MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - Legend of the Kestrel Lancers Expansion Announced

Great news for MechWarrior fans, as developer Piranha Games has just announced the MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries universe is getting bigger with the launch of a brand-new expansion: Legend of the Kestrel Lancers.

The upcoming expansion will be released along with a major update for the base game on September 23 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation5, and PC (via Steam,GOG and Epic Games Store).

For the first time since the launch of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, The Legend of the Kestrel Lancers expansion departs from the sandbox structure seen in past campaigns and offers a more story-focused experience set during the “Fourth Succession War,” one of the most famous conflicts in BattleTech lore.

The campaign features 14 missions and seven “Battle Quests” that promise large-scale conflicts set on custom battle grounds. The expansion brings improved urban warfare with Mega Cities, which are now significantly larger than any Urban Centers previously seen in the MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries.

Additionally, players can look forward to more All-Out War scenarios, designed to make hulking squad of building sized Mechs feel like part of a larger force in the field. All this comes with over 20 new Mech variants, new Jungle and Tourmaline Desert biomes, and a wide array of procedurally generated missions to take Mech warfare to the next level.

The free update to the base game adds important first-in-series features, including the introduction of Melee Combat. For the first time in MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, players will be able to get up-close and personal with rival Mechs with the ability to swing and punch.

Also, players will be able to switch between any of the AI-controlled Lance Mechs on a mission. Although this is a small update, it introduces major impacts on gameplay, essentially allowing the player to bounce between direct control of each Mech in their squad with the push of a button.