“When we first set sail, we could only hope that our game would find such a passionate and dedicated community,” wrote Kraken Express. “Seeing so many of you exploring the seas, sharing your stories, creating content, reporting issues, and supporting us every step of the way means more than we can properly express.”

“Every screenshot, every stream, every review, every bug report, and every kind word has helped shape this adventure into something truly special. The Archipelago feels alive because of you.”

The studio also offered an update for its future plans for Windrose, including details about an upcoming patch that is coming “soon” that will address common issues that have been reported by players. The studio will then go into full production for the next major update for Windrose, and while no details about this update have been revealed, Kraken Express has noted that it is still having internal discussions about the scope of the update. This means that it will take some time for the studio to make and release it. “However, our goal remains the same: to continue expanding the experience in meaningful ways and make the wait worthwhile,” it wrote.

“Thank you again, captains. This milestone is a new beginning for us, for the game, and for the community we’re building together. We are deeply touched by your support and will continue working hard to make this adventure worthy of your time and passion.”

Windrose had crossed its first major milestone – 1 million sales – within six days of its Early Access release last month. The title saw almost immediate success, hitting an all-time peak of 222,134 concurrent players (via SteamDB). The studio celebrated this with a statement thanking its community.

“Your support for the game is absolutely astonishing, and your patience while we are working on fixes is truly heart-warming,” it 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 that the game is out, you share our dream of swashbuckling adventure. And there are boars, too, we know, but whatever does not send you flying into the nearest tree, makes you stronger, right?”

By the time April had ended, Kraken Express announced that it had sold 1.5 million copies. Along with this second major milestone, the studio had also released an update that largely focused on fixing bugs.

Windrose is currently only available on PC in its Early Access form, and Kraken Express hasn’t made any comments regarding a potential console launch. For more details about the title, take a look at our review of its Early Access state. We noted that, while Windrose is far from a complete package, it still showed plenty of promise.

The trailer is a short one, clocking in at a little over a minute, and showcases an in-game structure built by the developers, with picture frames showcasing all the positive user reviews that the game has gotten on Steam.

Coinciding with this sales milestone, Kraken Express has also released a new update for Windrose with a focus on bringing in improvements to network connectivity, CPU usage, and disk usage. The update has also brought in new content like additional wall triangle pieces for more varied roof angles, new Seedbed variations, and new visual effects. For more details, check out the full patch notes below.

The milestone was hit just ten days after its previous one, having sold a million copies within six days of Windrose‘s Early Access release.

“Your support for the game is absolutely astonishing, and your patience while we are working on fixes is truly heart-warming,” said the studio in a message thanking its fans. “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 that the game is out, you share our dream of swashbuckling adventure. And there are boars, too, we know, but whatever does not send you flying into the nearest tree, makes you stronger, right?”

Windrose is currently only available on PC, and the studio has confirmed that it will remain in Early Access for between 1.5 and 2.5 years. By the time the 1.0 update is released, Kraken Express has said that there will be around 50 percent more content than there is right now.

For more details about Windrose, take a look at our review, where we praised many of its gameplay elements, while still noting that its Early Access form leaves quite a bit of room for improvement. Also, take a look at our thoughts on why Windrose is so difficult to put down.

Windrose version 0.10.0.4.268-9d2ca277 patch notes:

Important bits

• Added a new setting: Force Relay Connection. Doesn’t work with Direct IP connections. Sometimes players are unable to connect directly to their friends’ games because P2P traffic is blocked along the route. This can happen for many reasons, such as router settings, ISP restrictions, firewall restrictions, and more. This option forces the use of our relay servers instead of a direct P2P connection, which can improve stability at the cost of higher latency (ping)
• Fixed a bug that caused connection issues for players with non-English Windows usernames
• Fixed unnecessary CPU usage on idle servers and clients
• Disk usage during gameplay has been reduced
• Several improvements to ship performance when hosting a server
• Fixed a rare crash caused by invalid inventory slot IDs
• Fixed a crash that occurred when killing Drowned with ship cannon fire
• Reduced the crafting cost of a wide range of building pieces across all building sets (this applies to construction costs, not vendor prices)

