The further you progress through the game in Mount and Blade 2, the bigger army you will have. This guide will provide you with tips on how to own a settlement in Bannerlord, which you're going to need to manage your army.

There are two ways of achieving this goal. One is more suitable for new players than the other, but you probably should try both and find the best solution for yourself.

Besiege a Castle

The best way to own a settlement in Bannerlord is to besiege a castle. You can do this with the help of an army of troops by following these steps:

1. Choose a castle of an enemy faction
2. Click on the castle
3. Select "Besiege the Castle" in the castle menu
4. Build Siege Camp near the castle
5. Select "Continue the Siege" in the castle menu
6. Choose "Lead an Assault" option

This will instigate a battle, which you have to win. It is also recommended to build a Battering Ram in addition to your Siege Camp in order to increase your chances.

When the battle is over, you will automatically become the owner of your new settlement.

Become a Vassal

This is another option, which is a bit worse than actually fighting for your own castle.

If you become somebody's vassal you will not own the castle per se, but live there under the protection of your lord, who can take it from you anytime if they don't like what you're doing.

Think twice before going for this choice, although it may be a great way to own a settlement for new players, who can't afford a big army.

Follow these steps to become a vassal:

1. Talk to any friendly noble you wish to serve
2. Choose the following dialogue sequence:
   • "There is something I wish to discuss"
   • "I wish to be more than a mercenary. Is there a way I could pledge myself as a vassal?"
   • "I am ready"
   • "I swear homage to you as lawful king"
3. Confirm the allegiance by selecting "I give you my word and bond"

After this dialogue, you will fight for this lord's army, and if you're lucky, you will get to live in one of the castles under the rule of this lord.

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That's all on how to own a settlement in Bannerlord. For more Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out the list below:

• Trade Guide
• Cheats and How to Activate Them
• How to Declare War
• How to Start Your Own Kingdom
• How to Execute Prisoners

Bannerlord trading is a great way to earn money for your kingdom. Aside from completing quests, hunting bandits, breaking down weapons, participating in tournaments, or becoming a mercenary, being able to trade offers a way to make denars that's mostly passive and without a lot of risk. 

As you come across items in your journey — whether you pick them up naturally, loot them, or get them from breaking down other items — trade plays a special role in bartering your way toward mounds of precious gold. 

If you're enticed by the merchant's life (or just want to get a few items off your hands for the best price possible), you'll want to min/max your character before you even start a Mount and Blade 2 campaign. 

Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord Trading Guide

Choose Asarai as Your Culture

Before starting a new campaign, it is very important to select the right culture type. Though you will be presented with six different cultures, the Asarai is the best for trading. This choice gives you:

• 30% bonus for building caravans
• 10% less on trade penalties

Choose Urban Merchants as Your Family

Choose Urban Merchants family as your family. This choice gives you:

• 10 Skill Level
• 1 Focus point to Trade and Charm
• 1 attribute point to Social

Choose Aptitude for Numbers for Childhood

Choose Aptitude for Numbers for childhood. This choice gives you

• 10 Skill Level
• 1 Focus point to Trade and Engineering
• 1 attribute point to Intelligence

Choose Markets and Caravans for Adolescence

Choose Markets and Caravans for adolescence. This choice gives you the same extra points as Urban Merchants family:

• 10 Skill Level
• 1 Focus point to Trade and Charm
• 1 attribute point to Social

Choose Invest Money in a Workshop for Adulthood

Choose Invest Money in a Workshop for adulthood. This choice gives you:

• 10 Skill Level
• 1 Focus point to Trade and Smithing
• 1 attribute point to Intelligence
• +1 to Calculating
• +10 Renown

These choices will give you four out of five focus points at the beginning of the game, putting you well on the trader's path. 

Start Trading Goods

Before trading begins, though, you need to recruit troops to help you carry your goods. Start trading in small villages before moving into larger cities. To start trading, follow these steps:

1. Approach the village
2. Click on the settlement
3. Select "Buy Products" from the menu

This will open the trade interface, with your inventory to the right. In the top right corner, you will see your carrying capacity and the amount of money you have.

The first two product types you should buy are mules and grain. Mules are needed to increase your carrying capacity, and Grain is required to feed your troops.

Find Opportunities Through Rumors and Gossip

Pay attention to rumors and gossip to find the best places to trade goods and items. 

You can find rumors in the trade menu. Hover over the price of any item, and you will see the item's availability and the rumored price in other locations. If you see numbers that you like, head over to that settlement and initiate a trade.

Gossip, on the other hand, takes a bit more time and effort to uncover because you must actually talk to people in the taverns. 

To enter a tavern, select "Enter the Tavern" option in the town menu. Once inside, talk to every NPC. If you see the coin icon in the dialogue menu, the NPC has information regarding profitable trade. Keep talking to them to find out where to go.

Use Item Colors to Buy Low and Sell High

In the trade menu, you will notice that some items are green, some are yellow, and some are red. Here's what each color means. 

• Green: There is an overabundance of goods and they are relatively cheap.
• Yellow: There is a small surplus of goods and the price is average.
• Red: There is a shortage of goods and the items are expensive.

Buy green items and yellow items, but only buy red items if you really need them. However, always sell red items when bartering with a village or city; you will receive more money for them. 

Increase Your Trade Skill for Better Profits

Trade skill depends on your trade margin. Bannerlord gives you more XP the more profit you make during a trade.

The best way to increase your trade skill is to sell more goods than you buy. Early in the game, it's likely you will buy more goods than you sell because you need supplies to support yourself and move through the ranks. However, as you progress and your kingdom grows larger, you should make sure you sell more than you buy. 

Eventually, you will be able to loot and raid settlements, fight in battles, and participate in tournaments. Naturally, you will amass an excess of goods, which you can sell to quickly increase your trading skill.

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That's all you need to know about Bannerlord trade. Follow the above steps and you'll be a master at trading in no time. For more Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out the list below:

• Cheats and How to Activate Them
• How to Declare War
• How to Start Your Own Kingdom
• How to Execute Prisoners
• Best Companions and Their Locations

Though Warband players had easy access to cheat commands, Bannerlord cheats are only available in a very limited respect. The Mount and Blade 2 cheats list just isn't all that big. However, you can get more by using a mod.

Below, we go over how to access the in-game dev console to activate the cheats available in Bannerlord itself. We then look at a mod that lets you access even more cheats — lots more. 

Mount and Blade 2 Cheats — How to Activate Them

Activate the Developer Console

This first method allows you to activate a few basic cheats without too much work. All you need to do to activate the cheats is:

• Go to "Documents\Mount and Blade II Bannerlord\Configs" folder
• Find and open “engine_config.txt” file
• Search for “cheat_mode = 0” line
• Change it to “cheat_mode = 1”
• Save and close the file

This will activate the following cheats:

• Ctrl+H: Restores full health.
• Ctrl+Shift+H: Restores full health of your horse.
• Ctrl+F4: Renders enemy unconscious.
• Ctrl+Shift+F4: Renders all enemies unconscious.
• Ctrl+F2: Knocks out one of your own soldiers.
• Ctrl+F3: Knocks out the player.
• Ctrl+Shift+F3: Renders your horse unconscious.

Note: These cheats will only work in the new campaign.

