New Pirate Survival Game Windrose Hits Nearly 70,000 Concurrent Players in Early Access
Uzbekistan-based development studio Kraken Express has successfully launched its new PC title, Windrose, into early access. The game has already made a significant splash in the gaming community, recording a massive peak daily concurrent player count of more than 69,500.
According to the developers’ official description, Windrose is an open-world PvE adventure set entirely within a pirate-themed universe. The core gameplay loop relies heavily on the beloved survival genre formula, tasking players with building, crafting and surviving across sprawling landmasses and open seas.
Speaking to Automaton-Media, the game’s producer, known by the online alias Yar_master, revealed that the development team drew heavy inspiration from Ubisoft’s critically acclaimed Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
He explained that the project was born out of a desire to fill a distinct gap in the market, pointing out that there is currently a noticeable shortage of high-quality pirate games available to players today.
Early player feedback
The title is currently priced at $14.49, though eager swashbucklers can take advantage of a 10% introductory discount until April 21.
Initial reception on Steam has been highly encouraging. Windrose currently boasts a «Very Positive» overall rating based on its first 292 user reviews.
Players have been quick to praise the title, highlighting the engaging combat system, striking graphics and solid core gameplay mechanics as standout features. However, the early access release has not been without its flaws.
Some users have reported unstable connections and lag during co-operative multiplayer sessions, alongside highly limited options for character customisation. Other common complaints involve sluggish loading screens and a tedious progression grind to level up.
Despite the usual early access teething issues, Windrose appears to have captured the attention of the survival crafting community, proving that there is still plenty of appetite for a seafaring adventure.