New stuff

• Added around 40 missing wall triangle pieces for various roof angles
• Added 3 missing floor triangle pieces to different building sets
• Added 4 new Seedbed variations
• Added new sound effects for when crops transition between growth stages
• Added new sounds for harvesting grown plants at your farm
• Added audio cues for Drowned ranged attacks; they now yell before hurling a projectile
• Added new visual effects for when crops transition between growth stages
• Added new visual effects for harvesting grown plants at your farm
• Bonfire ambient music track has been extended by 3 minutes
• Ship travel ambient track has been extended by 40 seconds

Interface

• Fixed FrameGen stuttering that occurred when closing the inventory or map
• Fixed a video memory (VRAM) spike when opening certain UI windows
• The Disassembly station no longer displays equipped items in the list
• Fast travel markers will now appear on the top layer of the map when fast travel is available
• Fixed remapping issues for the O and L keys
• Arrow key inputs no longer rotate the character camera
• Mouse inversion now correctly affects ship and ship battery controls
• Sensitivity settings now correctly affect aiming with ranged weapons
• The “[Shared Quest Progress]” tag will no longer appear in the journal if the shared progress setting is disabled
• Added remapping support for more actions: secondary interactions, inventory management, HUD toggle, etc
• Two-handed firearm controls can now be remapped as well
• The “Hide UI” toggle now only hides the HUD and no longer affects the inventory, journal, or other menus
• Added a dedicated setting to adjust safe zones for widescreen monitors
• Fixed a bug where settings could change value even if not directly hovered over by the gamepad cursor
• Fixed a mapping issue for accented letters
• Improved support for accented letters in player and ship names. We are working on expanding our custom font to natively support more languages soon

Building & Terraforming fixes and improvements

• Decorative Canopies now count as roofs for crafting station requirements
• Fixed cases where digging under a tree could cause it to “hang in the air”
• Fixed a bug that allowed players to dig under Divi stumps or certain trees in swamps
• Fixed the shovel flatten tool, it now correctly uses the ground under the character’s feet as a baseline
• Building integrity now correctly recalculates if a destructible object used as a support is destroyed
• Fixed a bug that caused Crocodile sculptures (Jolly Crocodile Sculpture, Wise Crocodile Sculpture) to levitate slightly
• Fixed clipping issues with 26-degree Mahogany stairs
• Fixed snapping issues for 26-degree roof corners in the Jungle Survivor set
• Fixed collision issues for 26-degree and 45-degree railings, they can now be correctly placed on foundations and floors
• Fixed square pillar collisions (existing player-built structures should not be affected)
• Fixed the visual offset for pier pillars (existing player-built structures should not be affected)
• Signal Fire now has the correct collision preset (you can now walk over it)
• Saplings can now be planted with higher density (reduced spacing requirements)
• Signal Fire now shares the Comfort buff with other fire-related entities. Pier decorations now correctly provide their own Comfort bonus
• Fixed a bug that occasionally made certain building blocks indestructible

Other bug fixes and improvements

• Improved the drop rate for Tainted Bile
• Hardwood drop rate increased by approximately 20%
• Ship disassembly now requires the player to have enough inventory space (or a nearby chest) to store all returned resources, preventing item loss
• Fixed the Boar’s second strike combo animation: it now has a clearer telegraph but a longer reach. Be careful!
• Fixed the Alpha Wolf’s bleed effect, it now correctly applies only at the end of the grapple
• Bleed damage will no longer affect players while they are being grappled
• Fixed a visual bug with the Outnumbered effect while it is active
• Fixed a bug where the “Special Attack” damage bonus on jewelry did not work, it now correctly applies to all [F] attacks
• Fixed Rosalinda Mercer’s perk: the 30% chance to proc on a purple elixir now correctly grants a purple elixir instead of a blue one
• Fixed a bug that could cause a teleport when jumping over a growing tree
• Fixed several ore respawn bugs, ores should now always respawn correctly
• Cycling through shanties will now always result in a different song
• Fixed several audio issues that occurred while using the F-camera on a ship
• Ship crew barks (voice lines) can now be heard even when using the F-camera
• Weapons are now correctly unequipped if the player removes a backpack containing them
• Fixed several ship interaction animations that caused sailors to clip into objects
• Fixed clothing clipping bugs when interacting with shrouds on a ship
• The quest to board the “Unsinkable” can now be completed even if the player stays on their own ship’s deck during boarding
• Fixed an issue that caused Jim Godart to spawn extra copies of himself
• Fixed a rare error in sea quest battles that occurred if a player left the game mid-fight
• Fixed a bug in the “Forgotten Relics” quest caused by receiving all three mural messages from a single ruin (excess markers will now disappear)
• Fixed an incorrect tooltip for the Iron Caverns in Foothills; it will no longer display XP