Get the Developer Console Cheats Mod

If the cheats above don't satisfy your needs, then download and install the following mod:

• Developer Console Mod for Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

The mod page has a complete list of all the cheats available after installing this mod — and it's huge! It includes (but is not limited to): 

• Player trait options
• Settlement options
• Workshop options
• Tournament options
• Conversation options

You can also tweak a plethora of system settings, such as screenshot format, lens flares, textures, physics, sounds, and much more. 

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That's it on how to get and activate Bannerlord cheats. For more Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out the list below:

• How to Declare War
• How to Start Your Own Kingdom
• How to Execute Prisoners
• Best Companions and Their Locations
• How to Make Workshops Profitable

Free Play Mod

Download it here

If you've ever wanted to play Bannerlord (or any Mount and Blade game) as an open-end free-roaming RPG without any obligations to the main story missions, this mod is for you. 

The Free Play mod adds an extra option to your game's menu, which enables a free-roam gameplay mode. It can certainly be an amazing experience building your kingdom and doing anything you want in any order you want.

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These were the best mods for Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord. For more Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out the list below:

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• How to Declare War
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• How to Start Your Own Kingdom
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• How to Execute Prisoners
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• Best Companions and Their Locations
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• How to Make Workshops Profitable
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No Companion Limit Mod

Download it here

Currently, the number of companions you can have in your party is rather small. But when your kingdom grows and expands in all directions, you naturally need more companions to take care of your cities and troops.

This easy-to-use mod removes your companion limit, letting you recruit as many companions as you want.

Lighting Improvements Mod

Download it here

Utility mods are great, but graphics mods are just as important, especially when it comes to grand games like Bannerlord.

Though this isn't a full-on ReShade mod, this mod improves many of the game's lighting effects while maintaining performance. 

The mod also enhances the game's contrast and tone mapping effects for every part of the game, including indoor and outdoor environments. 

Auto Trader Mod

Download it here

Managing trade deals in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord can take a lot of time, especially if you're dealing with a handful of cities. This mod eliminates the need to trade manually and provides players with a simple auto-trading utility.

You can program it to govern all of your trading operations on its own, freeing you up for more exciting activities like tournaments, sieges, and general mayhem. 

Item Price Fixer Mod

Download it here

Some weapon and armor prices in Mount and Blade 2 are outrageous. If you want to buy a longbow in the base game, for example, you will essentially need to rob an entire kingdom. That's not to mention the spawn rate for good weapons and armor sets is ridiculously low in Early Access. 

Fortunately, this price mod fixes all those issues, including the spawn rate. You won't have to horde your money just to buy a single item. As an added perk, items will appear in almost every shop while using this mod.

Detailed Character Creation Mod

Download it here

Being able to edit your character's base skills is great, but what about their appearance? Well, there is a solution for that, too.

The DCC mod gives you powerful tools that can transform your character's body and outfit down to the smallest detail. 

The mod allows you to tweak your current characters, as well as new ones, and your characters will age normally -- unless you use the advanced option that allows you to turn your character into a child in armor!

Character Export-Import Mod

Download it here

Leveling your character and your companions can take a very long time. If you'd rather not wait, the Character Export-Import mod speeds up the process. Considerably. 

All you need to do is install it, export your characters into a text file, tweak all the necessary skills, and import them back into the game.

Now you can hunt down those bandits without worry or make that trade you've been slowly grinding toward. The world is your oyster. 

Fast Dialogue Mod

Download it here

Whether you've been playing Bannerlord for a while or just started, it's no secret that Mount and Blade 2 is packed with tons of dialog. Some of it includes very useful and worthwhile information, but unfortunately, a lot of it defines the word filler. 

The Fast Dialog mode lets you speed through that unnecessary dialog (such as minutes-long conversations with peasants). The mod "removes loading screens from interactions with essentially all map interactions." 

A "Converse" option is added so that you can speak with anyone if you choose, but now you don't have to wait through any interactions you don't want to. 

Bannerlord Tweaks Mod

Download it here

Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord can be a very grindy game. Hence the existence of the Bannerlord Tweaks mod.

Now you can tweak crafting stamina, battle rewards, and party size. You can also increase tournament rewards, make changes to your hideout on the fly, and increase your workshop limit. 

There are dozens and dozens of more options, too, making this mod a must-have for any Bannerlord player. 

As we've seen with games like Skyrim, Stardew Valley, Resident Evil 2, Rimworld, and countless others, mods can greatly enhance the core gameplay experience. The exact same can be said of Mount and Blade: Bannerlord 2 mods.

Whether you want more detailed characters or you want to fix prices for trade, the Bannerlord modding community has created a whole slew of fantastic utility mods that make the game better in every regard. 

This list offers some of the finest and useful mods for Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, including: 

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• Bannerlord Tweaks
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• Fast Dialog
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• Character Export/Import
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• Detailed Character Creation
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• Item Price Fixer
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• Auto Trader
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• Lighting Improvements
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• No Companion Limit
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• Free Play
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If you want to win even the smallest battle in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, you still need to have a rather sizable party of troops. This guide will not only give you tips on how to make a new Mount and Blade 2 party, but also how to increase parties and party size.

Follow all the steps below and you'll quickly have a very respectable army by your side.

How to Make a New Party in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

To create a new party in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, you need to reach Clan Tier 2, which requires at least 150 Renown points.

When you reach this milestone:

1. Go to your clan menu
2. Click on "Parties" tab
3. Select "Create New Party" in the left menu
4. Select the leader of your party in the pop-up window
5. Confirm by pressing "Done"

The game will automatically send you to the new party menu, where you can redistribute troops.

How to Increase Party Size in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

There are two ways in which you can increase the size of your party in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord.

The first one is gradual, which passively increases your party size as you progress through missions. This method involves completing the main story quest called "Neretzes's Folly," which requires you to find and talk to 10 nobles.

In the process of talking to these noblemen, your Steward skill will naturally grow. When you reach the tier of Bannerlord (100 skill points), your party will grow by two troops for each fief you own.

The second method can be used early in the game, during which you can immediately increase the size of your party to 20 troops.

Follow these steps to increase your party size early on:

1. Start the "Rebuild Your Clan" story quest
2. Earn a 1000 denars
3. Reach Clan Tier 1 (requires 50 Renown points)
4. Hire at least 1 companion

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That's all on how to make a new party and increase the size of your party in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord. For more Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out the list below:

• How to Start Your Own Kingdom
• How to Execute Prisoners
• Best Companions and Their Locations
• How to Make Workshops Profitable
• CPU Temp Spike Fix

Some kingdoms in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord become so powerful that they need to be subdued to rebalance the gameplay. This guide will provide you with tips on how to declare a state of war with a powerful faction.

Since the game is still in the Early Access, the default Declare War option hasn't been activated yet. But there is a way around that.

How to Declare War in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

The only way to declare war in the current state of Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is to raid and loot villages or caravans that belong to the kingdom you wish to fight.

Follow these steps to start a war with the faction/kingdom:

1. Make sure that your own city is close enough to the faction you wish to attack
2. Raid any village or caravan that is close to the castle or city with the garrison you wish to go to war with
3. Allow the enemy kingdom to attack your city
4. Start the war

If you choose a kingdom that is too far from your own, they will be mad at you, but will not send their troops to attack you.

You also have to be prepared to lose 200 influence points for raiding a village or a caravan.

