The “Short” story of Bannerlord's War Sails DLC. Naval blockades, pirates, and all we know about the Nords so far

We don’t have an exact release date yet, and it might get delayed again (who knows) but the first DLC for Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is on its way. It feels like War Sails hasn’t had much publicity from TaleWorlds lately, so for fans waiting on it, it kind of seemed forgotten. But actually, there’s a lot we can pick up from their YouTube shorts, which they’ve been posting pretty often. They’ve already teased what might be the best warship in the game, so let’s check out what else we might have missed.

A sneak peek at naval blockades

TaleWorlds’ latest short gives a quick look at how naval blockades will work. When besieging a coastal settlement, a blockade forms automatically if you have ships. It raises new opportunities and challenges. For example, when an enemy tries to breach the blockade from the sea, players can fight or withdraw.

Winning keeps the blockade, losing ends it, and withdrawing maintains the land siege but lets enemies resupply by water. We can also reinforce besieged settlements from the sea. Reinforcing can be done by breaking the blockade or attacking the enemy fleet directly.

Shiver me timbers, the sea be a cruel mistress!

Naturally, we’ll be running into pirates roaming the waters. War Sails brings in the Corsairs, dangerous sea raiders who make sailing across Calradia a lot riskier. They’re inspired by the pirates of the Barbary Coast. They’ll have three ranks, and with the Veteran Respect perk, Corsairs can be upgraded into Aserai units, iif they survive long enough, they even may become Mamluke Palace Guard.

All about the Nords

Another video showcases the Nordic Huscarls, the Nords’ top-tier infantry. Armed with swords, axes, throwing axes, and spears, and protected by heavy chainmail, leather, and fur, they’re built to hold the shield wall, break enemy lines, and excel in close combat. The Nords will definitely be a great addition to Bannerlord’s factions.

There’s also a video highlighting new beards, hairstyles, and tattoos inspired by the Nords. We got a closer look at the new faction buildings and how the Nords fortify their settlements. They even introduced King Halthdar and shared a bit about his story.

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord - War Sails

November 26, 2025

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• Overview

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