Play Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord for the first time at Gamescom

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, which we've been eagerly anticipating for the better part of a decade, will be making an appearance at Gamescom this year, and not just behind closed doors or in hands-off demonstrations. TaleWorlds will letting the public get their hands on it for the first time.

Because of the limited time and the number of people who will likely be wanting a shot, it's the multiplayer modes that will be shown off. That means you'll miss out on the campaign and all the sandboxy, RPG stuff, but you'll get a good look at the combat system in Captain mode and 6v6 skirmishes.

When TaleWorlds introduced skirmishes in March the developer also teased an upcoming closed beta. There's still no date for that, nor launch, but apparently all the work being done on the Gamescom demo brings the team "ever closer to the release of the game".

More details about Gamescom will be offered in a future blog, along with the developer's plans for the beta.

Gamescom will from August 21-24 this year, and you can get tickets here.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.