Lastly, make sure that you have enough troops to withstand the initial attack of the enemy faction, so you can respond accordingly and win the battle.

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That's all on how to declare war to an enemy kingdom in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord. For more Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out the list below:

• How to Start Your Own Kingdom
• How to Execute Prisoners
• Best Companions and Their Locations
• How to Make Workshops Profitable
• CPU Temp Spike Fix

It's a lot of fun playing casually Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, but if you really want to experience the full range of what the game has to offer, then you should start your own Mount and Blade 2 kingdom. 

However, be prepared to spend a lot of hours preparing all the necessary pieces. Follow the steps below to become a king of your own.

How to Start Your Own Kingdom

1. Talk to the Nobles

The first and most important task you must complete is the main storyline quest "Neretzes's Folly." This quest requires you locate and talk to at least 10 nobles.

There are obviously a lot more nobles in the game, and some of them will be your enemies by the time you complete this quest. But if you can find 10 friendly nobles, then you will take your first step towards forming your own kingdom.

Here is the list of the best nobles you can talk to during the Neretzes's Folly quest, with their respective locations:

1. Derthert (Vlandia)
2. Raganvad (Sturgia)
3. Olek (Sturgia)
4. Melidir (Battania)
5. Ergeon (Battania)
6. Unqid (Aserai)
7. Mesui (Khuzait)
8. Lucon (North Empire)
9. Rhagaea (South Empire)
10. Garios (West Empire)

When you're done talking to the 10 nobles, you can move onto the second stage of forming your own kingdom in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord.

2. Assemble the Dragon Banner

"Assemble the Dragon Banner" is another quest that will appear in your quest log right after you complete Neretzes's Folly.

During this step, you need to talk to Istiana and Arzagos. Istiana can be found in Epicrotea, and Arzagos can be found in Marunath.

Each will give you a location of a hideout. Go to the markers on the map and win the battles there. After you win both, you will be given the pieces of the Dragon Banner, which can be now used to form your own kingdom.

Now, if you want to create an non-imperial kingdom, which is entirely independent from other factions, go back to Azragos. If you want to create an imperial kingdom and support an existing faction, go back to Istiana.

In either case, tell them that you want to create your own kingdom by following these dialogue choices:

1. "I have gathered all pieces of Dragon Banner"
2. "How can I create my own kingdom?"
3. "Thank you."

When this step is done, you will have a new quest in your log according to your choice, which will finally allow you to create your own kingdom.

3. Start Your Own Kingdom

This new quest will bring you to the last step of kingdom formation. Here you need to complete the following actions:

1. Reach clan Tier 3
2. Gather 100 troops
3. Be an independent clan
4. Own a settlement

Once all four requirements have been fulfilled, a new kingdom tab will appear in your game menu. Now you can either start diplomatic relationships with other kingdoms or conquer their lands by waging wars.

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That's all on how to start your own kingdom in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord. For more Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out the list below:

• How to Execute Prisoners
• Best Companions and Their Locations
• How to Make Workshops Profitable
• CPU Temp Spike Fix

As you play Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, your party and your power will grow and your power. You will take part in many battles, and, by proxy, take a lot of prisoners into your dungeon. Though you will need to know how to execute prisoners in Bannerlord, some prisoners can be very useful.

Below we'll go over how to both execute and recruit prisoners. 

How to Execute Prisoners

When you win a battle in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, you are given two options: either take your enemies as prisoners or grant them mercy. You can choose whichever you want, but it is highly recommended to take them as your prisoners and dump them in your prison.

Doing so will allow you to either execute them or recruit them. An execution will negatively influence your reputation and decrease relationships with the enemy clan.

Reputation decreases regardless of how many prisoners you decide to execute, but If you still wish to execute your prisoners, follow these steps:

1. Open the city menu
2. Select "Go to the keep"
3. Select "Go to the dungeon"
4. Select "Manage prisoners"
5. Click on the name of the prisoner you wish to execute
6. Press the "Execute" button
7. Confirm execution

After a short cutscene, the prisoner's head will roll. Repeat this for every other prisoner you wish to execute.

How to Recruit Prisoners

Before deciding whether to execute a prisoner or not, it is recommended to check the facts sheet for the given prisoner in the game's Encyclopedia, which can be accessed by pressing the "N" key.

Check to see if the prisoner might fit your party, taking into account their skill base. Then recruit them into your party.

Follow these steps to recruit a prisoner:

1. Open the city menu
2. Select "Go to the keep"
3. Select "Go to the dungeon"
4. Select "Manage prisoners"
5. Click on the name of the prisoner you wish to recruit
6. Press the "Recruit" button

Remember that you will only have this option if you have free slots in your party. If your party is already full, you will not be able to recruit prisoners.

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That's all on how to execute and recruit prisoners in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord. For other Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out the list below:

• Best Companions and Their Locations
• How to Make Workshops Profitable
• CPU Temp Spike Fix

Clans form the axis of the ruling class in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord. While players can form their own clans, they will be able to assign certain roles to various companions that you can recruit for a certain amount of money. This guide will provide you with a list of the best Mount and Blade 2 companions and how to find their locations on the map.

There are different types of companions that come with various skills. Some are better than others. That is why finding and recruiting the best possible companions will influence the outcome of your game.

Best Companions in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

Laska Willowbark

• Type: Healer
• Best skills: Medicine (60)

Your party is nothing without a healer, so hire one of the Willowbark sisters that both have the highest possible starting medicinal stat. 

The only drawback to hiring either of them is that you will need to repurpose some of their skills to Intelligence, which may be a bit too low in the beginning. 

Borytor Frostbeard

• Type: Scout
• Best skills: Scouting (80); Bow (135)

Borytor is by far the finest scout in the game. He also has a high Bow mastery stat, which makes him incredibly useful in combat.

He is better than Tyl the Fish, who only has 60 points in Scouting. Although his Vigor stat is at 90, and Borytor's is only at 75, Tyl isn't nearly as good with his bow as Borytor. 

Uslav the Lucky

• Type: Tactician
• Best skills: Tactics (60)

Uslav or Ilmir are both very good tacticians that have twice as much tactics skill as the game's other tactician, Bloodaxe. If you're looking for a character that could effectively plan your battles, and help you find a way out in a dire situation, Uslav or Ilmir are the clear choices.

Try to redistribute their attribute points to Cunning, which by default, are quite low.

Gudra the Shieldmaiden

• Type: Combat
• Best skills: Two-handed Weapons (200); Polearms (140)

To win any battle, you will need real warriors. Gudra the Shieldmaiden is a perfect combat companion because of her excellent weapon skills.

She also has the Riding and Athletics skills. If you can combine her with a good tactician, then your party will be practically unbeatable.

Apys the Robber

• Type: Rogue
• Best skills: Roguery (60)

Lastly, no party is complete without a rogue. If you find yourself in a situation when simple tactics don't work, then a rogue like Apys the Robber will do all the dirty jobs that need doing. 

How to Find Companions

Since companions move around the map and between the cities all the time, there is no one set location for each of them.

But you can follow these steps to find any companion you're looking for:

1. Go the game menu
2. Press the "N" key to open Encyclopedia
3. Click on the "Heroes" tab
4. Check the "Wanderer" option in the Occupation menu
5. Double-click on any companion
6. In the upper right corner, click on the city name under "Last seen at..."
7. Check the "Track" option in the upper left corner

Now you can go back to your game, and you will see the marker of the given companion on the map. Go to the map marker, talk to them, and agree to pay for their recruitment. Then, you will be able to recruit them as a companion.

