Cooperative pirate survival game Windrose has reached 1 million copies sold less than a week after its Early Access launch for PC.
Pocketpair Publishing and Kraken Express announced the sales milestone with an update post on Steam today. It’s an announcement that saw it sail past the marker six days after launching for PC via the Valve platform and Epic Games Store April 14.
Reaching 1 million copies is a feat worth celebrating for Kraken as it charts a course through Early Access development, especially as its concurrent player count on Steam alone continues to climb. It’s managed to climb to 200,000 active pirates on Steam alone, with SteambDB recording a peak of 211,177 at the time of this piece’s publication.
Thank you! The boar sends its two-tusked regards.
— Windrose (@PlayWindrose) April 19, 2026
Jokes aside, your support has been incredible, and your patience while we work on fixes means the world to us.
Moreover, Windrose surpassed 200,000 concurrent players on Steam!
Thank you kindly, on behalf of our entire studio. pic.twitter.com/axHyxc8wQU
“Your support for the game is absolutely astonishing, and your patience while we are working on fixes is truly heart-warming,” Kraken said. “While we keep working on the game, we read your reviews and comments, watch your videos and streams, and sometimes, honestly, shed a pirate-y tear of happiness, because now when the game is out you share our dream of swashbuckling adventure.”
Windrose, previously known as Crosswind, debuted to ‘Very Positive’ reviews when it embarked on its Early Access journey last week. Kraken sells it as a “PvE survival adventure in the Age of Piracy,” telling fans it will work with them through the development process in the hopes of reaching a 1.0 launch sometime in the next “1.5 to 2.5 years.”
Players can head out on the sea alone or play with friends via co-op, with the developers estimating the final release will feature “around 50% more content.” We said Windrose “made a strong first impression” and praised its “exploration and progression” in our review so far last week.
While Windrose charges ahead, you can see our 10 essential ship tips. You can also see our best suggestions for how to quickly farm bells.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
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