We went hands-on a while back with Windrose and wow were we impressed. It was already obvious then that this one was going to be something special. When the demo finally hit, the rest of you got to see what we saw, and you agreed – over 1.5 million folks wishlisting the game almost instantly, making it the 8th most wishlisted game on that platform! More importantly, the team was listening intently to what players had to say about the game, what they liked, and what they wanted to see change. This morning the team announced the next step – the game will head into Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store on April 14th, beginning what will hopefully be a full-sail wind-pushed move through that Early Access process. We have been playing the game for a while now, and we'll have more to share very soon, but let's talk about how Windrose just might be the next big survival crafting game in our roster. Let's get into the trailer first to kick things off.
It’s time to embark on your great pirate adventure! Explore three diverse biomes with quests to complete, enemies to fight in souls-lite-inspired combat, and handcrafted points of interest to discover in a procedurally generated world. Take down epic bosses with an armory of unique weapons, including sabers, maces, muskets and more. Improve your reputation with various factions, trade, farm, fish and build a pirate haven of your own - and of course command your own vessel in brutal naval combat with boarding actions. The high seas are yours for the taking!
After a breakout Steam Next Fest demo that saw over 850,000 players begin their adventures, the Early Access launch of Windrose will provide dozens of hours of content and fan-requested features from the demo! Create the perfect pirate playstyle and progress your character with skillpoints, talents and armor sets. Experience seamless land-to-ship gameplay with a focus on exploration, base building and combat. Sail the open seas with three new ships, and one of the most-requested features from the demo, co-op ship battles, where a crew can share control of a vessel's weaponry, teaming up to take down the enemy.
I can confirm that the crew really put some serious work into the construction system for base building. It's honestly one of my favorite features, and one that has a few goodies that exceed even the best games in the biz. If you want to see what players did with the demo version of the game...well, frankly it's beyond anything I could readily describe. Check out this insanity!
Pretty amazing, right? Let's take a look at the key features that'll be shipping immediately and a hint at what is coming in the near future.
A Pirate Tale for the Ages: Welcome to the Age of Piracy! You are a captain who dares to challenge the legendary Blackbeard. What starts as a grounded story of survival and revenge will put you in the middle of a conflict between empires, pirate clans and mysterious dark powers looming on the horizon.
Conquer the Seas: Answer the call of the seas and move seamlessly between ship and shore. Naval combat is shaped by your decisions, whether you’re trading cannon fire at range or closing in for fierce boarding actions. Equip and customize your ship to suit your playstyle, from nimble ketch to versatile brig and monstrous frigate. And when the cannons go silent, claim your spoils and share a sea shanty with your crew as you sail onward.
Survival Perfected: Establish a foothold in vibrant, diverse biomes, gather resources, and build to your own taste, from simple shelters to elaborate mansions and fully developed forts. Recruit NPCs and grow your settlement to speed up harvesting and production. Venture into the uncharted lands, featuring nearly 100 handcrafted points of interest (dungeons, ancient temples, shipwrecks, abandoned camps and more) containing a wide variety of secrets and treasures, though such rewards rarely come without risk.
Become the Savviest Swashbuckler: Hack, slash, bash and shoot your way to glory! Master a vast arsenal of melee weapons and firearms, parry and dodge enemy attacks, and make good use of different strikes to gain the upper hand. Put your skills to the test against challenging bosses – defeat them and plunder their treasures!
The Windrose Crew really has captured the fun of multiplayer pirates life. It's a good time to be a fan of the genre, and we can't wait to share more. Stay tuned for some shanty-filled seafaring sailing soon!
You can wishlist Windrose on Steam ahead of its April 14 launch and follow along with every update on Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Discord.
