Long-ago, far above the watery world of ATLAS there once existed a magic-powered “Golden Age”-- where great Empires of the Sky lived at peace alongside magical creatures, flourishing upon floating continents above the clouds, all powered by a magical source of energy known as the Heart of the Goddess, granted by the powerful beings who dwell in the stars beyond. However, a powerful warlord known as Xevos sought to unite the human civilizations over the magickind, and launched a war that broke the Heart into pieces, unleashing a wave of destruction that shattered the floating landmasses and plunged them into the waters below.

Many generations later, as living memory of the “Sundering” has faded into legend and the once-plentiful magical energy has long since dissipated, descendants of the protectors of the Heart of the Goddess -- known as “Pathfinders” -- emerge from their provincial oceanic lives to explore the new continents and islands, and seek out the power they may yet contain. Across the vast new world they’ll encounter hostile creatures, technological remnants of the Golden Age past, and ultimately the undying spirit of Xevos himself and his soulless “Army of the Damned”, still intent on recovering the pieces of the Heart of the Goddess to raise the continents once again under his vision.

If the latest generation of Pathfinders can outwit and outgun Xevos and his legions, and recover the Heart pieces for themselves, they will be faced with the very same choice: whether to attempt to restore the old world, or build a new better one…

Atlas will host up to 40,000 players exploring the same Globe simultaneously, with an unprecedented scale of cooperation and conflict! Stake your claim in this endless open world as you conquer territory, construct ships, search for buried treasure, assemble forts, plunder settlements and hire crew to join your powerful growing armada.

Start small then expand your spheres of influence from a small island, up to an unstoppable pirate empire that spans across the oceans. Wage battle against enemy fleets as you singlehandedly can command large ships of war using the captaining system (or divide up to the responsibilities among your trusted lieutenants), or take control of any weapon directly with your own character. Dive deep into the briny water to explore permanent sunken wrecks and recover salvage, unearth the loot from procedurally-generated Treasure Maps and challenge zones, or complete challenging main questlines. Team up with other aspiring adventurers and sail into the vast ocean to discover new lands rich with region-specific elements, tame exotic natural and mythical creatures, raid forgotten tombs, confront powerful ancient gods and even build and administer your own colonies, cities, and civilizations to dominate the ATLAS in this ultimate quest for fortune and glory!

Today’s update (full patch notes here) to Atlas brings the Trade Winds function, along with Platform Saddles, new tameable creatures and Modular Ship Railings. So Pirates its time to put the wind to your back, raise the main sails and discover new horizons!

ATLAS has been changed forever with the introduction of Trade Winds, predictable trade routes around the map which provide ships with a major wind boost when traveling along the wind’s trajectory. Even the most veteran of captains will need to learn a few techniques to master these new travel corridors and fully utilize their strategic potential. Maps have been altered to accommodate these new windy routes, as well as provide new strategic zones and opportunities for satisfying engagement.

Next, ride in style on the Platform Saddle while laying waste to your enemies! Platform Saddles can now be placed on the Elephant, Crab, and Grand Tortuga, allowing these giant tames to load up with cannons, torpedoes and other armaments to wreak maximum havoc on your foes.

Three fearsome creatures are now ready to be tamed: The Crocodile, the Yeti, and the Spider. Each creature comes with its own unique set of useful characteristics and will be available with the update, but engage at your own risk.

Modular Ship Railings are the first part in a series of customizations for the Modular Ships system! This first set of interchangeable railings allows pathfinders to pick and choose their best loadout choice before each voyage. Need extra firepower? Slap on a few cannons. Going to do some salvaging? Add the diving board or cargo railing. It's all up to you.

Atlas is currently available on Steam Early Access, and Xbox Game Preview.

Key Features:

• Construct the Ship of Your Dreams, Plank by Plank! – From tiny rafts and dinghies to colossal frigates and galleons, your dream vessel is only a shipyard away with our robust ship customization system. Construct your ship piece by piece, give it a name, design the look of your sails, and decide exactly where all the planks, masts, and gunports on your ship should go.
• Assemble Your Crew - Recruit other players or hire NPCs to join your crew and aid you on your quest for riches and glory. Whether manning weapons on your ship, hoisting the sails, or helping search for buried treasure on shore, your crew is an essential part of your pirate adventure. Just be sure to keep their stomachs full and give them their fair share of the booty, lest you want a mutiny on your hands…
• Explore a Massive World – Physically sail in real-time across the vast oceans with the proprietary server network technology. Explorers will voyage to over 700 unique landmasses across 45,000 square kilometers, with thousands of Discovery Zones, and ten distinct world regions each having their own unique resources, creatures, secrets, and environment hazards!
• Shape Your Identity - Choose from a wide range of character customization and cosmetic options to create your specific pirate look. Unlock skills across 15 different disciplines to form your own unique role in the world of ATLAS.
• Experience Classic Pirate Action - Become the world’s greatest swashbuckler, a pistol-packing gunslinger, or perhaps a master cannoneer instead. Engage in fierce raids on land-based strongholds, swing from grappling hooks to board enemy ships, or unload volleys of cannonballs into your foe’s hull. The world of ATLAS has no shortage of ways to dispatch your enemies, be it at the end of a sword... or in true pirate fashion… at the end of a rope.
• Choose Between PvP and PvE Play on Official Servers -  On a PvP server, everything is up for grabs: be it ships, player inventories, NPC crewmembers, tames, player-built structures, player-owned territory, and lots of other loot. If you can get your hands on it, you can take it for yourself. Do you have what it takes to become the most notorious pirate on the high seas?
  Care for a less “cutthroat” experience? Join one of our PvE servers and cooperate with thousands of other players to explore the globe, discover new secrets, and even fight mythical creatures together. Create powerful companies with old friends or build an entire player-run town with some new ones. The world of ATLAS is yours to shape!
• Build Your Organization - Want to create a rich merchant empire that spans from pole to pole? Always wanted to command a fleet of privateers who work for the highest bidder? Or perhaps you’d like to create a government navy and protect the innocent from pirates? In ATLAS, you can build any organization you can think of. Create a settlement for your company and build it piece by piece with our modular construction system. Contest other companies’ land, structures, or ships and add them to your ranks.
• Play in Singleplayer and Non-Dedicated Private Sessions - In addition to experiencing ATLAS on our official/unofficial servers with thousands of other players, you can now enjoy ATLAS by yourself in our Singleplayer mode, or with up to eight friends privately in our Non-Dedicated Server mode. Adjust the game to suit your preferences and enjoy your own private version of ATLAS.
• And Much, Much More to Come!