Windrose, the early access pirate survival game that launched on Steam just over two weeks ago, has already claimed 1.5 million copies sold. Developer Kraken Express announced the milestone alongside a substantial patch that addresses technical issues and adds dozens of new building options.
The April 14 release shot straight up Steam's most-played games chart, signaling a rare viral moment for a title still in early access. Kraken Express credited players for the surge, calling them captains setting sail on adventures and committing to expand the game's scope throughout its early access period.
Today's update, version 0.10.0.4.268-9d2ca277, focuses on stability and quality-of-life improvements. The patch adds roughly 40 new building pieces, fills gaps in roof construction options, and delivers over 50 fixes targeting everything from SSD load reduction to connectivity problems. Developers reduced crafting costs across multiple building sets and extended ambient music tracks, including a three-minute addition to the bonfire theme.
Network connectivity gets special attention. A new Force Relay Connection setting allows players whose internet setup blocks peer-to-peer traffic to use relay servers instead, trading higher latency for reliable connections. The fix targets routers, ISP restrictions, and firewalls that commonly prevent direct P2P links between friends.
The patch squashes numerous crashes and gameplay bugs. Drowned enemies now telegraph attacks with audio cues before hurling projectiles. Combat improvements include clearer animations for the Boar's strike combo and corrected bleed effects on the Alpha Wolf. Various weapons display properly on low graphics settings, and clipping issues throughout ship interactions have been resolved.
Building and terraforming received particular attention. Digging under trees no longer causes them to levitate mid-air, decorative canopies now properly count as roofs for crafting stations, and saplings can be planted at higher density. The Signal Fire structure now correctly shares comfort bonuses with other fire-based entities.
More content is coming. Kraken Express teased its first major content drop: the Ashlands, a dangerous biome overrun by undead and blanketed in volcanic ash. The developer plans to release a full content roadmap in the coming months but stopped short of a release date for the new area.
Windrose currently features three biomes with quests, souls-lite combat, procedurally generated points of interest, and naval battles with boarding mechanics. Players farm, fish, build pirate havens, manage faction reputation, and command their own vessels across the game world.
Author Emily Chen: "A 1.5 million sales explosion in two weeks is the kind of success most early access games dream about, and this update shows Kraken Express isn't squandering the momentum with half-measures."
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