Three years after its release, "Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord" is about to receive its largest expansion to date - "War Sails".This DLC introduces a naval combat system to the game for the first time, bringing back the "Nord" camp that was loved by players in the first-generation work, and adding new landforms, skill trees and a large number of game mechanism optimizations.At the same time, all players will also receive a free update.Foreign media Wccftech interviewed TaleWorlds Entertainment's senior producer Falk Engel and design team leader Gökçen Karaağaç before the DLC was released, and discussed in depth the core content of this update.
The core of "War Sail" lies in the naval combat gameplay.According to Gökçen Karaağaç, the main method of ship destruction is fire, but the most strategic upgrades are the "ram" and "ballista" mechanisms, which provide diverse tactical options for naval battles.In addition, players can improve troop carrying capacity, morale and navigation endurance through campaign upgrades. Different ships also have unique customization routes: some are multi-functional ships, while others specialize in specific fields.
Falk Engel added that players can also expand the cargo capacity and transform the ship into an exclusive ship focused on trade or combat, further enhancing the game's sandbox experience.
Although the "hybrid combat system" in which land and sea forces interact in real time during battle has not yet been implemented, players need to deal with both sea and land defense forces when attacking coastal towns.At the strategic level, although players cannot directly command other armies to act synchronously, they can conduct tactical coordination by observing their movements.
The return of the Nord camp is not only due to the feelings of players, but also because of its unique cultural background and military positioning.Gökçen pointed out that the Nords have the highest-level heavy infantry units in the game, which can almost crush the infantry of other factions.At the same time, they are leading in all aspects of naval warfare (except trade), and their economic system focuses more on militarized castle construction, forming a unique strategic ecology.
The newly added "Sailor", "Mate" and "Captain" skills do not exist independently, but are linked to existing attributes (such as vitality and control).For example, if the player is already an excellent tactician and warrior, it will be easier to master sailor skills.
The political system has also received important updates: the alliance mechanism has been optimized, and new naval battle-related policies have provided players with more role-playing and strategic choices.Falk Engel emphasized that the camp’s evaluation logic of war (such as progress, distance, risk) has been reconstructed, which will indirectly change the political landscape in the game.
The free updates released with the DLC will include visual enhancements, multiplayer mode optimization (possibly adding multiplayer teams) and key Mod support - the most concerning of which is the opening of the "crouching shooting" function, which will greatly facilitate the production of gun mods.Regarding cross-platform connection and PS5 Pro adaptation, the official stated that there are no specific plans yet, but confirmed that game performance has been optimized for all platforms.
Regarding the "Claimer of the Throne" system that players are looking forward to, the team revealed that it is still developing related functions, but to avoid over-promise, specific details will not be announced for the time being.
TaleWorlds finally expressed its gratitude to the players who have supported the game for a long time and said: "Enjoy sailing, but don't sail a ship you can't afford to lose." It is reported that "War Sail" will be launched on PC and console platforms on November 26.
