Are we finally getting a pirate game that sticks?
The upcoming PvE survival title Windrose just had a massive beta weekend, peaking at 22,388 concurrent players. It is currently sitting at Very Positive reviews and has crossed 1 million wishlists on Steam.
For a new IP in the survival space, that is impressive.
What Is Windrose?
Windrose is a survival adventure set in an alternate Age of Piracy. It mixes PvE survival and base building with Soulslite-style combat and seamless naval and land gameplay. You explore procedurally generated biomes, clear over 100 hand-crafted dungeons and points of interest, and can play solo offline or in co-op with up to four players.
You take on the role of a captain who is brave enough to challenge Blackbeard, which then triggers a larger conflict between pirate clans, empires, and supernatural forces.
So far, the game sounds very ambitious. You can:
- Build settlements and recruit NPCs
- Upgrade ships like ketches, brigs, and frigates
- Engage in naval cannon battles
- Seamlessly board enemy ships
- Fight bosses using parries, dodges, firearms, and melee combos
It is basically asking “what if Valheim, Sea of Thieves, and a Soulslite had a pirate child?”
That is a risky mix, but clearly, people are curious, and it seems to work!
The Beta Is Doing Very Well
A peak of over 22,000 concurrent players during a beta weekend confirms that there is real interest. Add more than 1 million Steam wishlists and a Very Positive rating, and Windrose suddenly feels like more than just another survival game release.
There were a few reported crashes and launch issues during the beta, so there is still polish needed before release. But overall, the demo was very well received!
Could This One Last?
Pirate games often tend to launch big and fade fast.
Windrose already checks some important boxes, such as full solo support, dedicated servers, offline play, and persistent character progression. If the combat depth holds up and naval gameplay does not run out of steam after a few dozen hours, this could finally be a pirate survival game with proper staying power. Something you want to play for many days to come.
That, of course, is still a big “if.”
But right now, the early signs look very strong.
For more updates on Windrose and other games, visit our main gaming news hub.