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That's it on the best companions and their locations in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord. For more Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out the list below:

• How to Make Workshops Profitable
• CPU Temp Spike Fix

Making money is essential for success of your campaign in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord. The more money you make, the better it is for all aspects of your game. This guide will help you make your Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord workshops profitable over time, which is the best passive income strategy in the game.

Workshops bring more and more money as time passes and your clan level rises. So don't worry: if your early earnings at workshops are smaller than expected, they will significantly increase in time.

Purchase a Workshop

To make money, you need to invest. The best investment in Bannerlord is workshops of several kinds. Some are more profitable than others, but that also depends on their location and position within the city.

In any case, follow these steps to purchase your first workshop:

1. Arrive at any city on the map
2. In the city menu, choose "Take a walk around the town center"
3. Hold the "Alt" key while walking around (highlights workshops)
4. Talk to any Shop Worker
5. Select "I would like to buy the workshop"
6. Confirm purchase

Workshops aren't cheap and will cost you around 15.000 denars. But it's totally worth it for longterm passive income.

Most Profitable Workshops

There are 10 different types of workshops in Bannerlord. Some are better than others. You will have to choose the type of workshop either during the purchase process or in the clan menu.

The best types of workshops are:

• Wood Workshop
• Smithy
• Silversmith

The location of the workshop plays a huge role in the amount of earnings it provides. This is how you should distribute them for maximum profit:

• Dunglanys (Wood Workshop): 4000-5000 denars per day
• Lageta (Wood Workshop): 3000 denars per day
• Makeb (Smithy): 1300-1500 denars per day

This kind of income will not be available right away, so you will have to wait for about a week or two before each workshop at these given cities starts producing such amounts of money.

At first, you will be allowed to purchase only one shop, but as your clan level grows, you will be permitted to purchase your second and third workshops.

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That's it on how to make your workshops more profitable, and for more Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord guides, check out this hub page.

Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is giving some players some headache in the CPU temperature department, jacking their CPU temp up to or above 90 degrees Celcius. Fortunately, this is a fixable issue.

Riding your CPU at over 90 degrees Celcius doesn't just eventually plague you with stuttering and FPS drops, but it can have long-lasting effects on your rig if you just let it ride for hours on end day after day.

With that, let's get to how to fix Mount and Blade 2 heating your CPU up to egg-cooking levels.

Turn Off V-Sync

Turning down the overall graphics settings is always a good way to go when troubleshooting CPU spikes, but even setting everything to Low isn't having a big effect for many players.

Several settings that currently seem to cause the biggest problems are actually in the Video tab rather than the Graphics tab where you normally tinker with turning down effects for better performance.

In the Video menu, change from Borderless Windowed to Fullscreen if you'd been using the former option before. From there, also be sure to turn the V-Sync option off by selecting None and then restart Bannerlord. 

In some cases, you may need to force your graphics card to not re-enable V-Sync by default.

For instance, if you run a GeForce card, open the NVIDIA Control Panel and navigate to 3D Settings > Mange 3D Settings > Global Settings > Vertical Sync > Off. 

For a Radeon card, instead, open the AMD Adrenaline 2020 suite and click the Settings cog icon in the top right corner. Click the Display tab and then toggle the Radeon FreeSync setting to Off.

Cap Bannerlord's FPS

Manually limiting the frame rate currently seems to be the best way to reduce overall CPU load and prevent your processor's temperatures from suddenly spiking while playing Mount & Blade II.

Bannerlord now features a frame limiter directly in the options. Just navigate to the Video settings tab and scroll to the Frame Limiter option (found above V-Sync).

Drop the slide bar down to a cool 30FPS or 60FPS and give the came a go with your CPU temp monitored to see if it helps. Feel free to adjust the FPS to your needs.

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Have you come across any other methods for keeping your Bannerlord frame rate stable without experiencing sudden CPU spikes? Sound off with your comments below, then head over to our other Mount & Blade 2 guides here.

Originally announced back in 2012, it's been a long wait for Mount & Blade 2, and as the game's launch quickly approaches, many fans have been preparing themselves for a last-minute delay announcement.

Instead, developer TaleWorlds Entertainment has some very good news this morning, confirming that the exact opposite is happening: Bannerlord is coming out early!

The Early Access version of Mount & Blade 2 is now officially slated to hit Steam on March 30. Since so many people are currently out of work and stuck at home, developer TaleWorlds will launch the game at 10% off its base price. You can get an extra 10% off that price if you digitally own a previous Mount & Blade title.

Though Mount & Blade 2 won't be complete when it launches, here's what we know will be available on March 30:

• Custom Battle mode (singleplayer)
• Campaign mode (singleplayer)
• Skirmish mode (multiplayer)
• Captain mode (multiplayer)
• Team Deathmatch mode (multiplayer)
• Siege mode (multiplayer)

The Campaign mode will be a departure from the series and will notably feature a more structured approach than typical Mount & Blade sandbox gameplay. Additionally, private servers for multiplayer won't be available until closer to the game's full launch. There's currently no word on when it will exit Early Access. 

Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Mount & Blade 2 news in the coming weeks. If you're looking for more open-world sandbox games to pass the time, check out our list of the five you should check out right now.

In the long and arduous wait for a release date, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord almost became the new Final Fantasy XV. Announced — checks notes — back in 2012, it's been a long road to get here. 

Fans have been openly salivating over little tidbits about changes to the game since 2015, without anything remotely resembling a release date making the news in that time.

That all changes today. A Gamescom 2019 announcement revealed that Bannerlord is coming to Early Access relatively soon. However, players will still have to wait a few months to play, as it won't be available until March of 2020.

Cheers to this cheeky YouTuber, who said what we were all thinking while watching the announcement trailer:

Unfortunately, there's still no movement on an officially official full launch date, although a Steam page now exists and shows off a bit of what fans can expect from the beta launch next year.

Here's what we know will be in the early access so far:

• Siege gameplay: Including constructing, positioning, and firing artillery weaponry at enemy locations
• Diplomacy: With new bartering, marriage, and influence systems to seal alliances or antagonize enemies
• Sandbox Economy: This fluid economy based on supply, demand, and local ware conditions is due to be tested extensively in early access
• Crafting: For making and naming your own personal killing machine with a variety of attributes
• Modding: Development tools will be made available to the Steam community for constructing your own Bannerlord experience

While waiting your turn to jump in an test out the waters, check out the Gamescom Early Access announcement teaser below.

If you've missed out on the latest Gamescom 2019 news, there's been an avalanche of major reveals in the last 24 hours, from info on the anticipated horde mode for Gears 5 to the release date trailer for the Final Fantasy 8 remaster!

Dauntless

Developer: Phoenix Labs
Platforms: PC
Release date: Q1/Q2 2018

Dauntless is an action-RPG inspired by the Dark Souls series, Monster Hunter, and World of Warcraft, with classic Diablo-like gameplay in a fantasy setting.

You will have the chance to take on the role of a hunter whose prey are none other than giant monsters that actually look very similar to dinosaurs. In Dauntless, you can go on an adventure alone, or assemble a group to hunt for monsters together.

