Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is taking to the seas, as the game’s first expansion, War Sails, will introduce naval warfare to the unique medieval action-RPG sandbox on June 17.
War Sails will expand Mount & Blade 2’s world map and introduce an entirely new region to the world of Calradia: the Northern Kingdoms and its surrounding sea. It’s there the Viking-themed Nords call home, and they can be traded with, recruited, or battled against, just like Mount & Blade 2’s other factions.
But the real star of the expansion is the introduction of naval battles, where players can master the wind, upgrade and customize ships, and defeat their enemies on the high seas. Rivers come into play as well, with players able to sail up them to strike into enemy territory, cut off supply lines, and blockade enemy towns.
War Sails will feature 18 ships to choose from that can be upgraded with various siege engines, battering rams, and sails. Battles on the high seas will be won not just by raw firepower, but by also mastering the game’s wind and water physics and strategically taking out the sails or oars of enemy ships to disable them.
It’s a big moment for developer Taleworlds Entertainment, who used the announcement of the War Sails expansion to also announce Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord has sold more than 5 million copies since it first released on Steam Early Access in March 2020. The game received its 1.0 update in October 2022, when it also released on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
Taleworlds confirmed the launch of War Sails will coincide with the game’s free patch v1.3 update, with more free updates planned that will add features like stealth and disguise systems, the ability to parley, combat improvements, and new weapon types. Taleworlds said more details about these systems will be shared in “due course.”