Ashlands is the first major update for Windrose since Early Access began, and the studio, Kraken Express, says it is "expected this winter". It adds a fourth biome with a new boss, new factions and a new ship class, and it rebuilds how ships are customised, which removes the faction ship variants many crews already sail. There is no release date yet, so nothing needs doing on your server today. The ship changes are the part to read ahead of time, because they alter ships your crew already owns.
What's in the update
Kraken Express has been clear that this is work in progress. Its July devblog opens with a disclaimer: "We're talking about plans, and plans may change."
A fourth biome: Ashlands
The new biome was ravaged by volcanic eruptions long ago. Your hunt for the Obols continues there, with the next fragment "hidden somewhere among the ruins of a long-forgotten Spanish colony", and the studio hints you're not the only one looking for it.
The devblog promises:
- new islands, enemies, items, resources, recipes and points of interest
- a new boss
- brand-new factions, with the main story and side quests growing "significantly in scope"
- new armour and weapon variants
- new biome mechanics, which the studio is still experimenting with
The August sneak peek added a new armour set for an existing NPC, faction clothing sets, and attention for the existing Halberds and Greatswords.
Building and camp NPCs
Bases get new decorations, new pieces for the existing building sets and some quality-of-life fixes. Camp NPCs were popular at launch, and the studio plans to expand that system as well.
New ships
The Brigantine, Fluyt and Galleon are all in development. Kraken Express expects "at least one of these ships to make its way into Ashlands", not all three. NPC ships should behave more naturally and sail in formation, and the shanty collection "will be significantly expanded".
The ship customisation rework
Faction-specific ship variants currently exist for two factions, the Brethren of the Coast and Blackbeard's Crew. In Ashlands they go: "the existing faction-specific ship variants will be removed." That reverses the July devblog, which listed "more faction ship variants" among its plans. Instead you'll choose a ship class, a Ketch for example, and customise it from the full pool of options for that class.
Below deck, the hold becomes a space you can build in. A workbench and a cooking fire are confirmed so far, decorative pieces are planned, and some modules will change how the ship itself performs. The studio is also looking at extra storage containers, which you might not be able to reach remotely through the Flagship tab. Ships will have "a limited number of designated building spots", a deliberate choice for performance, and free-form building aboard ships isn't planned.
On deck, the figurehead, hull decor, stern and helm become separate slots instead of coming as a set with a faction ship. Sails and flags stay independent, each element gets colour schemes, and a new customisation camera lets you walk around the ship while you change it, replacing the old static previews.
Crew involvement in ship setup and new ways to use cannons are also in development. The studio says those ideas "still need a little more time in the oven".
What your server needs to do
Nothing yet. When Ashlands lands:
- Take a backup before you update. The update reworks ships that already exist in your world, and a backup from before the patch is your way back if something goes wrong.
- Read the ship migration explainer. Kraken Express will publish it separately once the details are final, and it's the best way to know what your crew will see when they log in.
- Update the server so it matches the game your players are running.
Self-hosting? The dedicated server is a separate Steam app, ID 4129620:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 4129620 validate +quit
Tip: On LOW.MS, open your server in the control panel. Create backup is on the Backups tab, and Update is on the Game updates card of the Overview tab.
What's coming next
Before release: the ship migration explainer, and more on the wider ship rework, which the studio says it will share "as we get closer to Ashlands".
This winter: Ashlands itself. The only official wording is "expected this winter", from the release window trailer shown at the Triple-i Initiative on 8 October. Back in April, the studio said the update would "take at least 6 months to deliver".
FAQ
Will Ashlands wipe my Windrose world? No wipe has been announced. The devblog says: "we're working hard to make sure you'll be able to continue your adventure and keep all the progress you've already achieved." How an existing world gets the new biome hasn't been explained yet.
What happens to my Blackbeard's Crew or Brethren of the Coast ship? The faction versions are being removed, and the studio hasn't said how existing ones will be converted. What it has promised: "you won't lose your progress. Any resources from dismantled ships will be fully refunded."
Is Ashlands free? No price has been announced. Kraken Express calls Ashlands an update in every post so far, and none of them mentions a price.
Will wind affect sailing? Kraken Express is exploring it, but wants it to be "fun and simple" and says Windrose avoids "the more hardcore simulation aspects".
Will my server mods break? Nobody can say until the update is out, and none of the Ashlands posts mention mods. Check each mod's page after the patch, before you start the server with it installed.
Are dedicated server settings changing? Nothing has been announced about server settings or the server build. We'll test Ashlands on our own servers when it arrives.
For more on the game itself, see our Windrose guide, or find a server on our Windrose server hosting page.
Sources: Ashlands release window trailer, Windrose Devblog: Ashlands (WIP), Ashlands Development Sneak Peek, Voyage to Ashlands: Ship Customization, pt.1, pt.2, Community update, 28 April.