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Windrose is an open-world PvE survival adventure game developed by Windrose Crew and published by Forward Gateway, an independent studio based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The game is set in an alternate Age of Piracy around 1700, where players survive, build, craft, and sail across a procedurally generated archipelago. It runs on Unreal Engine 5.
The game was originally announced under the name Crosswind and rebranded to Windrose in December 2025 during the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted broadcast. The studio simultaneously renamed from Crosswind Crew to Windrose Crew. The rebrand reflected a shift in design direction away from MMO and PvP toward PvE adventure and co-op.
Premise
You play as a pirate captain who is ambushed and defeated by Blackbeard. Left shipwrecked on an uncharted island with nothing, you have to rebuild from scratch. Blackbeard has forged a pact with the devil and now commands an army of the undead. The British Navy has been wiped out, leaving Tortuga as the last holdout against his forces. What starts as a grounded story of survival escalates into a conflict between empires, pirate clans, and dark supernatural powers. Columbus's Book of Prophecies features in the plot, with its missing pages describing a treasure that could grant control over the seas.
Core Gameplay
Windrose combines several systems into a single loop:
Soulslite combat with sabers, rapiers, pistols, muskets, and over 61 unique weapons
Naval combat inspired by Assassin's Creed Black Flag with cannon volleys, boarding, and seamless ship-to-shore transitions
Base building from simple shelters to elaborate forts and mansions
Crafting with quality-of-life features like shared base storage and a Disassembly Bench for 100% material recovery
Exploration of a procedurally generated archipelago with 100+ hand-crafted dungeons
Co-op multiplayer for up to 4 players
A comfort system that rewards base decoration with stamina buffs
Alchemy and food buffs for tactical preparation before combat
No Hunger or Thirst Meters
Unlike many survival games, Windrose does not have traditional hunger or thirst systems. Food increases health, stamina, and combat power instead of slowly draining. The approach is similar to Valheim, where eating is a buff rather than a penalty. Basic food buffs last around 7 minutes while cooked recipes last up to 30 minutes. Players can stack up to three food and drink buffs simultaneously (two food plus one drink).
Platforms and Release
Windrose is planned for Steam Early Access in 2026 on PC (both Steam and the Epic Games Store). Console versions are planned but secondary to PC development. The game is buy-to-play with no microtransactions or live-service monetization.
A free demo with 4 to 6 hours of content launched during Steam Next Fest on February 17, 2026. Players who complete the demo receive an exclusive decorative spyglass redeemable in the full game. A "Raging Seas" trailer premiered at IGN Fan Fest on February 25, 2026, previewing upcoming Early Access content including Tortuga, additional ships, weapons, armor, building pieces, and new enemies.
Player Numbers
The Steam Next Fest demo peaked at over 22,000 concurrent players on February 22, 2026, making it one of the top 20 demos in Steam history by peak player count. On February 23, Windrose was the most-played demo on Steam. The demo accumulated over 3,000 reviews with a 93% positive rating.
On the same day, Windrose Crew announced that the game had surpassed one million Steam wishlists, placing it among Steam's top 20 most-wishlisted games. The developers described the response as "humbling" and asked fans to "let us cook more."
Art Direction
Rather than a generic photorealistic look, Windrose Crew pursued a distinctive art direction built on Unreal Engine 5. Reviewers have noted that the visual style combines detailed environments with a stylized aesthetic that gives the game its own personality, setting it apart from other survival titles.
Community Comparisons
Players and press have drawn comparisons to several established titles. The naval combat is likened to Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the survival-crafting loop to Valheim, the combat feel to Elden Ring (though more accessible), and the overall pirate fantasy to Sea of Thieves. Multiple outlets have described it as "what Skull and Bones should have been."