Visual improvements

• Fixed distorted visuals for several weapons on low graphics settings
• Grass will no longer be removed when planting trees or shrubs
• Grass will no longer be removed under piers and wharves
• Updated the Wolf Head Trophy model and textures
• Fixed fireplace visuals
• Fixed clay wall textures
• Slightly updated smelter visuals
• Fixed bean sapling visuals, vines should now correctly attach to the wooden supports
• Improved the visibility of decorative beams for the Old World and Lost Tribe sets

Windrose began life as a free-to-play MMO title called Crosswind. The studio eventually made the choice to pivot away from the original plan and Windrose is the result. This is also the team’s first title, so hopefully the game’s ambitious goals will be met and we will get to see what else Kraken Express has to offer in the future.

Fundamentally, Windrose is a survival game above all else. The survival mechanics come first and the pirate escapades come second, not the other way around. This is something players should be prepared for, as it could be off-putting to those coming in looking for a pirate simulator. That isn’t to say that there aren’t pirate-centric game mechanics present, just that they are not the crux of the gameplay loop.

Performance-wise, Windrose left quite a lot to be desired. I was running the game on a pretty high-end rig and I experienced fairly frequent stuttering and frame rate issues. As previously mentioned, these are the sort of issues Kraken Express needs to iron out during Early Access as development on the game continues, but at the time of writing it is not the smoothest gameplay experience. Loading times also felt pretty long, even when utilising an SSD.

The opening hour of Windrose is unfortunately one of the worst first impressions that a game has left on me for a while. After creating your own pirate in a pretty basic character creator, you then load into a very brief opening sequence where immersion-breaking text is displayed onscreen to tell you that Blackbeard is apparently attacking your ship.

After fighting through a couple of basic enemies and making your way up to the top deck, you are abruptly met with a janky 2D comic book style cutscene that has no voice acting or professional presentation to it. Frankly it reminded me of a dated digital-only title from the mid to late 2000s. The whole sequence feels extremely unfinished and rushed out the door.

Some more text then appears onscreen to describe a sequence of events that would probably have been pretty cool to see play out; Blackbeard taking your ship and stranding you on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean. This is when the game properly starts and you are essentially left to your own devices from this point on, with just a quest log and a mini map to keep you company.

For the next few hours, Windrose is strictly a survival game, heavily focused on keeping your character fed while crafting a base as well as weapons and clothing. In rare moments, some voice acting can be heard as you re-assemble your crew, but don’t expect anything overly cinematic or in-depth. This is also when you’ll get more to grips with the game’s combat.

The combat in Windrose is not especially good, but it is serviceable by survival-game standards. Survival games traditionally don’t put too much focus into combat, so I guess what is here is perfectly serviceable by comparison. However, judged as third-person action combat in 2026, it feels pretty lacklustre. Along with the narrative elements, hopefully combat is something that can be improved with future updates to the game.

After a bit of time, you are given a small sailboat that allows you to leave the starting island and explore. A few more hours of grinding and you will eventually have fully re-assembled your crew and acquired a proper ship that you can set sail in. The sailing mechanics in the game are very basic, with a handful of forward speeds and one reverse speed. The wind doesn’t affect the speed of the ship, so it really is just a case of pointing the boat in the direction you want to go and waiting patiently until you arrive.

Ship combat in Windrose is also pretty rudimentary, but it is at least a lot more fun than the sword-fighting melee combat. There isn’t much more to it than pointing your ship’s cannons at the opposite ship after lining up the enemy and then firing until the other ship’s health drops enough to allow you to board.

Boarding an enemy ship is more fun here than in something like Skull and Bones, (although that is admittedly a low bar,) however there is unfortunately no actual animation to show the player swinging across to the other ship. Instead, the player just sort of teleports onboard whereupon you are required to kill off the enemy crew along with your invincible crewmates.

