Pirate games are having a moment, and Windrose is right in the middle of it. The survival-adventure title from Kraken Express launched into Steam Early Access recently, priced at $30 (with a launch-week discount dropping it to $27), and the interest has been real. Its demo was one of the most-played during the February Next Fest on Steam. Now, console players want to know: is there a seat on this ship for them?
What Kraken Express has officially said
The short answer is: not yet, but the door is open. According to the official Windrose website, the game is confirmed for PC via Steam only at this stage. For any "future platform announcements," the studio is directing fans to watch official channels.
A Kraken Express spokesperson told GameSpot directly: "The team doesn't have any other updates about Windrose on consoles but do want to reiterate that they are enthusiastic about eventually coming to consoles but are focused on 1.0 launch first."
That is about as honest as a developer can be. Console is on the radar, but it is not happening before the full PC launch.
What Windrose actually is
For anyone who hasn't been following the game, Windrose has a bit of history worth knowing. It started life as a free-to-play MMO called Crosswind, but Kraken Express made a significant pivot, scrapping the free-to-play model, renaming the game, and reshaping it into a survival-adventure title with a build-craft-survive loop and souls-like combat.
The setting is an alternative Age of Piracy, and the gameplay mixes naval battles, base-building, and on-foot exploration across procedurally generated biomes. You can play online in co-op with up to 8 players (though 4 is the recommended sweet spot) or go completely offline.
The Black Flag connection is hard to miss. Kraken Express has openly called Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag the greatest pirate game ever made and cited it as direct inspiration. Fans who have been waiting for a spiritual successor to that game since it launched are clearly paying attention, which explains the Steam Next Fest numbers. Interestingly, Ubisoft is reportedly working on a Black Flag remake or remaster of its own, so the pirate genre is about to get competitive.
Windrose base-building interface
The PC-first strategy and what it means for console players
Kraken Express is not the first developer to take a PC-first approach through early access before considering consoles, and the logic makes sense. Getting to a stable 1.0 build on one platform before expanding is far less risky than juggling multiple certification processes and platform-specific requirements mid-development.
Here's the thing: the enthusiasm the spokesperson mentioned is not nothing. Developers who have no intention of going to console tend to give a much more non-committal answer. Saying they are "enthusiastic about eventually coming to consoles" while being transparent about the 1.0 priority suggests it is a genuine plan, not a throwaway PR line.
Console players will want to keep an eye on the official Windrose channels for any platform news as the game progresses through early access. For everything else around the game, you can also browse more guides covering early access titles and what to expect from them.
The 1.0 launch is the milestone to watch. Once Kraken Express hits that, the console conversation will likely get a lot more specific. For the latest gaming news and coverage as Windrose develops, keep checking back.
