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Roadmap
April 15, 2026 at 08:28 PM
April 16, 2026: add post-demo improvements actually shipped at EA launch (randomized loot, FOV slider, hold-to-gather, co-op cannons), expand 1.0 plans
Windrose's Early Access roadmap was announced with the April 14, 2026 launch. The game is expected to remain in Early Access for 1.5 to 2.5 years while the team adds roughly 50 percent more content before the 1.0 release. Players who buy during Early Access receive the 1.0 version as a free upgrade, even though the retail price is expected to rise for 1.0.
Kraken Express has not yet published a date-by-date timeline. A formal public roadmap is expected after the launch feedback period. The plans below reflect confirmed statements from the studio, the Steam store page description, and developer interviews. Dates are approximate and subject to change.
Kraken Express's March 23, 2026 Steam announcement detailed several quality-of-life improvements that shipped with the April 14 Early Access launch in response to demo feedback:
Based on developer statements and the Steam store page description, these additions are confirmed or implied as part of the roadmap before 1.0:
New biomes beyond the launch three (Coastal Jungle, Foothills, Cursed Swamps). The Ashlands volcanic biome was already "in conceptual development" at launch time. See the procedural biomes article for a running list.
More ship classes and cannon variants beyond Ketch, Brig, and Frigate. Additional cannon types and ship customizations are planned. See ship types.
Expanded talent tree beyond the 39 talents available at launch. See talent system.
Additional story chapters beyond Chapter 1 (which covers the main 50-70 hour launch campaign).
More enemies and bosses across all biomes. See enemies.
More weapons, armor, and equipment including additional rarity tiers (Legendary and Mythic slots exist but have no items documented at launch).
Additional multi-crew ship roles so multiple players can split sailing, navigation, and combat duties on the same vessel (currently only cannon batteries are shared).
More factions, characters, and storylines per the developers' "more factions, new faces, unexpected twists" promise. The British East India Company may become an active player-facing faction in later updates.
Official mod support to formalize community modding (UE5 pak-based community mods already exist).
Console versions once the PC build stabilizes. No dates or specific platforms announced.
Kraken Express has acknowledged that Early Access is expected to improve optimization, balance, and polish substantially over the 1.5 to 2.5 year period:
Combat balance: Community feedback described combat as alternately "unforgiving" and "too easy to cheese." Balance passes are expected throughout Early Access.
Performance: Ongoing optimization across a wide range of hardware. Demo received mixed optimization reports; light sources at built bases were known to spike CPU temperatures, an issue still being investigated.
Connectivity: Dedicated server support launched with Early Access, addressing multiplayer issues reported during the February 2026 demo, but launch-day Nitrado capacity issues required additional triage.
Localization: 12 languages supported at launch for interface and subtitles; full voice audio is currently English only.
UI and map improvements: Map interface redesign ("cleaner visuals, richer detail") shipped with the Early Access launch.
The $29.99 Early Access price is explicitly positioned as a discount relative to the eventual 1.0 price. All content added during Early Access is free for current owners. The Supporter Bundle ($39.99) includes the Original Soundtrack and wallpapers as permanent bonuses.
PvP: Currently not planned as a core feature. PvP was cut from the pre-pivot Crosswind design. The team is open to revisiting it but has made no commitments.
Microtransactions: Confirmed as never part of the business model. The game is strictly buy-to-play.
Live-service monetization: Excluded. Kraken Express rejected this model in the August 2025 pivot from the original free-to-play Crosswind concept.
For the most current information on patches, content drops, and roadmap updates, check the Steam Community hub (steamcommunity.com/app/3041230), the official Discord (discord.gg/windrose, ~61,000 members), and the Steam store news feed for the game. The official website at playwindrose.com publishes long-form announcements. Kraken Express has committed to a detailed post-launch roadmap once player feedback from the Early Access launch has been incorporated.
