TaleWorlds Entertainment has finally locked in a date for the public launch of the much anticipated Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord.
The game will enter an early access development period on March 31 (just inside the developer’s previously announced March 2020 window) via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and TaleWorlds’ own website and will be available for $49.99. Unlike many other projects that take this route, the team does not plan to increase the cost as features are added and the game eventually enters a full release.
The development team currently expects early access to last for around a year but is unwilling to set a firm deadline, opting instead to focus on delivering a “fun and enjoyable” game.
According to the team, the fundamental elements of the experience, including character creation, exploration, combat, diplomacy mechanics, and multiplayer, are already in place. Among the features slated to be updated during early access are bespoke maps for towns and castles, additional quests, and the expected processes of localization, bug fixes, and balancing the core mechanics.
Further details about what to expect are promised to arrive “shortly before the release.”
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord has been in development for more than 7 years, having originally been announced towards the end of 2012.