The pirate survival hit Windrose has seen massive success since its launch, but the initial rush of discovery is already cooling off. After just two weeks in early access, many players have already navigated the game's three starting biomes, leading to a growing community question: what comes next?

Developer Kraken Express recently addressed these concerns, outlining a roadmap that prioritizes stability before diving into massive expansions. While immediate fixes are on the way, the first major content update is not expected for at least six months.

Immediate Fixes and Quality of Life Updates

Before expanding the world, Kraken Express is focusing on the current state of the game. The developers have committed to a series of technical improvements over the coming weeks to ensure a smoother experience for all sailors.

Planned updates include:

  • Performance and stability enhancements.
  • Solutions for persistent connectivity issues.
  • Optimization of CPU usage on idle clients and servers.
  • Various "quality of life" changes to improve the user experience.

The Long Wait for the Ashlands Expansion

Once these technical hurdles are cleared, the studio will pivot entirely toward major content development. The next significant milestone for Windrose is the introduction of a new biome known as the Ashlands.

Because the developers are aiming for an ambitious scope, they have warned that this update will take considerable time to reach players. "The scope of what we want to do is rather ambitious, so our best bet right now [is] this update will take at least 6 months to deliver," Kraken Express stated on Steam. They emphasized that a singular, high-quality expansion is preferable to frequent, smaller updates that lack impact.

In a heartfelt message on Discord, the team asked for player patience: "Please have faith in us once again, and we will make it worth the wait."

Looking Toward the Full Release

Kraken Express estimates that Windrose will remain in early access for anywhere between 1.5 to 2.5 years. Currently, the game contains roughly half of its intended content. As development progresses, players can expect a significant influx of:

  • New biomes and environments.
  • Challenging new bosses and enemy types.
  • Diverse ships and expanded loot tables.

While a formal development roadmap has not yet been published, the studio promised more information will be available in a month or two. Additionally, a new dedicated support page has been launched to allow players to submit bug reports and feature requests directly.