The graphics in Windrose are impressive, this is a very pretty game to look at; especially when you consider that it came from such a small, inexperienced team of developers. The character models may not be the most realistic, but they do carry a distinct art style which is cool, and the vast environment is stunning to behold, from the clear blue seas, to the lush leaves of the island jungle, and the golden sands of its shoreline.

Almost every aspect of Windrose feels like it could be improved with more development time, and feels unfinished in its current state. The bones of something interesting do exist here, but the narrative, the sword combat, the ship boarding, and several other elements all feel as though they could have done with significantly more time in the oven.

The experience is far closer to something like Valheim rather than Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag and players should be aware of that going in to quell any disappointment based on preconceived notions. This is not a title from a AAA developer and that is abundantly clear from the outset. Still though, what Kraken Express has managed to achieve here is an ambitious and promising foundation that can be built upon to create something great.

Although what is here currently is far from a complete package, Windrose is still worth checking out if you are a fan of survival games, enjoy pirate-themed titles, and aren’t too bothered about experiencing an in-depth, detailed narrative. Given a bit of time and dedication, this could really be something special and is definitely a title to watch in the future.

There is some fun to be had here within the gameplay loop, as long as you don’t mind dealing with the grind that comes with the game’s survival elements, which are really its bread and butter. It would be an exaggeration to say that the pirate stuff feels like an afterthought, but it certainly feels more like the icing on the survival game cake underneath.

Overall, if you can stick with it through its off-putting opening hour, Windrose just about does enough to justify its current launch-discount price. That is, as long as you are a patient person willing to put up with a few growing pains in order to experience something more polished down the line. It may be a little rough around the edges currently, but it lays a strong blueprint for what could one day become a genuinely strong pirate-survival game.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Well, thirteen years later, Windrose has set out to try and achieve the same feat, and with 10,00,000 copies sold since its Early Access release, it looks like piracy has returned to the mainstream yet again. Yes, we had Sea of Thieves in the intervening years, but that one hasn’t managed to be as interesting as Windrose, even though it’s a fairly solid effort. But sales alone aren’t an indicator of a title’s quality, a fact that’s been proven multiple times over the years.

So, what is it then that gives Windrose the enjoyment of favorable winds in a sea of titles that are vying for players’ attention? What is it about this one that has its players returning to its seas for more of what it has to offer? Well, we believe that Windrose has succeeded thanks to a sublime balance between simplicity and nuanced complexity that’s sustained across the board. Join us as we tell you what we mean.

A Pirate’s Life For You

Let’s start with the premise, which brings in some of that simplicity we mentioned earlier. You’re set upon by Blackbeard, a popular name in the pirate community owing to his fearsome reputation. Windrose’s take on the pirate captures his imposing presence, making him the catalyst for your adventure. You see, he attacks your ship and crew, leaving the bunch of you stranded on an island and left with nothing but your wits and a burning desire to become a pirate that no one dares attack ever again. At least, that’s what we’re aiming to be, but we’re sure that many of you feel the same way.

But getting there isn’t easy, which is the case with any undertaking that’s worth it. Being a pirate isn’t always an adventure where you’re sailing to distant lands and finding treasures everywhere you look. Windrose has been clever to make your journey interesting, making you earn your progress by putting in the work to build up your base, crew, and ship by engaging with its systems.

And with a world that’s procedurally generated and the option to bring up to four of your friends along for the fun with shared progress, the beginnings of why it has been so spellbinding for its players begin to show themselves.

Procedural PvE

Let’s start with the world you get to live out your adventure in. The fact that it’s procedurally generated is a major factor in Windrose’s ability to keep you coming back for more, as it lends a layer of unpredictability to your adventure. You never know what you’re going to find when you set out from your base, and while things can get a little more familiar as you keep playing, the sheer size and variety of content on offer in the three playable biomes in the game’s Early Access build are more than enough to keep even the most diligent of explorers busy for a while.

But before that familiarity sets in, you’re going to have to be able to adapt to situations and think on your feet, just as a real pirate captain would when faced with something they didn’t anticipate when undertaking a voyage into lands unknown. We’d argue that Windrose nails down the feeling of venturing into the unknown, and that it’s only going to amplify it as the game adds more content over the course of its development.

