Everwind: A New Contender in the Sandbox RPG Arena
Set to launch in late 2026, Everwind is shaping up to be a captivating alternative to Minecraft, positioning itself alongside the highly anticipated Hytale. Players will embark on adventures across floating islands, uncovering treasures and secrets while navigating the skies in their very own airship.
In a recent conversation with FRVR, the development team shared insights into their ongoing testing efforts, particularly on Valve’s Steam Deck and various other handheld devices. Early builds of Everwind have already been trialed on the Steam Deck, yielding promising performance results, which the team considers a key focus for the game’s development.
“We are definitely aiming for handhelds as well as desktops,” stated Marcin Olczak, senior publishing producer at Bohemia. “The guys already tested the game on Steam Deck.” This commitment to handheld gaming is further underscored by the team’s belief in the platform’s significance.
“The positive reception to Everwind’s Steam Deck testing only reinforced our belief that it’s a crucial platform,” the team elaborated in a follow-up interview. “Players want to be able to take a full-fledged sandbox game with them, and Everwind fits that mould perfectly.” They emphasized the growing importance of PC handhelds in the gaming landscape, expressing a desire for Everwind to be prepared for this shift from the outset.
In addition to the Steam Deck, the team is also exploring testing on other handhelds, including the MSI Claw, which boasts advanced Intel technologies. The versatility of the Steam Deck allows for a wide range of genres, but the Everwind team recognizes that survival games, with their enduring yet accessible gameplay, are particularly well-suited for the current generation of handheld devices.
“I think this also comes from the fact… back in the day, Minecraft Pocket Edition was a big thing, right?” Olczak reflected. “Like it’s a sandbox game, very chill. You can just jump in, play it a little bit, you know, put it down, get back to it. So, I think it really makes sense for everyone to have this kind of availability.”
With major AAA developers like Square Enix now targeting the Steam Deck for game optimization, this handheld has emerged as a benchmark for performance standards in the industry. As the diversity of games compatible with the Steam Deck continues to expand, many developers are beginning to view it as a vital gauge for acceptable performance metrics.
In a previous discussion with FRVR, Adrian Chmielarz, creator of Painkiller and developer of Witchfire, emphasized the importance of supporting the Steam Deck. “What we’ve learned, which was kind of surprising, is that making your game compatible, like Steam Deck Verified, actually makes your game better,” he noted, highlighting the benefits of optimizing for this innovative platform.
