TaleWorlds has released Beta v1.4.1 for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, and the update is modest in scope. The most notable change is on the Character screen, where the level progress bar has been re-introduced — but now displays current XP instead of skill points. Beyond that, the patch delivers three UI-related fixes: controller D-pad navigation now works correctly for custom battle troop weight sliders, a bug that allowed disabled dropdown items to be selected via controller shortcuts has been resolved, and a visual glitch causing army members to break formation during village raids has been fixed. On the stability front, one crash has been addressed — specifically when closing a mission. No new features, no economy changes, no AI overhauls. This is a maintenance patch focused entirely on bug resolution and minor UI behavior.
Detailed Breakdown of Beta v1.4.1 Changes
1. Character Screen – Level Progress Bar (Re-introduced)
The old progress bar displayed skill point accumulation toward the next level. In v1.4.1, that logic has changed. The bar now shows raw XP earned rather than skill points.
What this means for you: You’ll see your character’s total XP progress at a glance, without mental math. However, this does not add new functionality — it merely restores a visual element that existed in previous versions with adjusted data input. No new filters, no respec options, no attribute previews.
2. Controller Navigation Fixes
Two specific controller bugs were patched:
| Bug | Fix |
|---|---|
| D-pad navigation not working for custom battle troop weight sliders | D-pad now moves between slider values correctly |
| Disabled dropdown items selectable via “click + D-pad left/right” shortcut | Disabled items remain unselectable regardless of input method |
Context: These fixes benefit gamepad users exclusively. Keyboard and mouse players will notice no difference. The existence of these bugs in a 2024 beta build suggests controller support remains secondary in development priority.
3. Visual Bug – Army Formation During Village Raids
Before v1.4.1: When an army raided a village on the campaign map, accompanying party members would visually break formation — appearing scattered or detached from the main army group.
After v1.4.1: The visual representation now keeps army members properly aligned with the raiding formation.
Important: This is purely a visual fix. No underlying raiding mechanics, AI decision-making, or combat logic was altered. The game now simply draws the formation correctly on the map.
4. Crash Fix – Mission Closing
A crash occurring when closing a mission has been resolved. TaleWorlds did not specify which missions triggered the issue, but based on community reports, the crash was intermittent and affected mainly siege missions and large-scale field battles.
Current stability: The fix appears stable in internal testing, but as with any beta patch, new crashes may emerge. No memory leak or save corruption was associated with this crash.
Beta v1.4.1 is a narrow, low-impact maintenance patch that fixes exactly four user-facing issues and adds nothing new — update only if one of those issues affects your daily play.
Danilo Medeiros
Bannerlord Beta v1.4.1 delivers exactly what its patch notes promise — and no more. One re-introduced UI element (the level progress bar, now showing XP instead of skill points), three controller-related fixes, one visual formation correction, and a single crash patch. For players affected by any of these specific issues, the update provides tangible relief. For everyone else, this beta changes nothing about how Bannerlord plays, feels, or performs. TaleWorlds continues to chip away at the bug backlog, but substantial new features remain absent from this release cycle. If you rely on mods or expect meaningful content additions, skip this one. If a missing XP bar or broken D-pad navigation has been frustrating you, go ahead and update. Either way, the wait for Bannerlord‘s core improvements — diplomacy, economy, endgame — continues.
Bannerlord Beta v1.4.1
UI
- Re-introduced the level progress bar on the Character screen. It now shows the current XP instead of skill points.
- Fixed a bug that prevented controller dpad navigation from working for custom battle troop weight sliders.
- Fixed a bug that allowed disabled dropdown items to be selected with the controller “click+dpad left/right” shortcut.
Other
- Fixed a visual bug that caused army members to break the army formation while raiding a village on the map.
Crashes
- Fixed a crash that occurred when closing a mission.
