A new sailing MMO has launched in Early Access on Steam. Now, just a few days after launch, it is attracting more players than ever into the deep waters. The game is well received, although it has its drawbacks.
What kind of game is this? World of Sea Battle is a free-to-play MMO that immerses you in the era of grand sailing ships. You take on a historical ship and sail through a vast open world where you trade, gather resources, participate in PvP and PvE sea battles, join guilds, and fight for dominance over ports and islands.
The game features over fifty realistically inspired ship types – from frigates to battleships – as well as a dynamic economy where players shape the market. Development began as an indie project and grew over time into an ambitious MMO under Thera Interactive DMCC thanks to community feedback and team building.
It launched in Early Access on Steam on October 21, 2025. Since then, it has maintained 71% positive reviews with a rating of “Mostly Positive” (via SteamDB, as of October 26, 2025, 9:15 AM) and reached its current peak of 3,200 concurrent players this weekend. Overall, the game is well received, although some players see it primarily as having a significant drawback.
Here you can see the trailer for the game:
“A sense of freedom like no other! In this regard: An absolute hit!”
What do players say about World of Sea Battle? Generally, the new sailing MMO is well received. Many praise the gameplay, combat and trading mechanics, and the animations of the ships and water. The somewhat “intrusive” in-game shop and the control scheme, which may take some getting used to, are viewed less favorably.
- Leevan celebrates via Steam: “Setting sail with the guild, hoisting the sails, and steering toward the golden sunset – a sense of freedom like no other! In this regard: An absolute hit!”, but also criticizes the cash shop and mentions pay-to-win.
- Blanzkarre1971 writes via Steam: “The game is the dream of every sailor and pirate. It is simply very motivating to gather the necessary materials for better ships or weapons by sinking AI opponents, trading, or production through mines, and it is in many ways better than Skull and Bones.” He notes in his review that the game is very grind-heavy and one must enjoy that.
Most negative reviews concern pay-to-win mechanics, while other positive voices counter this and cannot understand the argument. Others report on large guilds that supposedly dominate the servers and ruin the fun.
- DDmster911 however criticizes via Steam: “Great concept for a relaxing sailing game where you can trade, explore, and fight in an open world with over 1,000 players. Unfortunately, the development team has made it clear that this game is only about money.”
- << writes after about 56 hours of gameplay via Steam: “The game itself is fun, but it is one of the worst pay-to-win games I have ever seen. Good luck.”
It should be noted, however, that the game has just entered Early Access and many of these issues could still be adjusted in the future. Also, the currently predominant positive reviews show that many players are having fun with it.
How the game will fare in the future remains to be seen. Nevertheless, it could be worth a look for all players who want to breathe some fresh sea air.
You could play the demo of World of Sea Battle during the last Steam Next Fest. Another, rather obscure game achieved considerable success during that time, prompting the developers to keep the demo online even afterwards: Unassuming game on Steam is so successful during Next Fest that even Valve wants the demo to stay