But while the world itself might be unpredictable, we think that having only PvE elements in it makes the experience avoid the risk of running into a foe you can’t beat. From the perspective of an average player, having PvP systems means that there’s always going to be someone who is more skilled than you are, or perhaps grinded enough to craft a build that can wreck even the most skilled players if they’re not well-equipped enough to handle the threat that they present.

With only PvE on board, it means that the game’s RPG trappings remain grounded in a gameplay loop that encourages cooperation over competition, and while that might seem like it goes against the pirate’s code, we’d quote Jack Sparrow and say that the code is just a bunch of guidelines anyway. As it stands, Windrose’s take on piracy is liberating, allowing you to meet anything it throws at you on your own terms, and the fact that you could choose to play it entirely solo is always a good thing.

But of course, a ship is only as good as its crew, and the addition of co-op multiplayer is the next solid touch that makes Windrose an addictive game.

Fleeting Advantages

Every pirate’s dream is to have command of their own fleet, and possibly even an armada that would give even Davy Jones a reason to pause and reconsider picking a fight with them. The option to bring up to four of your buddies along is a great touch, and one of the reasons why we can’t put Windrose down. It works so well with the procedurally-generated world, creating the scope for play sessions that had so much chaos packed into a couple of hours.

Think about it this way. The game’s chock full of formidable threats that might prove too much for you in your early hours when you’re just building up to the legendary pirate you’re eventually going to become. But where one of you might fail on your own, you could always get your friends together and bring four ships to turn the tide (pun intended) in your favor. Get a few synergies going with your buddies, and you’re going to be tearing through enemies with disdain. Of course, with your progress being retained, there’s a lovely continuity to it all. You could always just keep playing even if your buddies have to drop off for whatever reason.

It opens up so many possibilities, and the idea of having a bunch of like-minded friends joining us to terrorize the high seas is a superb touch in a game that wants you to feel like a pirate as you make your way through the adventure. Of course, choosing to go it alone is a viable option, especially if you manage to come to grips with the game’s combat.

Swashbuckling Action

There’s a reason we mentioned Black Flag when we set out to paint a picture of why Windrose has been as captivating as it is. Well, get into a fight with an enemy ship, and you’re immediately going to see what we meant. There aren’t any complex mechanics to wrap your head around, and while that may seem like a reason to walk (or sail) away from Windrose, it actually works in its favor. All you have to do is get on a ship’s broadside and let loose with your cannons.

There are no limits to your ammo, and while positioning yourself can be challenging, it does make the entire thing so damn enjoyable. Of course, ship-to-ship combat is only half of the combat’s allure, and boarding enemy vessels means that you’re going to cross blades with the crew on that ship. Melee combat is once again a simple matter of parrying enemy attacks and getting in some of your own, with your pistols being an alternate method of dealing damage at range.

While some of you might not like the emphasis on parrying, we found it to be a very compelling callback to Edward Kenway’s ruthless fighting style. We must admit that we’re eager to see what’s going to be added to flesh things out a little more on the combat front, but what’s on offer is definitely enough to keep you entertained for a while. That’s especially true when you think about how exploration and combat feed into each other, and the fact that you drop any raw materials but not crafted items when you fall to an enemy means that there are consequences to losing. It’s all quite nuanced and done so well that you find yourself itching to pick yet another fight with an enemy crew.

An Authentic Adventure

With a solid, varied world to explore, combat that’s quite good, and a premise that clicks almost instantaneously, becoming a pirate captain in Windrose is a treat. Of course, looking out for your ship, base, and crew is a part of that job description, and you’re going to be busy looking for resources and actually building up your base when you return to it for some well-deserved downtime.

With a plethora of ways to get more resources and a fairly deep crafting system on board, we’re now at the final piece of the puzzle of what makes Windrose as addictive as it is. Building up your base feels personal, and it’s a great way to bring a bit of individual expression into the mix. Each one of us found our bases to be so vastly different from our friends, and it was a great way to kill a few hours between exploring the world and taking on enemy ships and bosses.

Once again, it’s all quite simple and easy to wrap your head around, but nuanced enough to have you thinking about it when you’re away from your systems. And that’s Windrose’s greatest strength. It’s easy to pick up and challenging to master, making it a title that you could sink hours into without feeling fatigued or bored. That’s especially true when you play it with your friends.

