Highly anticipated:
On Tuesday, as part of Gamescom 2022, TaleWorlds Entertainment released a trailer announcing the impending full release of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. The open-world medieval-themed RPG and battle simulator leaves Steam Early Access and launches for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles on October 25. Pre-orders are available on consoles starting today at $49.99.
Turkish developer TaleWorlds first turned heads when it released the original Mount & Blade on PC in 2008. Set in a fictional but non-fantasy region called Calradia, it fuses sandbox RPG gameplay with real-time strategy mechanics to let players build armies, wage massive battles, and influence kingdoms. Every major character and faction in the game acts independently of the player, creating a fluid world and an unpredictable campaign mode.
TaleWorlds released an expansion, Warband, in 2010 for PC and consoles. It added multiplayer, the ability to rise through faction ranks, and other dynamic elements. Warband still holds an overwhelmingly positive rating on Steam.
The significantly upgraded prequel Bannerlord has faced eager anticipation in the decade-plus since Warband’s release. Set 200 years before the first game, it features a setting based on the early Middle Ages.
Bannerlord adds more advanced strategy elements like formations, siege towers, improved combat AI, a more dynamic dialogue system, and deeper kingdom management. It also adds things like aging and permadeath for those interested in a hardcore challenge. It launched on Steam Early Access in 2020, maintaining a very positive review rating.
Like its predecessors, Bannerlord fully supports modding. Warband received many total conversions (some of which became paid DLC packs) that brought its gameplay to fantasy settings like Middle Earth and Westeros, as well as historical eras like feudal Japan or the Napoleonic wars. Modders are already developing similar sets for Bannerlord, though they will likely be PC-only.
In an announcement accompanying the trailer, TaleWorlds CEO Armagan Yavuz said further updates would come to Bannerlord in the months following release.
