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Ashlands - Version 24 vs Version 25
Oct 16, 2026, 07:23 PM
Added the October 15, 2026 ship exterior customization preview with an official work-in-progress image and re-dated the live build status to October 16, 2026
Oct 16, 2026, 07:32 PM
Reworded the planned exterior part slots to match the announced mix-and-match system
11The Ashlands is a planned biome for Windrose, first revealed in the August 2025 Devblog #5 announcement. It is NOT available at the April 14, 2026 Early Access launch; it is the most prominent planned post-launch biome. The Ashlands represent a scorched, volcanic region covered by ashfall from a past eruption, tied narratively to the game's supernatural corruption plotline.44The three biomes shipped at Early Access launch are Coastal Jungle, Foothills, and Cursed Swamps. The Ashlands will be added during Early Access as part of the roughly 50 percent content expansion planned before the 1.0 release (a 1.5 to 2.5 year roadmap).66Current Status88AttributeStatusRevealedAugust 2025 Devblog #5 (Crosswind-era)Available at Early Access launchNoPlanned releaseExpected this winter (release window announced October 8, 2026; no exact date), during the Early Access periodGear tier (projected)Late-game; likely tier 16+ or an alternate endgame pathKnown enemiesCorrupted enemies with supernatural abilities, skeleton enemiesBoss encounters"Expansive dungeons" with new bosses planned1212Theme and Setting1313The Ashlands are described as a scorched, volcanic biome covered by ashfall from a past eruption. Players will use pickaxes to dig through volcanic ash to uncover secrets and treasures buried under it. The biome ties into the supernatural corruption spreading through the world, suggesting the eruption was not purely natural.1515Planned Content1818High-tier resources buried under volcanic ash, requiring pickaxes to extractExpansive dungeons with new quests and challenging boss encountersCorrupted enemies supernatural variants with new abilitiesSkeleton enemies particularly vulnerable to Crude damage (clubs, halberds, maces)New story content extending the Columbus's Book of Prophecies and supernatural corruption plotlines2020Historical Context2222The Ashlands was originally part of the Crosswind-era design before the pivot. It was revealed in the August 2025 Devblog #5 that announced the pivot from free-to-play MMO to buy-to-play PvE co-op, alongside the Tortuga redescribed as "a besieged outpost." The studio (operating under Crosswind Crew, Windrose Crew, and now Kraken Express in turn) has kept the Ashlands on the roadmap across its renaming periods, signaling the biome remains a committed part of the 1.0 vision.2424Narrative Connection2626The Ashlands are described as "tied to the supernatural corruption spreading through the world." Exactly how this connects to Blackbeard's pact with dark powers, the Columbus's Book of Prophecies treasure, and the Cursed Swamps plague is part of the story that will unfold when the biome releases. The gameplay loop (digging through ash for high-tier resources) suggests a unique exploration mechanic distinct from the other three biomes' more open terrain.3030Timing Expectations3232On October 8, 2026, Kraken Express announced a release window for the Ashlands: the update is expected this winter. As of October 2026 no exact date has been given. The window was revealed in a trailer that premiered during the Triple-i Initiative showcase, and the studio describes Ashlands as the first major update since the Early Access launch. Earlier timing guidance, including the six-month minimum set in April 2026, is covered in the dated sections below. Watch the Steam news feed and community hub for an exact date.3434Discovery Database3636The in-game discovery panel tracks 11 recorded notes in the Ashlands across up to four categories: Local Threat (the biome boss), Key Discoveries (research manuals that unlock progression), Major Discoveries (passive finds recorded the first time a named resource is picked up), and Other Resources (generic gather items). Each note corresponds to an in-world handwritten manual, logbook, or research record the character catalogs on first encounter.3838Key Discoveries4141Research manuals recovered from ruins, caves, and pirate camps. Picking one up unlocks a crafting recipe, map tool, or progression milestone tied to the biome's signature resources.4343Ancient Steel ShardBroadclothTool ShelfAncient Relic Fragment4545Major Discoveries4747Noteworthy finds the game registers the first time the player picks up a named resource or unique item in the biome. These are the biome's characteristic resource set.4949Rosella SepalDiamondGlass BottleVolcanic AshBonesPineapple Seeds5151Status as of Late April 20265353On April 28, 2026 Kraken Express published a community update that reframed the Ashlands timeline. The studio said the Ashlands biome is the next major content drop, and that delivering it will take at least six months. The update committed to a series of bridge patches focused on technical stability (save reliability, force-relay