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That's it for the most anticipated RPGs of 2018. Hopefully you have found a project or two that have you interested. Stick with GameSkinny for more upcoming game news and information, including our take on the most anticipated MMOs of 2018.

Which upcoming RPG do you want to play the most? Leave your opinion in the comments section below.

GreedFall

Developer: Spiders
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release date: TBA 2018

If you like to explore remote, isolated islands populated by indigenous people and supernatural beings who fend off uninvited guests, then GreedFall is your type of game. Alongside other settlers, mercenaries, and treasure hunters, you will experience a living and ever-changing world.

Your actions, from the simplest decisions to the global ones, will effect changes in the political situation of the island, which in turn will change the course of events and your relations with the various factions that coexist within the game.

Vampyr

Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release date: Q1/Q2 2018

Vampyr is an action-packed RPG with complex but very intuitive combat mechanics. You will be involved in an investigation during which you have to collect a lot of clues and interview a large number of NPCs on the streets of London.

Using the vampire's skills along with improvised weapons, you will have to fight not only physical enemies but also your own fears. Anyone you meet in the game can be either a victim of the crime or the criminal. 

Vampyr is a true gothic horror story about vampires in the real world, where death and crime on the streets reflect inevitable social and political changes after WWI.

Shenmue III

Developer: Neilo, Ys Net
Platforms: PC, PS4
Release date: Q3/Q4 2018

During this year's Gamescom, fans of the Shenmue series were finally able to see the first teaser trailer for Shenmue 3. Originally, the project was set to premiere at E3 2017, but the event was canceled.

Shenmue 3 will offer players a chance to experience several genres at once. It combines action-adventure and RPG elements with an open-world setting. Also at your service will be arcade machines, mini-games, and many interesting NPCs with their own personal stories for you to discover.

For those of you who may have never heard of the Shenmue series, an interesting tidbit is that the first game from 2000 introduced QTE (Quick Time Events) mechanics, which are frequently used in many games up to this very day.

Indivisible

Developer: Lab Zero Games
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Release date: TBA 2018

Lab Zero Games is an indie developer that became known for its work on 2D fighting game Skullgirls. Its latest project, Indivisible, is an action-RPG funded entirely with the help of IndieGoGo's crowdfunding campaign last year.

The main character of the game is a girl named Ajna. She goes on a distant and very difficult journey to learn all about the mysterious powers she possesses. On her way, she will not only meet deadly foes but also loyal allies.

The developers of Indivisible were mainly inspired by classic games such as Valkyrie Profile and Super Metroid. Also interesting to note is that the music for the game was written by the composer of Secret of Mana, Hiroki Kikuta.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom

Developer: Bandai Namco (Level-5)
Platforms: PC, PS4
Release date: January 19, 2018

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is the the continuation of the much-loved Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch from 2013. In the sequel you will meet the main character of the game -- Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum -- as well as his friends and allies, who find themselves tasked with saving their kingdom from the dark forces.

Just like the first game, Revenant Kingdom is set in an open-world environment full of lush and colorful locations. If you enjoyed playing the first game, you will definitely have a blast playing this one, too.

Monster Hunter: World

Developer: Capcom
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release date: January 26, 2018

Unlike the previous games in this popular series,  Monster Hunter: World is set in an open-world environment.

The game will support a cooperative mode with up to four players who can jointly overcome even the biggest and strongest enemies. It is already known that players from Japan and Western countries will be able to play freely with one other.

The playable demo will be available on consoles in December 2017, so keep your eyes open for further announcements.

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

Developer: TaleWorlds Entertainment
Platforms: PC
Release date: TBA 2018

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a medieval action-RPG developed by TaleWorlds Entertainment, which has been responsible for the Mount & Blade series from its very inception.

The game takes place 200 years before Mount & Blade: Warband, during the period of the fall of the Empire and the formation of independent kingdoms.

The armor, weapons and architecture in Bannerlord will correspond to the period between the seventh and thirteenth centuries.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Platforms: PC
Release date: TBA 2018

The narrative of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire will continue the plot of the original game, which was released in 2015. Players will be able to use the save files from the original game and continue the story where they last finished it. This means that the events of the first game will directly affect the course of Deadfire.

The developers also promise the possibility to travel not only on land but also on the sea, where players will encounter new cultures and environments. Lastly, NPCs in Deadfire will behave in a more dynamic way, which will result in a series of much more interesting side quests.

Kingdom Hearts III

Developer: Square Enix
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One
Release date: TBA 2018

As usual, Team Disney and Team Final Fantasy, including new characters from Toy Story, comprise the theme of the 12th installment of this beloved RPG franchise that first emerged way back in 2002. There have been many ups and downs on the way for the Kingdom Hearts series, but after years of development complications, Kingdom Hearts III will finally come out in 2018.

The game runs on Unreal Engine 4, allowing all the characters from Disney movies to look as cinematic as possible, which is also the main reason why the game was delayed for so long.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Developer: Warhorse Studios
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release date: February 13, 2018

The development of one of the most anticipated non-fantasy RPGs of 2018 is an adventure of its own. It started back in 2012, after the former developers of the Mafia franchise licensed the CryEngine for their new unknown project.

After two uncertain years, the Kickstarter campaign was able to help Warhorse Studios finance the rest of the development. In 2016, the Kingdom Come: Deliverance team showed the results of four years of development, which was an almost finished version of the game.

Finally, in just a few months, you will get the chance to experience one of the most realistic single-player RPGs in history, complete with period-accurate armor, combat, and a 15th-century setting.

2017 was a fantastic year for the RPG genre. Games like Divinity: Original Sin 2, Torment: Tides of Numenera, and many others show that the genre still stands firm in the face of many big-budget AAA titles that dominate the gaming market these days.

2018 will also introduce a huge variety of sub-genres, settings, characters, and combat mechanics in a number of completely original RPG projects and sequels to long-running franchises.

Many upcoming games still don't have exact release dates, but teaser trailers are already available, so you will have the chance to see what these most anticipated RPG games of 2018 have to offer.

As newcomers to the E3 conference, PC Gamer is insistent on pushing PC gaming to the forefront alongside console powerhouses like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. After awkwardly stumbling in 2015 during their "talk-show" style presentation, the conference last year was more focused on the games rather than the presentation itself. This year, the show presented a slew of games releasing this year -- with a focus on VR, eSports, and PC optimization. 

Keep reading below to stay updated on all of the new announcements from the conference.

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen

2K Games and Firaxis lead the conference with the announcement of the highly anticipated XCOM 2 expansion, War of the Chosen. Jake Solomon, the designer for the XCOM games, said that this is the biggest expansion in the series to date. War of the Chosen will feature new weapons, new soldier classes, environments, and a system similar to Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor's famous nemesis system.

The main enemy in War of the Chosen is none other than the Chosen -- the ultimate enemy of XCOM. The Chosen consists of ultimate enemies with different personalities and fighting styles. These champions will be challenged repeatedly, and they will continuously become stronger and gain new skills as the game progresses. There are also three different factions that can be recruited to fight against the Chosen, each with their own specific fighting styles and advantages.

The story in the new expansion takes place 20 years after the original alien invasion. With that, major cities across the world were decimated and all of its civilians perished -- that is, until their bodies have been transformed into alien, zombie-like creatures. These enemies, known as The Lost, are heavily mutated humans who are mindless and will attack anything in their way, including enemy aliens.

