Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is finally letting you battle with banners ahead of its 1.0 release this month

rockpapershotgun.com:

The devs creating historical combat sim Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord have revealed that your little medieval murderblokes will soon be able to officially carry banners into battle at last. TaleWorlds Entertainment shared details of what’s coming to the game before it releases on October 25th, along with a look at what to expect after. That includes the possibility of DLC further down the road.

While banners have been kicking around in Bannerlord’s code for years, this is the first time they’ll be officially enabled for battle. You’ve been able to muck about modding in your own flags and shield designs for ages, as Sin noted not long after the game entered early access. TaleWorlds say the new banners will be equippable items that benefit formations that players and AI heroes lead into combat. Along with the banners, you’ll also have the option of using new crafting pieces with cloth attachments to give your weapons that sweet Claire’s Accessories vibe.

Other changes coming ahead of launch include an overhaul of Bannerlord’s AI movement system, so you should see fewer pile-ups as NPCs tackle sieges with a little more grace. TaleWorlds say this is partly down to an improvement in manners, believe it or not, as units now wait for others to go ahead of them. New voice overs are coming for storyline chatter and greetings too, along with more, and updated, facial expressions. The devs are also working on improving the world map, and making each town in the game unique.

Bannerlord has been in early access for two years, and TaleWorlds announced back in August it would launch towards the end of this month. More additions to the game are planned for after release, some of which the devs shared. Players should be able to