Windrose’s multiplayer is surging on Steam Early Access as players look for the game’s max player count. Here’s how co-op works and what to expect.
Kraken Express’ online PvE Pirate adventure brings a different swashbuckling flavour to Sea of Thieves or Skull & Bones as players join forces to survive, craft, and build in an alternative Age of Piracy.
The game features exploration on land and sea, with vast procedurally-generated biomes to investigate the mysteries and treasures of this world. And when you’re not doing that, there’s all manner of nefarious forces to battle, be they human or supernatural.
So you can live a perfect pirate’s life with your pals in Windrose, but how many of your friends can you play with? How does co-op play work? And what does the future of Windrose’s multiplayer hold? GameWatcher sets sail to find the answers.
Windrose Max Players
Windrose’s Early Access launch includes support for up to eight players per session. Kraken Express has increased the player count following demo feedback, but currently feels that four provides the best performance balance.
Co-op Explained
You can join or host a co-op session in Windrose via both self-hosted and dedicated servers.
As a crew, you’ll be able to man stations on your ship, strategize in combat situations on land, and battle challenging bosses together to share the luscious loot they have.
Online vs Local
Local play will see you fly your Dutchman solo, as there are no local multiplayer options. This can be good for learning the ropes, so to speak, but to get the full benefit of Windrose’s world, you really need to be online with other players.
From there, your experience will vary based on each player’s connections and temperament.
Will More Players Be Added?
Kraken Express has already worked on increasing the player count from four to eight. With such a massive world and so many variables, the developer’s early priority is to ensure things run smoothly with eight people. So there’s the chance it might revisit the number of players in a session later in Early Access, but for now, eight is already proving a tad troublesome for late-game performance.
Will there Be Crossplay?
Windrose doesn’t look like it will be heading to other platforms than PC, so naturally, crossplay isn’t needed.
We’ll update this article with any changes to Windrose’s multiplayer as they arrive. Hopefully, you have enough information for now to set out on your own plunderful voyage.
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