Storms in Bannerlord: War Sails are expected to pose a great threat. Devs explain the reasons behind a tough decision

Good communication between developers and the community is one of the factors that can have a real impact on the game's success. It's clear from this assumption that the TaleWorlds studio, creators of the Mount & Blade series, has once again organized a question-and-answer session regarding the upcoming Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord - War Sails expansion. In a long message posted on the official game website, the team answered a bunch of questions that the community had.

Marine hazards and maps

One of the more interesting issues concerns storms, which are expected to play an important role in the expansion. It turns out that these severe weather phenomena cannot be predicted in advance, but players won't be completely defenseless.

The skills of a boatswain will help minimize the negative effects of a storm, and you'll also have visual cues like dark clouds and thunder to warn you of the approaching danger. Although storm paths cannot be predetermined, careful navigation and good ship statistics can increase the chances of safely avoiding them.

A question also arose regarding the game world. In response, the studio confirmed that there will be two separate maps in the game - one for the basic version of the game, and a second, new one, specially prepared for War Sails. It will include changes related to naval gameplay.

Staying on the topic of maps, the devs revealed that the islands located between the territories of Aserai and the Empire won't be present in the War Sails expansion.

Norsemen, AI and economy

The creators also shared some more info about the Nord faction, which will control four cities and ten castles in the expansion. However, this number may be subject to minor changes as the gameplay continues to be adjusted.

When asked about the food in Nordic villages, the developers said that the main thing would be fish and related products. Marine creatures are also set to become one of the main sources of food in Calradia - on par with grain.

It was also revealed how artificial intelligence will manage the fleet. AI should strive to have a sufficient number of ships to effectively transport its team. In this process, factors such as the capacity of the ship, the size of the crew, and the culture from which a given faction originates will be taken into consideration. The goal is to have a balanced composition of units, from light to medium to heavy, to maintain mobility and flexibility, for example, in case of capturing prisoners or losing a ship.

Older platforms left behind and a new approach to trade

One of the questions concerned the decision to abandon older consoles in the context of the War Sails expansion. The creators explained that the extension uses several systems and improvements that require the performance offered by current-generation hardware. Focusing on newer platforms has allowed the team to make more ambitious design decisions, which should ultimately result in better overall gaming experiences.

There were also some economic topics discussed. The devs revealed that revenues from customs duties will be significantly balanced to "diversify the sources of city income." Before, they only made up about 2% of the total, but now they are expected to generate an average of 30%, and in the case of high-trade ports like Danustica, even over 60%.

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord – War Sails was supposed to hit the market on June 17, but the launch of the expansion has been postponed. The new release date hasn't been announced yet. It is only known that the DLC will launch in "early autumn."

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord - War Sails

November 26, 2025

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• Overview

• DLC and expansions
• TaleWorlds
• Mount & Blade (franchise)
• RPG games