But of course, we must end with a word of caution. Although the three playable biomes on offer have more than enough to keep you occupied for a significantly long time, there’s still a long way to go, and a lot more to come before Windrose achieves the infamy that befits a game about pirates. The early access build does need further optimization, as players encountered a couple of crashes and a bit of long load times between different biomes. The fact that the player community is going to be a part of shaping the game’s future does give us hope for a final build that’s going to be quite appealing, though.

But as it stands, Windrose isn’t just about the novelty of putting you in the shoes of a budding pirate, as it has enough meat to stand out as a solid title despite that. All it needs to do is sustain the momentum it has achieved and chart a course into a future where it allows us to become the worst pirates the world has ever heard of. We can’t wait to see that happen, and are going to be sailing its seas until that day arrives.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

“We have just plundered another milestone – 1,000,000 copies, and ‘we’ means ‘you’ – a crew of fine, brave captains sailing the seas of Windrose,” announced the studio. “Moreover, today Windrose has assembled over 200,000 concurrent players!”

“Your support for the game is absolutely astonishing, and your patience while we are working on fixes is truly heart-warming,” continues the message. “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 that the game is out, you share our dream of swashbuckling adventure. And there are boars, too, we know, but whatever does not send you flying into the nearest tree, makes you stronger, right?”

Windrose is currently available on PC, and Kraken Express has been quite honest about its Early Access ambitions, confirming that it plans to work on the game for between 1.5 and 2.5 years before releasing the 1.0 update. Ultimately, once everything is done, the studio has said that Windrose will feature around 50 percent more content in 1.0 than it does in its current state, which means more biomes, bosses, enemies, ships, and loot, among other things. The game’s narrative will also be continued through regular updates, before eventually “unfolding into an epic adventure with a satisfying finale.” In its current Early Access form, Windrose‘s story is noted as taking around 50 to 70 hours to complete, depending on playstyle.

The title makes use of an alternative version of the Age of Piracy as its setting, with its core gameplay loop revolving around the “build, craft, survive” formula. Along with this, it also boasts of intense combat, as well as exploration split between land and sea. Its world is procedurally generated with different biomes, while also featuring hand-crafted dungeons and quests.

In Windrose, players take on the role of a captain who has set out to challenge Blackbeard. While things start off relatively grounded, telling the story of survival and revenge, it slowly starts getting more intense, with players getting pulled into larger overarching narratives about conflicts between empires, pirate clans, and mysterious dark powers.

Along with land-based action combat, Windrose also includes naval battles where players will have to make split-second decisions about various aspects, such as whether to return cannon fire or manoeuvre closer for boarding actions. Players will also get to build their own base of operations, which can range from simple shelters to elaborate mansions, and even massive forts. NPCs can then be recruited to help grow the settlement out.

Windrose features solo play as well as online co-operative modes to play with friends, with support for up to 8 players on both self-hosted servers, as well as dedicated servers.

“Signed a VERY exciting game a couple of days ago,” wrote Buckley on social media platform X. “Really excited to share more info about it in the future, but it needs to cook for a bit first! Have quite a few others in the wings that we’ll start revealing soon though! All bangers of course.”

Pocketpair had announced its plans to publish indie games all the way back in January, with the first game being originally announced as a “brand new horror game” that had “an original approach” by Surgent Studios – the developer behind Tales of Kenzera: Zau. The game would eventually be revealed as being Dead Take, which came out on PC on July 31.

Shortly after announcing the partnership, Buckley had taken to social media to write about why the company decided to go into game publishing. In a series of posts, he wrote about Pocketpair’s aims of helping indie studios get their projects financed in a way that they don’t get “wrapped up in stinky rule makers and bullies.”

“We give you money. You make the game,” posted Buckley. “If you want help with marketing or something we’ll help out, but otherwise do whatever you want. “We’re giving devs the financial freedom to make games they want so they DON’T have to get wrapped up in stinky rule makers and bullies.”

Buckley also spoke about feeling surprised at the level of interest Pocketpair Publishing got when the publishing wing was first announced. “We announced Pocketpair Publishing 15 hours ago… My inboxes were 0 before then… I think I might have underestimated how much interest here would be,” posted Buckley back in January.

Dead Take was the first game published by Pocketpair Publishing. The title was properly unveiled with a small teaser, with studio CEO Abubakar Salim saying that the secretive nature of the game’s reveal served a purpose.

