Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord's big naval expansion is delayed: 'After taking a hard look at where things stand, it became clear we won’t be ready'

War Sails, the Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord expansion announced in March, has been delayed. Instead of launching on June 17 as planned, developer TaleWorlds Entertainment says it's now on track for release in early fall.

"After taking a hard look at where things stand, it became clear we won’t be ready by the originally planned release date of June 17th," the studio wrote in an update. "The title is currently on track for an early Fall 2025 release window.

"We came to this decision after a lot of thought (and a few long meetings), because we need more time to reach the level of quality you rightfully expect. The extra development period will give us more time to apply additional polish, and continue making progress on the improvements to the base game that are already in motion. We believe this short delay will ultimately lead to a better and more enjoyable experience for all players."

Nobody likes delays but War Sails looks very ambitious, and given all it brings to the game I can't say I'm terribly surprised that TaleWorlds wants more time with it, rather than rushing to meet an arbitrary deadline. Here's the rundown on what was revealed when the expansion was announced in March:

• The new Nords faction, and their home, the Northern Kingdom
• Naval warfare, complete with wind and water physics, boarding, ramming and all sorts of ship-themed mayhem
• 18 ships with distinct handling, which can be upgraded with new sails, rams, siege engines and cosmetic flourishes
• Traversable rivers
• New companions, banners, tattoos, hairstyles, weapons and skills
• A larger map with the northern sea, islands and rivers

That's all coming alongside a planned free update adding new features including stealth and disguises, new random events, weapon types, a parley mechanic, and more. It's a lot.

TaleWorlds said it's now working on a "revised timeline" for the expansion, and hopes to have a new release date ready to announce "in the weeks."