connection, idle CPU and disk usage, and quest-blocker fixes) before the Ashlands content itself can begin landing in playable form. The studio also said more information will follow in a month or two as the bridge work matures.5555This is the first time since the launch window that the project has set a public delivery range for the Ashlands content. Until that point the only public reference was the August 2025 Devblog #5 reveal, which described the biome thematically but did not commit to a release window. The April 28 framing superseded the older language and remained the main timing signal until October 8, 2026, when the studio announced a winter release window (see below).5757Everything below this section about Ashlands enemies, items, recipes, dungeons, and bosses remains projected and not confirmed in the current build. No playable Ashlands content had shipped as of October 16, 2026 (live build 0.10.0.9). Players who want to vote on what the bridge patches prioritize and who want to read the official statement directly should consult the Roadmap article and the Windrose Support article.5959Where to Read More6161Roadmap: current public direction and the late-April 2026 update in full.Windrose Support: the official feedback platform that surfaces the feature-vote channel feeding the bridge-patch priorities.Patch Notes: running ledger of the bridge-patch sequence (0.10.0.4 and 0.10.0.5 are the first two).6363July 2026 Devblog Update6565On July 1, 2026, Kraken Express published a work-in-progress development blog with its first detailed look at Ashlands as the game's first major content update. The post reaffirms Ashlands as a complete fourth biome scarred by ancient volcanic eruptions, and frames everything as plans that can still change before release. The studio confirmed several intentions for the update: the main story and side quests will grow significantly in scope; brand-new factions will enter the story; and the next Obol fragment is hidden among the ruins of a long-forgotten Spanish colony, on land the artifact's power has made more dangerous. Existing character progress is meant to carry over.6767The blog lists the kinds of content the biome will add: new islands, enemies, items, resources, recipes, and points of interest, plus a new challenging boss, new armor and weapon variants, and new biome mechanics that set Ashlands apart from the launch regions. The studio also shared early concept art for refreshed Buccaneer faction costumes and possible new character armor sets, both marked work-in-progress, and said other factions are getting similar attention. No release date was given; the studio said it would share an estimated window as development continued (it did so on October 8, 2026), so the projected details elsewhere on this page still stand until the update actually ships.6969August 2026 Development Sneak Peek7171On August 28, 2026, Kraken Express published a short work-in-progress post showing art from Ashlands development. It is a preview of assets in progress rather than a feature list, and the studio attached no date to any of it.7373On September 14, 2026 the studio announced a Windrose segment in the Triple-i Initiative showcase on October 8, 2026, without naming what it would show. The segment, shown on October 8, 2026, carried the Ashlands release window trailer (see below).7575A new colorful armor set for one of the game's NPCs. The studio did not name the character.Visual passes on the existing Halberds and Greatswords, which the studio framed as attention for weapons already in the build rather than as new weapons.Faction clothing sets intended to read more clearly as belonging to each of the game's factions.A Brethren of the Coast Galleon variant, shown alongside a first look at ship damage effects.7777Kraken Express repeated that the Galleon and the other ships in development are still work in progress and that the final lineup may change. Nothing in the post moved the Ashlands release window; at that point the studio had still not dated the update.7979October 2026: Winter Release Window8383On October 8, 2026, Kraken Express revealed the Ashlands release window in a trailer that premiered during the Triple-i Initiative showcase. Ashlands is expected this winter; as of October 2026 no exact date has been announced. The studio describes it as the first major update since the Early Access launch, bringing a brand new biome with new content alongside substantial updates to existing game mechanics.8585A development blog posted the same day said the overall scope of the update is now more or less defined, although many of its features are still being worked on, and opened a regular series of Ashlands previews. Part 1 covered ship customization.8787Ship Customization Preview (Part 1)8989Predefined faction-specific ship variants are planned to be removed. Today, separate versions of ships exist for the Brethren of the Coast and Blackbeard's Crew; with Ashlands, players are meant to pick a ship class (the blog's example is the Ketch) and customize it from the full pool of options for that class.Exterior customization