“We’re being secretive for a reason,” said Salim in a statement included with the press release announcing Dead Take. “The subject matter of this game is delicate, and it hits close to home. When it comes out, and it won’t be long until it does, I want players to think, ‘I can’t believe they actually did this.”

Back in July, Dead Take got a proper trailer which revealed that the game would feature quite a few famous actors, including Neil Newbon (Baldur’s Gate 3’s Astarion) and Ben Starr (Final Fantasy 16’s Clive Rossfeld). The game also features a host of famous voice actors, including Matthew Mercer and Laura Bailey, and even features a cameo by Sam Lake.

As a psychological horror title, players control Chase Lowry, who ventures into a mysterious Hollywood director’s mansion to find Vinny Monroe, his missing friend. By solving puzzles and splicing clips, they can uncover secrets and ultimately learn the truth. Of course, as creative director Abubakar Salim stated in a press release, it’s also about the “high of ambition and the rot underneath it,” “The lies we tell ourselves to get in the spotlight, and the monsters we become to stay there.”

Newbon and Starr aren’t the only notable actors. As the trailer notes, you can look forward to seeing others like Jane Perry (Dragon Age: The Veilguard) and Alanah Pearce (Cyberpunk 2077). Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer, Sam Lake, Travis Willingham and Connor Marc Colquhoun, aka CDawgVA, also have cameos. Stay tuned for more details on Dead Take ahead of its launch.

While the short teaser trailer doesn’t really reveal much in the way of details, it does give us a hint about what kind of horror we can expect from Dead Take. There is also a heavy use of old-school video artefacts, including scenes filled with static, that also have hidden messages for players to uncover. The teaser caps things off with a simple “coming soon”, with no confirmation of a release window.

According to Surgent Studios, Dead Take’s story will revolve around players slowly uncovering the darkest secrets of the entertainment industry that have been hidden behind a clean, glittery facade. However, the studio doesn’t yet seem keen on revealing more details as of yet, with CEO Abubakar Salim talking about being delicate about the game’s subject matter.

“We’re being secretive for a reason,” said Salim in a statement included with the press release announcing Dead Take. “The subject matter of this game is delicate, and it hits close to home. When it comes out, and it won’t be long until it does, I want players to think, ‘I can’t believe they actually did this.”

Pocketpair and Surgent Studios had announced this partnership all the way back in January, with the publisher revealing that Surgent’s new game will be its first publishing project. At the time, the game was simply described as being a “brand new horror game” with “an original approach.”

Salim had further expanded on the partnership by talking about how Surgent Studios and Pocketpair are a good fit together because both companies like to take risks. He also said that Dead Take will be “short and weird”. He also revealed that the studio was in further talks to make more titles based on the Tales of Kenzera: Zau universe.

“We noticed a pattern in the entertainment industry, and Pocketpair has given us the opportunity to make a horror game about it,” said Salim. “Both Surgent and Pocketpair are well versed in taking risks. This game will be short and weird, and we think players will be interested in what we have to say.”

“We’re still in earnest conversation about further projects set in the Tales of Kenzera universe, but this will be a standalone piece: a mile marker between where we’ve come from and where we’re going.”

Pocketpair, for its part, had later revealed that it had started getting pitches from indie studios in less than 24 hours after announcing its plans to go into game publishing. “We announced Pocketpair Publishing 15 hours ago… My inboxes were 0 before then… I think I might have underestimated how much interest here would be,” wrote communications director and publishing manager John Buckley on X.

Dead Take is slated for release on PC. It is currently unknown whether it will be coming to consoles as well. In the meantime, there’s a Steam store listing where you can wishlist the title.

“Our CEO [Takuro Mizobe] would never allow it,” responded Buckley. “He’d never allow it. He’d never allow it. He would never, never allow it. He likes doing his own thing and he likes being his own boss. He doesn’t like people telling him what to do.”

Buckley believes that if Pocketpair were to be acquired, it would likely only happen once Mizobe were to start thinking about retirement. However, he doesn’t believe that it would be happening anytime soon. Rather, because Pocketpair is involved in quite a few things, including Palworld as a major IP, the company will be quite busy for a while.