The expansion releases August 29 for PC, Xbox One, and PS4.

Ooblets

DoubleFine Studios has a reputation for taking risks and supporting innovative and obscure indie games -- and Ooblets is no exception. Constructed by Glumberland Studios, a team of only two people, Ooblets is described as "Harvest Moon meets Pokemon meets Animal Crossing meets the weird awkward people we are." 

This title immediately catches anyone's eyes with its vibrant colors, adorable creatures that grow like plants, and quirky characters. Through the video, it's clear the game has a wide variety of tasks the players can tackle. The Pokemon-like creature capturing aspect meshes with the crop-growing simulation of Harvest Moon. There's also a robust village filled with bizarre and cute characters to interact with.

And of course, it wouldn't be a Pokemon-inspired game without a turn-based battle system. For those who have played Nintendo's monster-catching games in the past, the system will be familiar right off the bat. The only difference is rather than immediately catching your Ooblets, you must retrieve the seeds enemies drop and plant them to grow new creatures.

The end of the trailer showed a slew of customization options such as decorating your house, dazzling out your own characters, and showing off a number of groovy dance animations. Ooblets is set to release in early 2018.

Battletech

The world didn't just want a turn-based tactical game based on the Battletech tabletop games -- apparently they needed it. After raising $2.8 million on Kickstarter, Jordan Weisman and Mitch Gitelman of Harebrained Schemes showed off a sneak peek at the single-player campaign in Battletech.

The game takes place in the Battletech universe, where giant mechs go head-to-head in this highly strategic and tactical game. To begin, the trailer for the game shows a brief look at The Argo, a base where you can repair mechs, choose where to travel next, and more. The developers emphasized on the biggest problems mercenaries face, like spending less money on repairs than what you earn. This will clearly encourage more strategic planning rather than going guns-blazing into every battle.

After briefly going over The Argo, the game's combat got a highlight. It showed the movement range of specific mechs, how far their range of view is, and of course, how they engage in enemy contact. Each mech is designed differently, with different layers of armor that protect critical components inside the mechs. Rather than being giant "hit point sponges", each enemy must be attacked in different ways either to penetrate armor or disable certain weapons.

Battletech is slated to release sometime this year, and you can sign up for the beta now at the official Battletech website.

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

Taleworld's original massive sandbox army simulator game was a huge success, and with Mount & Blade 2 releasing, they plan on pushing the bar even further. Although only a few minutes of gameplay was shown at the conference, the differences are immediately apparent. The graphics are improved, the game can handle a massive number of enemies at once, and there's a fluid combat system where soldiers rush at each other with spears and swords on horseback.

The developers were not present at the conference to give more details; however, Taleworld's press release gave us some snippets of information on what to expect in the new entry. Advanced Formations allows players to control each individual unit's movement, form, and behavior. AI commanders borrow heavily from their actual historical counterparts, so expect powerful cavalry forces from Alexander the Great

The game is expected to release later this year.

Total War: Warhammer 2

The second title in the already announced trilogy of this crossover series, Total War: Warhammer 2 developers Creative Assembly plan on doubling down on what made the first game so great. In addition to improving gameplay, graphics, and AI, there will be four new Warhammer factions to play with -- including the High Elves, Lizard Men, Dark Elves, and one unannounced race.  

The game is slated for release on the September 28, and will feature an early adopter bonus in the form of free DLC for the original Warhammer game.

Shadowverse: Wonderland Dreams

Although CCGs have been around for decades, the release of Hearthstone threw the genre into the forefront of the gaming community. Developed by Cygames and heavily influenced by Hearthstone, Shadowverse is actually designed by some Magic The Gathering competitive players. The game is developed with the idea of focusing on mechanics more than luck.

This fourth expansion shows off new cards and character types, along with wowing the audience with pristine anime portraits. Coming out on June 29th, the Wonderland Dreams expansion will add 104 cards to the game -- most of which have fairy-tale themes to them. 

Tunic

A game about a tiny fox in a giant world, Tunic resembles everything we love about old-school Zelda games with a spirited artistic style and soundtrack. Developed by Andrew Shouldice, there were not too many details revealed other than the fact that the game will release sometime next year on PC, Mac, and consoles. For more, watch the trailer below.

PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS

Day-Z has been in development for God-knows how long. H1Z1 just split into two games. But the survival game that has everybody screaming in terror and excitement is none other than PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG). Consistently on the top of Twitch streams and forums, PUBG has sold millions of copies in early access. With that being said, developer Brendan Greene stated that this month's main priority is server stabilization. However, that's not the only thing up PLAYERUNKNOWN's sleeve.

Greene showcased a number of gameplay improvements guaranteed to increase the intensity of each battle royal match. Previously, jumping over fences or objects was incredibly difficult, and could end in a number of unfortunate deaths if you lost focus. In the next update, players can now vault over a number of objects, each with their own animation and length of time it takes to do so.

Weather is being expanded as well. Rain was already a weather effect that drastically changed the game -- and while that is being improved, PUBG will soon feature fog and sunset weather as well. Greene showcased a new gun, and spoke about more game modes and maps that will be coming as well. A desert map and a snowy, mountainous region were briefly mentioned.

Lastly, Greene continued to show that he will support the game until it is completely done, and is looking forward to adding more features such as custom games and 3D replays.

Killing Floor

Tripwire Interactive is a very busy studio. The team just released Rising Storm 2 a few weeks ago to immense praise. And while the developers are busy working on new content for it, they have not forgotten about their gross, bloody baby, Killing Floor.

To begin with, Killing Floor VR: Incursion was announced. The game is a first-person hardcore horror game with single player and co-op options. Tight corridors, terrifying enemies, and motion controls are guaranteed to scare your pants off, just like Resident Evil 7 did earlier this year.

But wait, there's more! Tripwire listened to its  fans and decided to bring back more seasonal events for Killing Floor 2. Starting tomorrow, players can not only download the game for free for a week, but can participate in the Summer Sideshow. The event takes place in a worn-down creepy carnival, full of mini games, disgusting creatures like Mr. Pukey and Monkey Man, and weekly outbreaks. These outbreaks are different gameplay modes that will be playable each week, such as a headshot-only mode. The Summer Sideshow will only last for one month, and players can accrue up to 50 different cosmetic items for free.

Forza Motorsport 7

One of Microsoft's flagship titles, Forza, is finally getting a proper PC release after over a half-dozen iterations. The game will support 4K, have over 700 cars, and supports mouse & keyboard options. More importantly, for racing game enthusiasts, Microsoft Studios ensured that any USB powered racing wheel will work with the game, along with other controller options like a Guitar Hero controller (not recommended for sanity purposes).

Forza Motorsport 7 is slated to release on October 3 of this year -- and players with computers from budget to extremely overclocked will be able to zoom through this optimized PC title.

Sea of Thieves

If you haven't heard what Rare has been up to for a while now, you may have been living under a rock. Sea of Thieves, the ultimate pirate MMO experience, is being developed from the ground up, for PC and Xbox One. 

The game, heavily influenced by the wonderful Sid Meier's: Pirates, is looking to do everything that made the 2005 title so revered, and pushes the limits even further -- like letting you blow yourself out of an actual cannon. 

Similar to Forza, the game is looking to be extremely optimized for PC gamers, featuring an unlocked frame rate and 4K resolution. The game is in technical alpha and gamers can sign up to play at the official Sea of Thieves website. Expect to see this title in stores in early 2018.

