Crosswind was the original title of the game now known as Windrose. The name change happened in December 2025 during the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted broadcast. The studio simultaneously renamed from Crosswind Crew to Windrose Crew.
Original vision
Under the Crosswind name, the game was planned as a free-to-play survival MMO with shared servers, PvP combat, and live-service monetization. Players would share the world with other crews, competing for resources and territory. The structure was closer to Sea of Thieves or Atlas than to Valheim.
Alpha playtest
The alpha playtest launched on June 25, 2025 under the Crosswind name and ran for a minimum of four weeks. It featured three biomes, three bosses, three ship types, ground and naval combat, boarding actions, and roughly 30 hours of content. Over 20,000 alpha keys were distributed, and more than 20 content creators received keys for streaming. The alpha provided the data that drove the studio's decision to change direction.
The pivot
On August 14, 2025, the studio published Devblog #5 announcing a major direction change. The key shifts:
Free-to-play became buy-to-play (premium, no microtransactions)
Shared MMO zones became private persistent worlds with optional co-op
PvP was deprioritized in favor of PvE adventure
Live-service infrastructure was dropped as unsustainable for the team size
Offline solo play was added
Why the name changed
The rebrand to Windrose reflected the new design direction. "Crosswind" carried associations with the MMO version and its PvP focus. "Windrose" (the compass rose on nautical charts) better communicated the game's new identity as an exploration-focused PvE adventure. The announcement came at the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted on December 4, 2025.
Timeline
Initial announcement as Crosswind (early 2025)
Alpha playtest: June 25 to July 2025
Pivot announcement: August 14, 2025
Rebrand to Windrose: December 4, 2025
Steam Next Fest demo: February 17, 2026