PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchMount & Blade II: Bannerlord crashes most often because the game and an expansion are on different versions, a mod has damaged or confused save metadata, a driver or cached file is failing, or a particular campaign action hits a bug. The quickest safe approach is to update the base game and every expansion, verify the installation, reproduce the problem with mods disabled, and then follow the support steps for your platform. Do not begin by deleting saves or reinstalling: those are destructive and are rarely the first useful test.
Official patch notes show why the exact trigger matters. TaleWorlds has fixed crashes tied to conversations, raids, campaign-map attacks, encyclopedia pages, memory pressure and specific visual systems. Recording what you were doing, your platform, the game and expansion versions, and whether mods were enabled gives support evidence they can act on.
What is causing Bannerlord to crash?
There is no single Bannerlord crash. A crash at startup after an update has a different likely cause from a crash that occurs only when leaving a conversation or opening an encyclopedia page. Use the symptom to choose the least destructive test.
Base game and expansion are out of sync
TaleWorlds warned on 8 July 2026 that launching before both the base game and War Sails have finished updating will cause a crash. Steam can show a game as playable while another related download is still pending. A partially updated installation is therefore a specific, documented trigger, not merely a guess about corrupted files.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
A mod conflicts with the current build or save
Mods can change scripts, campaign behavior and save metadata. The v1.4.7 notes specifically identify a crash caused when mods re-added existing keys to save metadata. A save that worked on an earlier game version can therefore fail after an update even when the core files are intact.
A narrow, reproducible game bug
Official fixes are often tied to one action or game state. Version 1.4.7 fixed crashes involving a null reference in AI behavior, attacking a raiding party on the campaign map, exiting a conversation, defending a village raid when the village had no militia, cloth simulation, battle-memory ordering and visual glitches that could crash longer Xbox sessions. War Sails v1.2.7 fixed high-memory-use crashes on Xbox and crashes in encyclopedia kingdom and clan pages.
#1 Best Overall
Older notes show the same pattern. Version 1.2.8, released 21 December 2023, addressed crashes while hovering the settlement overlay when leaving a settlement, when a mercenary became a vassal of the same kingdom, when caravans or villagers tried to donate or sell hero prisoners, while closing the game and while skipping the opening video. If your crash matches one of these actions, the trigger and installed version are valuable support information.
Recommended Free Tools
Platform files, drivers or memory pressure
On PC, an outdated graphics driver, a damaged Steam download cache or a file mismatch can prevent a stable launch. On Xbox, long sessions and high memory use are documented crash categories. PlayStation and Xbox have different recovery menus and support workflows, so a fix that applies to Steam should not be assumed to apply to a console.
Rank #2
- Explore, fight and conquer your way across the vast continent of Calradia, making friends and enemies along the way. Raise your own army and lead it into battle, commanding and fighting alongside your troops in the thick of the action.
- Play the game the way you want to play it! Plot your own path to power in a dynamic sandbox adventure where no two playthroughs are the same.
- Create and develop your own character to match your playstyle. Progress skills by performing actions as you gain access to a selection of perks that represent your mastery of a talent.
- See the availability of goods ebb and flow in a simulated feudal economy, where the price of everything from incense to warhorses fluctuates with supply and demand. Turn anarchy to your advantage by being the first to bring grain to a starving town after a siege or reopening a bandit-plagued caravan route.
- Put your tactical prowess and combat skills to the test against players from all over the world in a variety of different multiplayer game modes, ranging from small-scale skirmishes up to huge and epic sieges with hundreds of players.
First response: protect the save and establish the pattern
- Stop repeated launches during an update. Let the base game and every installed expansion finish downloading. Restart the launcher after the queue is empty.
- Note the exact symptom. Record whether the crash happens before the main menu, while loading a save, on the campaign map, during a battle, when leaving a conversation, on an encyclopedia page, or only after a long session.
- Record versions and platform. Write down the game version, expansion versions, Windows or console model, and whether the save is modded.
- Back up saves before destructive work. Copy your Bannerlord save folder to another location on PC. On console, avoid deleting local or cloud data until support has advised you and you understand which copy will remain.
- Test a new unmodded game. This separates an installation problem from a save or mod problem. Do not overwrite the affected save while testing.
A one-off crash immediately after a patch is less informative than a crash that repeats at the same action. If it repeats, reproduce it once after each change rather than changing several variables at the same time.
PC fixes for the Steam version
1. Finish every update, then verify the files
- Open Steam and wait for Bannerlord and each installed expansion to show no pending download.
- Close Steam completely and reopen it so the client refreshes its update state.
- In the Library, right-click Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, choose Properties, open Installed Files, and select Verify integrity of game files.
- Allow Steam to reacquire missing or altered files, then launch without mods.
Verification is the appropriate response to the update mismatch described by TaleWorlds. It is reversible and does not remove your saves. If Steam reports files that must be reacquired, run the check again after the download completes.
