Bannerlord War Sails Expansion Guide: Release Window, Trailer, Nords, and Naval Battles

The northern seas are getting crowded. The Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord War Sails expansion is bringing the Nords to Calradia, along with new towns, naval combat, mariners, longboats, and a colder corner of the map to fight over.

Bannerlord War Sails Release Window

War Sails is currently scheduled for Fall 2025. An exact launch date has not been announced. TaleWorlds has said the expansion is planned for PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GoG, plus Xbox and PlayStation, with all platforms launching on the same day.

Players who want release updates can wishlist War Sails on Steam.

War Sails Gameplay Trailer

TaleWorlds Entertainment released a trailer showing the Nords, longboats, weapons, and the expansion's broader naval theme. Additional details are available through the TaleWorlds website.

New War Sails Features

The Nord Faction

The headline addition is the arrival of the Nords. This new faction brings its own culture, battlefield identity, settlements, troops, gear, and strategic position in the northern part of Calradia.

Four Nordic towns are confirmed:

• Hargard
• Thronderlag
• Gretysfjord
• Hvalvik

Each town is placed with lore and strategy in mind. Hargard, for example, sits on rocky land near the Jumne River, where the Nords meet existing powers such as Sturgia and Vlandia. Players who side with the Nords will need to build alliances or break rival factions the old-fashioned way, with sharp objects and confidence.

Nordic Buildings and Settlements

War Sails adds new building types across the northern landscape. Longhouses are one major example, serving as homes, council spaces, and work areas for shipwrights and other residents.

TaleWorlds has drawn from real-world Nord and Viking history for the look of these locations, aiming to make the new towns and fiefs feel distinct from the rest of Calradia.

New Battlefields and Gear

The expansion introduces rugged northern battlefields with cliffs, harsh terrain, and a colder visual identity. These locations should change how large fights play out compared with flatter or more familiar regions.

Nordic troops bring weapons such as long axes, spears, javelins, throwing axes, and straight-edged swords. Their armor includes leather, mail shirts, padded coats, cloaks, and other gear suited to rough weather.

Mariners and Naval Combat

War Sails also adds a new troop type: Mariners. These units are tied to naval battles, where ordinary land-focused soldiers may not be enough.

For the Nords, every unit is considered a mariner, making them ready for both land and sea combat. Their lighter armor can make them less effective against heavily equipped enemies, so they are not simply better everywhere.

The seas will not be empty either. Pirates can threaten supplies and troops, adding another layer of danger when traveling by water.

Character Creation and Customization

The Nord faction also expands character creation. Players can create a character with Nordic culture, gaining access to new hairstyles, beards, tattoos, and customization options.

Nordic culture affects character history and tradition, influencing decisions throughout a campaign. As with other Bannerlord factions, players can also compete in cultural tournaments for faction-specific rewards. Nord-specific banners will be available as well, because even raiders need branding.