Random events

Town and castle projects will also undergo changes. These adjustments will improve the balance between projects with impactful effects and those with limited or situational effects and add new types. This should allow for better control over the management of your fief.

Another point of interest is the passage of time and the cycle of life in the game. While we think that Bannerlord manages to achieve a happy medium between this progression and not rushing players… we also feel that additional choice in this regard would make for a rather fun alternative to the vanilla experience.

We’re also making it easier to communicate with nearby enemies by introducing the Parley feature, allowing you to enter into a conversation without getting your head cut off!

Parleying with an enemy from a distance

The community-requested Character Import & Export feature is in the works, allowing you to adjust various aspects like equipment, perks, skills, attributes, name, culture, gold,... by editing the character file in the Game Saves folder and importing it via the console window cheats.

Alongside these, we continue to work on the combat experience, which includes the addition of new weapon types like slings. Spear bracing is being refined with better targeting, smoother animations, and spearmen using their spears by default - making them more effective against cavalry charges.

New Weapon Type - Sling

A variety of AI enhancements are also being added such as more accurate usage of melee weapons, improved pathfinding and reduced zig-zag movements for mounted AI, improved ranged AI accuracy against moving targets, and increased firing rate through better avoidance of friendly troops. Beyond that, we’re addressing various siege AI issues, preventing archers with a targeted order from getting too close to the enemy, and more.

We’re likewise working on a number of adjustments to support our modders better. This includes allowing attack while crouched (looking at you - mods with guns), further opening up the AI agent attack and weapon selection decision-making processes, making the interpolated mission atmosphere moddable, providing audio modding support for FMOD Banks and Events, as well as opening up campaign time to customization. To make modding even more accessible, we’re creating an XML Editor, removing the need to manually edit XML files to add, remove, or modify items, heroes, factions, settlements, and more. Those that will prefer to continue doing it manually, will also see that process simplified, where using the XSLT system will no longer be necessary.

And that brings us to the end of today’s announcement. On behalf of everyone at TaleWorlds, we want to express our heartfelt thanks for your incredible support and dedication over the years. We can’t wait to share even more in the coming weeks. Until then, stay tuned and take care – we'll see you soon!