2. Clear the Steam download cache
A stale cache can leave an update or manifest in an inconsistent state. In Steam, open Steam > Settings > Downloads and choose Clear Download Cache. Sign in again when prompted, allow any Bannerlord update to complete, and repeat file verification. This step clears download data; it does not repair a broken save by itself.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
3. Update the graphics driver and Windows
Install the current driver supplied for your graphics hardware and restart Windows. Also install pending Windows updates, then test Bannerlord before adding mods back. The PC support route maintained by PLAION asks for driver updates as part of its technical troubleshooting because a game patch and an older driver can expose different rendering or memory faults.
4. Remove variables from the launch
- Disable every mod in the launcher or mod manager, including libraries that other mods depend on.
- Start a new campaign and perform the action that previously crashed.
- If the clean test works, re-enable mods in small groups and test after each group.
- Do not load a save created with a removed or outdated mod until you have a backup; a mod-dependent save may remain unstable even after the mod is disabled.
The v1.4.7 save-metadata fix makes this test especially important. A vanilla installation can be healthy while one modded save still crashes because of metadata written by an earlier mod version.
5. Test the affected scenario deliberately
Use a separate test save and approach the trigger again. If the crash occurs only when exiting a conversation, defending a particular village raid, attacking a raiding party, opening an encyclopedia kingdom or clan page, or leaving a settlement, write that exact sequence down. Avoid repeatedly forcing the crash on your main save while diagnosing it.
6. Gather logs before reinstalling
PLAION’s PC support route lists DxDiag and MsInfo logs, along with a support-request process. Generate those reports after the crash and include the game and expansion versions, crash frequency, trigger, mod state and the results of verification and driver updates. This information is more useful than a message saying only that the game “randomly” crashes.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →7. Consider save deletion or a reinstall only as a later step
Save-file deletion and uninstall procedures are included in the PC support guidance, but they can destroy evidence or progress. Use them only after backing up saves, completing updates, verifying files, clearing the cache and testing without mods. If a new campaign works while one old save fails, deleting the installation will not necessarily repair that save.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.PlayStation troubleshooting
PlayStation 5
Use the PlayStation 5 technical-support path rather than applying Steam instructions. Confirm that Bannerlord and any installed content are fully updated, restart the console, and test a new unmodded game. If the crash repeats at one action, record the action, campaign state and version. Keep existing save data intact until the support route tells you which local or cloud copy to remove.
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 has its own support route and storage behavior. Install the latest game update, restart the console, and reproduce the crash with no user-created modifications. A crash that follows one save should be reported as a save-specific symptom; a crash in a new game points more toward the installation or a game bug.
Xbox troubleshooting
Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One S|X
PLAION provides separate Xbox support routes for these console families. First complete the game and expansion updates, then restart the console and test without mods or other variables you can control. For crashes after a long session, fully quit Bannerlord instead of leaving it suspended, restart the console and shorten the next test session. This is a diagnostic step, not a claim that every long-session crash has the same cause.
The latest notes specifically mention high-memory-use crashes on Xbox in War Sails v1.2.7 and visual glitches that could induce a crash during longer Xbox sessions in Bannerlord v1.4.7. Include the approximate session length and whether the crash followed a battle, map transition or encyclopedia use when you report it.
How to decide whether a mod is responsible
- Back up the affected save.
- Disable all mods and start a new campaign.
- Repeat the shortest sequence that previously crashed.
- If the clean game is stable, restore one mod group at a time, starting with dependencies and framework mods.
- Stop when the crash returns and report the mod list, load order, save age and game version to the mod author or game support.
Do not assume that removing a mod repairs data it already wrote to a save. A save-metadata conflict can persist. If only the old save fails, keep the backup and continue with a new test save while you seek support.
When to contact support and what to include
Contact the platform-specific PLAION support route after the reversible checks fail, or sooner if the game crashes on every launch. Include:
- Platform and hardware model, plus Windows version for PC.
- Bannerlord and expansion versions, including whether War Sails was still updating when the crash began.
- The exact trigger and whether it reproduces in a new game.
- Whether all mods were disabled and whether the affected save was created with mods.
- What happened after file verification, Steam-cache clearing, driver updates and a restart.
- DxDiag and MsInfo reports for PC when requested by the support form.
- Crash frequency, approximate session length and any error text or visual behavior.
This level of detail helps distinguish an update mismatch, a modded save, a platform-specific memory issue and a narrow scenario bug. It also prevents support from recommending a reinstall before simpler checks have been exhausted.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsQuick Recap
Optional shortcut
Outbyte PC Repair is an optional Windows shortcut for checking and repairing more than 100 common system issues where possible, including broken system elements, invalid redirects and shared DLL files; it can also adjust settings, clear temporary and cache files, provide privacy and vulnerability checks, a real-time boost, file shredding and an app-crash log. It runs on Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 and offers a category-based free trial of at least two days before a paid subscription. It complements an antivirus rather than replacing one, results vary, and no tool repairs every Bannerlord crash.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
