Manor Lords gets crossbows and a new trade feature when the city builder's next update lands in the "next few weeks"

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There's also a fix to stop deer getting stuck

Manor Lords
(Image credit: Slavic Magic)

Manor Lords' developer has previewed its next patch, which is set to launch within the "next few weeks." It boasts crossbows, ponds, new portraits, and a whole game engine switch.

Slavic Magic just published a Steam post, listing all the features coming in Manor Lords' next big update. The game engine switch to Unreal Engine 5 is obviously a pretty significant feature, but we've known this was coming for weeks, back when the developer said last week that it was focusing on keeping performance as smooth as possible after the switch.

"In response to popular demand, fishing ponds will be added," Slavic Magic writes in the post, but again, we've known the city builder's next patch would add fishing ponds since last week. This will also see a new development branch, dubbed 'Winter Fishing,' which when unlocked will allow fishing all year round, even when the ponds literally freeze over.

Another big feature is crossbows, a new ranged option for Manor Lords players. Right now, there are two ranged units in the city builder: Archer Militia with 'warbows' and both Heavy and Light Mercenary Archers. It's unclear if the crossbows will feature as part of a new unit type in Manor Lords, or just a new option for existing unit types.

The Manor Lords patch also features two new character portraits - a weathered old man and a youthful young woman - as revealed in the Steam post. The Steam post also reveals that "a trade overview in the development screen will list all the previous transactions done by the region." Finally, a bug fix will prevent fleeing deer from getting stuck on the terrain.

"Don't bank on being the next viral hit": Manor Lords publisher urges other studios to "take care of all the devs" instead of hunting for their golden goose.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.