After an exhilarating game of Stab the Enemy, the soldiers of Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord love to celebrate a little. Exhausted or hit by arrows, they cheer enthusiastically. And now, at long last, you can join them without downloading any mods.

While everyone around me was celebrating, I felt like I was sitting on my horse and being the designated chauffeur without any emotional wavering. But not anymore! With Bannerlord, you can choose from several emotes to let everyone know how you feel. I'm so excited to be stuck in this game and to think that the warriors might recognize me as just one of the guys and invite me out to play. They will not invite me anywhere.

TaleWorlds debuted a new emote in the development update video above. In addition to the Early Access version, there is also a test being held to improve multiplayer combat. In this organized test, developers, players, and clans play against each other to analyze strategies and exploits. The team has also created a tool that allows them to push changes directly to the client via the connected server without the need to reboot or reconnect, and many changes have been made to perks, troops, and combat parameters in the tests so far.

It should also be easier to put together multiplayer games thanks to the addition of an ID system that allows you to group players on Steam and the Epic Games Store. If you group regularly, you can create a clan. Choose a name and crest, and you'll be taken to the clan home page, where you can add descriptions and make announcements. There is also a clan leaderboard and plans for a ranking system.

As for the battlefield, two new skirmish maps have been added to the roster and the siege mode has been updated with a gold-based objective system. Attackers can earn gold by pushing siege engines, breaking down doors, and breaking down walls, while defenders can earn gold by destroying siege engines.

Bannerlord has been updated several times since its Early Access launch, but many of the most exciting additions have come from modders. It may be some time before we start seeing ambitious overhauls, but the list of best mods for Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord already has plenty of ways to enhance the game.