21/04/2026
Windrose just peaked at 222,134 concurrent players on Steam and has sold over 1 million copies in six days of Early Access.
Players are saying it's everything the pirate genre has been missing for years. Here's what's behind the momentum π
β The genre blend actually works β Valheim progression, Black Flag sailing, and Sea of Thieves combat wrapped into one cohesive experience
π Naval combat has real weight β cannon positioning, repairs, boarding actions, and ship customisation from ketch to frigate
π΄ββ οΈ PvE only with up to 4 player co-op β no griefers, no gankers, pure cooperative progression
π οΈ Deep crafting and base building systems players are calling surprisingly polished for Early Access
π Runs smoothly on mid-range hardware, which is rare for survival games at launch
π΅ The sea shanties your crew sings while sailing are the moment most players say sold them
All built by a 15 person indie studio called Kraken Express. Their first game. It's currently the #1 best seller on Steam, beating Counter Strike 2.
Is this the pirate game you've been waiting for?