“So I would be shocked,” continued Buckley. “Maybe when [Mizobe]’s old, and he might just sell it off for money. And that would be sad, but in my lifetime, I probably won’t see it. No, it’ll be interesting to see where the two paths go. We, Pocketpair, are obviously only involved in where the game path is going. Palworld as an IP, we are involved, but it’s very much in the hands of Aniplex and Sony Music who are steering that ship right now. We are just offering our advice and thoughts as they take that.”

Interestingly, Buckley’s statement run counter to ones made by Mizobe back in March 2024, when he said in an interview that while the studio was happy with its independence, it would be “open to consider offers for partnership or acquisition”.

When it comes to the success of Palworld and it becoming a major IP, Pocketpair announced a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) and Aniplex back in July 2024. Dubbed Palworld Entertainment Inc., the venture would focus on further developing the IP, including potentially global merchandising and licensing.

Buckley has also previously spoken about bringing Palworld on to the Nintendo Switch 2. In an interview, he revealed that the studio would start considering it once more details about the console were revealed, and if it turned out to be powerful enough to run the game.

“We haven’t seen those specs yet,” said Buckley back in March. “Like everyone else, we’re waiting. I’m walking around GDC hoping someone will tell me them, but everyone I’ve spoken to says they haven’t even seen them.”

“If [Switch 2]’s beefy enough, it’s 100% worth considering,” he said about the technical hurdles the studio might face. “We did a lot of optimization for Steam Deck, which we were really happy with. Still work to do, but we’re really happy with how it turned out. So we would like to get it on more handhelds if possible.”

Alongside working on Palworld, Pocketpair is also working with Tales of Kenzera: Zau developer Surgent Studios on its next title. The game doesn’t yet have a name, but has been described as “short and weird”. The studio and publisher have also confirmed that it will be a horror game.

“We announced Pocketpair Publishing 15 hours ago… My inboxes were 0 before then… I think I might have underestimated how much interest here would be,” posted Buckley on X.

The company seems to be intent on taking a hands-off approach with the games it publishes. Responding to another X user about how much of a role Pocketpair would play in the development of a game it is publishing, Buckley responded by saying that it wants to give developers the financial freedom they want to make their games.

“We give you money. You make the game,” posted Buckley. “If you want help with marketing or something we’ll help out, but otherwise do whatever you want. “We’re giving devs the financial freedom to make games they want so they DON’T have to get wrapped up in stinky rule makers and bullies.”

While Pocketpair is yet to make any further announcements about the games it might publish, it is currently working with Tales of Kenzera: Zau developer Surgent Studios on a horror game. Studio founder Abubakar Salim revealed that alongside the newly-announced game, the studio was also in conversations about future games that would be set in the Tales of Kenzera: Zau universe.

Pocketpair has also been busy with its own game, and recently released an update for Palworld celebrating Spring with a host of new skins for Pals. The update also brought balance changes to the title, including the addition of the Earth element to Mammorest and Mammorest Cyst.

Buckley also recently spoke about Palworld‘s World Tree, and how content around it had been mapped out for quite some time. For context, the World Tree has been easily visible to players for quite some time, and an ending scenario for the game is supposed to take place there. However, Buckley has revealed that it doesn’t necessarily mean the end for Palworld.

As for confirmed upcoming content for the game, Pocketpair had announced back in November that it would be teaming up with Terraria developer Re-Logic for a collaborative event. While details haven’t yet been confirmed by either of the companies, speculations indicate that we would see some mechanics from both games making their way into the other. Whether this means Pals coming to Terraria or boss fights from the latter popping up in Palworld as potential Pals is currently unknown.

The last major update for Palworld was Feybreak, which brought with it the eponymous island. The update also introduced a new faction for players to deal with, as well as a new raid. On the gameplay side of things, players are now able to hunt down criminals scattered all over the world, and research permanent boosts.

Palworld is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. For more details, check out our review.

We announced Pocketpair Publishing 15 hours ago…

My inboxes were 0 before then…

…I think I might have underestimated how much interest there would be😓 pic.twitter.com/MCal1HuAUg

— Bucky | Palworld (@Bucky_cm) January 24, 2025

We give you money.
You make game.

If you want help with marketing or something we’ll help out, but otherwise do whatever you want.

We’re giving devs the financial freedom to make games they want so they DON’T have to get wrapped up with stinky rule makers and bullies.

— Bucky | Palworld (@Bucky_cm) January 24, 2025