Survival Pirate Adventure Crosswind Rebrands as Windrose as Studio Confirms New Direction Ahead of 2026 Early Access Launch
During the PC Gaming Show Most Wanted 2025 showcase, the team behind the pirate themed survival adventure previously known as Crosswind officially announced a full rebranding. Both the game and the development studio have adopted a new identity: Crosswind is now Windrose, and Crosswind Crew is now Windrose Crew. The reveal was accompanied by a refreshed cinematic trailer that further positions the project within its modernized design vision.
This rebrand reflects a strategic shift in genre and business model. When first announced, Crosswind was planned as a free to play survival MMO built around large scale server interactions. However, after an extended Alpha testing phase and community feedback, Windrose Crew pivoted the project toward a premium buy to play survival experience with a more focused scope, streamlined systems, and a tighter emphasis on cooperative play rather than MMO scale persistence. Despite this transition, the overall premise remains intact: players will carve out their legend as feared raiders of the high seas either alone or with friends in online co op.
Windrose continues to draw heavy inspiration from Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, a title that itself is rumored to be receiving a remake. As such, Windrose places significant emphasis on naval combat, boarding engagements, and seamless transitions between ship and land exploration. Players will command a variety of vessels including cutters, frigates, and imposing galleons while navigating a world built around emergent encounters, dynamic weather, and open world traversal. Survival elements such as exploration, resource gathering, crafting, base building, and ship upgrading remain central to progression.
Combat embraces a Souls lite design philosophy with challenging enemy encounters, boss fights, and a broad arsenal of melee weapons and firearms. Players can parry, dodge, counter, and execute situational moves while recruiting specialized crew members to expand their capabilities aboard ship. Crew composition, ship choice, and personal loadouts work together to define each playthrough’s tactical identity.
Narratively, Windrose begins with the protagonist a freelance courier betrayed during a contract gone wrong and left to die. What starts as a tale of survival quickly becomes a layered plot involving clashing empires, rival pirate factions, and mysterious supernatural forces shaping the future of the seas. The survival systems are described by Windrose Crew as “refined” and “comprehensive,” designed to support long term progression through diverse biomes, hidden settlements, and resource rich islands.
While the project does not yet have a firm release date the studio is targeting an early access launch on PC in 2026, with console versions under consideration for a later stage. The rebranding reinforces the team’s commitment to a clear premium experience calibrated for narrative driven co op survival rather than free to play MMO systems.
Are you excited about the new direction for Windrose and its focused high seas survival gameplay? Join the discussion and share what features you want most.