The Last Night

French developer Odd Tales showcased its new, aesthetically-pleasing game at Microsoft's conference yesterday -- but today at the PC Gaming Show we were given our first look at the actual gameplay for The Last Night. 

The first thing that instantly hits any viewer is the incredible art direction. If you're looking for some incredible wallpapers to woo your nerdy friends, taking any snippet from the trailer today is guaranteed to make you the cool kid on the block.

The game is a platformer, but not in the same sense as a Mario title. Tim Soret of Odd Tales described the game as a "cinematic adventure game". He mentioned that the game's story is that of a futuristic dystopian society, in which AI controls every job, and all humans have left to do is consume as much as possible. A release date was not revealed for The Last Night.

Y-Lands

When you hear about a game from Bohemia Interactive, one would expect a hyper-realistic war game or a survival game like Day-Z. Y-Lands throws all expectations out the window by showing off artistic, polygonal graphics in a giant sandbox environment. Think Minecraft, but less blocky. 

The game starts you off on a deserted island where you can gather resources, build your own home, and eventually sail away to new lands. The game looks massive right off the bat, and can be played with others online as well. You can do anything -- from becoming knights in shining armor, to catapulting people, to creating an entire city.

In contrast to Minecraft, Y-Lands is described as building experiences rather than structures. So although the game has a heavy focus on exploration, the in-game editor is available at all times in order to open and modify existing games, or create your own within the game. 

The game's alpha can be accessed at the official Y-Lands website, and the full game is expected to hit Steam's Early Access later this year.

Grift Lands

Brought to you by the developers of Shank and Don't Starve, Klei Interactive is looking to change the indie game scene with more excellent hand-drawn animations and style. Grift Lands appears to be a turn-based RPG focusing on exploration, comradery, and betrayal. The gameplay shown was limited, but emphasized that "everything is negotiable" -- from money, loyalty, to morality. Whether these negotiable terms affect the overall story is yet to be determined, but with developers Klei Interactive hard at work, the game is definitely one to keep on your radar.

It's coming to PC in early 2018.

Lone Echo/Echo Arena

Briefly discussed during Intel's portion of the conference, Lone Echo is Ready At Dawn's new foray into the virtual reality landscape. Acting as cybernetic AI, this VR game allows players to interact with the environment around them in zero-gravity. Players must use their arms to move around space, grabbing different objects and propelling themselves forward. The game will have Troy Baker as one of the voice actors for the story.

A separate multiplayer game is also in development. Echo Arena will use the same physics as Lone Echo, but will be a multiplayer-focused game similar to Rocket League in space (and without cars). Players will move around the map and throw discs into opponents' goals in this "Sportsball" rendition. 

Both titles will be released separately on July 20, with Echo Arena releasing free of charge for Oculus Rift owners for a limited time.

Lawbreakers

Cliff Bleszinski, best known for the Gears of War and Unreal Tournament series, has a new child to foster and show his loving care to. Lawbreakers is the newest entry into the arena shooter genre. The game, already past the alpha phase, had a successful closed beta and will be entering open beta on June 30th.

This portion of the conference focused on a number of Twitch Streamers who had a chance to get their hands on the game. With buzzwords like "fastest game ever", "real twitch shooter", and "the best part is how difficult the game is", the game is already garnering some great reception before release. 

Bleszinski announced the release date of the game for August 8, and that the game will only be $29.99 -- "none of the $60 multiplayer-only game bullshit."

Wargroove

Although Nintendo has heavily focused on its Fire Emblem franchise and pushing its popularity, they seem to have forgotten about their counter-franchise, Advanced Wars. Another popular tactical strategy RPG, Wargroove is looking to modernize that beloved series. 

Similar to Fire Emblem, Wargroove puts players on a chess-like battlefield and has them command their units across the tiled map. Throughout the battle, you will move units around, build resources, and eventually ambush the enemy base to take their territory. There are a number of different types of soldiers, enemies, and even dragons. 

Wargroove's main means of modernizing this type of game is by including online and local multiplayer, along with 12 single-player campaigns. The game will also feature a map editor -- the same one the developers use to make the campaign themselves.  The game also includes an overworld map editor, where missions can be linked together and create branching paths. 

It's expected to release sometime in 2017 for PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Middle Earth: Shadow of War

This sequel to the heavily praised Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is one of the most anticipated titles of the year. The primarily story-based trailer revealed today showed us the Blade of Galadriel and her interactions with our previously fallen hero. Although the game is not released, the first DLC was announced to feature Galadriel herself as a playable character in her own arc. 

Although not much else was revealed, the developers noted that the game will build upon the combat, the nemesis system, and titanic full-scale battles that made the first game so great, but ultimately, the story is the biggest focus.

The game releases October 10, and will be featured in several more live streams throughout the rest of E3, from June 13-15.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition

The last announcement of the conference left gamers in awe, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of the most important RTS games in history -- Age of Empires. After the success of remastering Age of Empires 2, Microsoft is ecstatic to announce that Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is built from the ground up as a whole new game.

The game will support 4K resolution, new zoom levels, and a fully remastered soundtrack. The gameplay will remain mostly the same, with some modernization introduced in later games in the series. 

The game is scheduled to release later this year, and a beta signup began immediately. Adam Isgreen of Microsoft said this is just the beginning of the celebration, and to expect more Age of Empires news to come at Gamescom later this year.

Intel

Intel sponsored the PC Gaming Show, and had its own conference less than an hour before. But self-titled Software Guy Doug Fisher came out to the stage to talk numbers, Intel's cooperation with ESL, and the future of virtual reality.

Fisher promoted the new Core i9 Extreme Edition by discussing Intel's vision of creating fluid hardware that optimizes gaming and content creation all at once. Intel is also personally working with a number of developers, such as Bungie, to ensure their games run the best on PC.  Full-time Twitch streamer TeftyTeft talked about Destiny 2 on PC and how the game will run at an uncapped framerate in 4K.

Fisher made sure to emphasize how massive eSports are really becoming, saying that they will soon surpass the NBA, MLB, and more. With that, Fisher discussed the merger of virtual reality with eSports by showcasing the game Echo Arena. The game, developed in conjunction with Lone Echo, is an anti-gravity sports game played in VR. Players use their hands to drag themselves through space, and try to throw a disc into their opponents goal. The game will have a competition called the VR Challenge, with the finals held at IEM Poland 2018.

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The PC Gaming Show at E3 this year decided to blow its previous conferences out of the water by focusing primarily on the games themselves, and showing a slew of titles scheduled to release within the next year. Although there were still some awkward moments with hosts and minor production infractions, this looks like an amazing year to be a part of the PC gaming community.

What did you think about the PC Gaming Conference? Did it live up to your expectations? Are you planning on throwing your $1K+ monster out the window for a PS4 or Xbox One X? Sound off in the comments below!

Looking at the list of games coming out in 2017 has me very excited to say the least. It's stacking up to be a fantastic lineup of great stories and exciting gameplay to make this a great year for gaming. Here are my top 10 games that(should) be coming to a gaming platform near you in 2017.

10. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Release Date: TBA 2017

Here's the thing about Legend of Zelda games, they're always good. I haven't completed as many of them as I should, but even I know that they are enjoyable when I do get my hands on them. With the dawning of the Nintendo Switch it should be interesting to have a fully open-world Zelda game, both in the living room and in my travels. This one is still a TBD 2017, but hey, with the Switch coming out in a few months, it can't be much farther off than that, right?

9. Sea of Thieves

Release Date: TBA 2017

Another release date that is TBA 2017, but looks like a lot of fun. I haven't always been a fan of pirates, but this one looks like a blast. Joining up with your friends in a custom pirate ship, working to become a legendary pirate against everyone else who wants the same thing. Not to mention, the ship combat looks really well done and like a lot of fun. I can't wait until this game drops, hopefully sooner rather than later.

8. For Honor

Release Date: February 14th, 2017

This one actually has a release date of February 14th. That means, instead of taking your significant other out for a great Valentine's Day date, you can get online and compete to be the best Viking, Samurai, or Knight that you can be. With visceral online combat and game types that are somewhere between team deathmatch and a full-on MOBA, it's looking to be a lot of fun. Hopefully there are more playable characters and enough differences in the characters to keep it from getting stale.

7. Persona 5

Release Date: April 4th, 2017

I played some Persona 4 a few years ago for the first time, and really enjoyed my short time with it. When I found out that it was coming out, I was immediately excited as it's been almost nine years since its predecessor came out. As long as this one keeps up the great story and fun combat, hopefully with a few more modern spins on the latter, then this one will hit my end of the year list high.

6. Mass Effect: Andromeda

Release Date: March 23rd, 2017

With the controversial ending of Mass Effect 3, Andromeda is set to bring people back into the brilliant world of the series, but with some new characters and races.

Moving away from Commander Shepard is a great move with how things went in the end. Having the wonderful story of BioWare's studio and gameplay that was nearly perfected in the last installment, this one will be filling up most of my free time come March 23rd.

5. Detroit: Become Human

Release Date: TBA 2017

I have to admit, I never did play Beyond: Two Souls, Quantic Dream's latest game, but I enjoyed Heavy Rain so much I bought it twice and played through it four times. If the quick-time events can be improved for the modern-day gamer, and the story is anywhere close to Heavy Rain, and it's as varied as the trailer implies, then this one will have me playing through it time and again, hopefully starting sometime this year.

4. Horizon Zero Dawn

Release Date: February 28th, 2017

Coming out soon, February 28th, it looks like a magnificently developed world with a unique concept. Most post-apocalyptic games don't involve giant animal-robots that are out to get you. Add in being able to ride some of them and a quiver of arrows that make Green Arrow's arsenal look like a bag of rocks, and you get gameplay that will have me trying to ride every robo-dino that I can find.

3. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

Release Date: TBA 2017

If you've ever played any Mount & Blade game then you should keep this one on your radar. With no official release date other than "2017", you'll want to find a way to track its movements so you can pounce as soon as it's out. It looks to improve every aspect of its predecessors. From improved combat, to even more ways to earn money and move up the ranks of the social ladder, to an improved map and a modernized user interface, I'm just sitting still until this one has a firm date, hopefully in 2017.

2. Red Dead Redemption 2

Release Date: TBA 2017

The cowboy game of all cowboy games is making its big return sometime in the fall of 2017. With the success of GTA V and GTA Online, Rockstar has a lot to live up to with the game to follow, not to mention Red Dead Redemption is probably my favorite game that they've ever made. Bring on more train robberies and old-west heists, and you've got me sold and plastered in front of my screen for Fall 2017.

1. Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Release Date: TBA 2017

A long time ago, I found this little game on Kickstarter where you are in an open-world RPG in medieval times, but without the fantasy -- it's a down and dirty medieval RPG. I was hooked from the first screenshots and the initial explanation from the lead designer Daniel Vavra. I Kickstarted and eventually got access to the very first Alpha.

The game has come a long way. The combat is spectacular and more brutal than any combat I've ever played. Once you get used to it, it's hard to go back to your standard swordplay. It is similar to For Honor, in that you pick the direction of your attack, only it's even more in-depth than that. The story seems to be coming along quite well and I cannot wait for its full release later this year.

Well, there you have it. These are the games that I'm looking forward to in 2017, hopefully. I'm sure I missed a few and maybe there'll be some surprises that launch out of nowhere and become sleeper hits, like there are most years.

What are your most anticipated games of 2017? Let me know in the comments below!

Since it was announced in 2012, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord has not given us much news up until this year. Even dedicated fans of the Mount & Blade franchise were beginning to give up hope of it ever being finished at all. That changed greatly yesterday, as TaleWorlds finally delivered us some gameplay footage that displayed new features being introduced that ought to enhance your experience as a king's vassal or free-roaming warlord.

Weather and seasons

No longer will you roam the forest, mountains, or deserts of Calradia with a static environment. Bannerlord will feature weather and seasons that provide a much more immersive experience as you travel to different locations. We have to wonder if weather will play any role in how you and your soldiers perform in battle.

Board games

The trend in RPG's in the last fifteen years seems to be including some type of board game. We can observe this in games like Fable or The Witcher's dice poker and in the most recent installment of that series, the card game "Gwent". These games usually serve as a way for players to wager money against NPC's to make quick money, and we can likely expect that from this odd new game in Bannerlord that is reminiscent of checkers.

Siege weapons

Siege towers have always been a part of the Mount & Blade franchise as a means of sieging a castle, but those have little to no offensive capabilities. In the new trailer, we see a catapault being used to launch stones at an enemy castle as well as a battering ram to breach castle walls. We can surely expect to see other siege weapons and possibly some means for defenders to hold their castle (boiling oil, please).

Weapon crafting

This new feature definitely has potential. We saw a sword being customized in the trailer, and we could see that players can customize the blade, guard, pommel, and handle of the sword. Each of these parts affect how your weapon will perform in battle based on its weight, length and balance. With more weapons to come, weapon custimization options are seemingly inifinite, and we can hopefully look forward to seeing more of this when TaleWorlds is nice enough to grant us another look at their up and coming sequel.

Replay system

Want to know how everything went south so fast? Now you can with Bannerlord's new replay system. We are not sure whether or not this mode will be available in singleplayer mode or just multiplayer mode. In any case, we can see that players can assume multiple angles in a free camera mode, create clips, tweak different effects such as bloom and grain, and even render that all out to produce a video clip ready to play or do further editing in another program.

PC gamers have long awaited news for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, and from what we have seen so far, it looks like TaleWorlds is definitely putting together a product that will be worth the wait.

First, there was Mount & Blade, the sandbox medieval RPG based around building a party and fighting epic battles. Then there was Mount & Blade: Warband, which was basically a remake with slightly better graphics and multiplayer. Later came a standalone expansion called Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword, which took place in Eastern Europe during the Crimean War. And then came Mount & Blade: Napoleonic Wars, a DLC for Warband with a self-explanatory title.

So many titles in the series, yet no sequel.

But do not fear, Bannerlord is here!

New Screenshots were released yesterday by TaleWorlds, and they look great.

To see the rest, visit the TaleWorlds site here.

Seems like there's some really great graphical improvements, though I am worried about how much of it seems to be HDR and depth effects. I'm excited to see how the texture quality compares in Warband. I'm also hoping for changes to the Overworld screen.

Visually, it's shaping up to be a great game. But we'll have to wait for its release to see how its gameplay holds up against Warband's.