is planned to become broader, with some visual options previously tied to faction ships moving into a mix-and-match system alongside new elements.The ship's hold is planned to take functional and decorative pieces. The functional structures named so far are a workbench and a cooking fire below deck, and the studio is looking into extra storage containers alongside the regular cargo hold. Some installed modules may also affect the ship itself.Ships will have a limited number of designated building spots. The studio said fully free-form building aboard ships is not something it plans to pursue for now.Existing faction ships will go through a migration process that the studio will explain once it is finalized. It said players will not lose their progress and that resources from dismantled ships will be fully refunded.9191All of this is planned for Ashlands and is not in the live build, which is still Hotfix 0.10.0.9 as of October 16, 2026. See Ship Customization for how ship customization works today.9494Ship Customization Preview (Part 2)9696Part 2 of the series followed on October 15, 2026 and turned to the ship's exterior. The figurehead, hull decor, stern, and helm are planned to become individual slots that can be mixed freely rather than coming as a set with a faction ship, sails and flags remain separate choices, and each element can take its own color scheme. A dedicated customization camera is planned to replace the static preview images, alongside an adjusted customization interface. The studio said these are work-in-progress plans and that it will share more about the broader ship rework closer to the update's release.97+Part 2 of the series followed on October 15, 2026 and turned to the ship's exterior. The figurehead, hull decor, stern, and helm are planned to become individual slots that can be mixed and matched rather than coming as a set with a faction ship, sails and flags remain separate choices, and each element can take its own color scheme. A dedicated customization camera is planned to replace the static preview images, alongside an adjusted customization interface. The studio said these are work-in-progress plans and that it will share more about the broader ship rework closer to the update's release.9898See Also101101Procedural Biomes full biome progression including launch biomesCursed Swamps the final launch biome before Ashlands content arrivesRoadmap Early Access content plansSupernatural Forces dark powers lore connecting the AshlandsCrosswind development history including the August 2025 Ashlands reveal103103Confirmed Placeholders105105Several items, resources, and recipes already exist in the live game files but have no working source, recipe, or effect as of build 0.10.0.9 (September 2026). Community theorycrafters have noted that the loading-screen hot-zone string for the Ashlands tags the region with volcanic glass and obsidian as a regional resource, which lines up with the Cursed Swamps pattern of new biomes shipping with their own pickaxe tier. The widely held theory is that future pickaxes will mine obsidian here, and that the dormant items below will activate when the Ashlands patch lands. Treat all of the following as community speculation, not confirmed design. The studio has not commented on individual items, and any of them could be cut, repurposed, or re-tuned before the biome ships.107107Swamp Pickaxe and Swamp Axe: visible in the data files with roughly +100 attack damage over the previous tool tier, enough to one-shot most resource nodes. As of September 2026 neither tool is obtainable through any quest, vendor, or drop, and they are not used by any active recipe. The leading theory is that they release as part of the Ashlands update, possibly alongside more advanced versions specifically tuned for the new biome's nodes.Swamp Pickaxe entry: see also the Swamp Pickaxe article for the per-stat data-file dump. Same caveats apply.Hide Arborum and Fabric Arborum: resource entries with placeholder icons and no current recipe usage anywhere in the live game. The naming pattern (arborum suggesting tree- or wood-derived) plus the absence from existing biome resource sets has led the community to suspect they are inputs to a future Ashlands gear or building tier.Ancient Relic Fragment: classified under Key Discoveries for the Ashlands but currently has no obtainable instance in the live game and is not consumed by any active recipe. Likely tied to a future quest chain or research-manual unlock when the biome ships.Banana Coffee and Chicha Morada: consumable recipes that exist in data and can technically be crafted, but currently grant no buff or effect when consumed. Players have flagged this as either an oversight or an unfinished pass that may activate when the Ashlands' associated stat or biome modifier ships.109109Because the region is unreleased, none of the above should be planned around for current builds. If a future patch wires any of these items up, expect the relevant entry on this wiki and the dedicated item pages to be updated with the verified source, recipe, and effect at that time.