Fireblade Software announced that their naval adventure-crew management title, Abandon Ship, will launch on Steam Early Access for PC on February 21.

Abandon Ship has players assume the role as captain of their very own ship. As players command, they will be able to explore a procedurally generated world while accepted quests and participating in random events such as weather change. Additionally, players will be able to upgrade the ship and crew to their personal preference and playstyle.

Often times as sea, players will encounter other ships and will enter combat where they must use tactics in order to outmaneuver the enemy. The game focuses on “Age of Sail” ships in a Fantasy setting, framed in an art style inspired by classic Naval Oil Paintings.

Indie developer Fireblade Software states that Abandon Ship exists for two reasons saying, "The team wanted to make their own games, beholden only to themselves and the Games-Playing public. But also because they want to make games that they would play themselves in their own time. We always wondered why a game didn't exist that combined the Tactical combat of games like FTL with the exploration mechanics of titles such as Sunless Sea, all wrapped up in an "Age of Sail" setting. That sounds awesome, right?" The developer adds, "As development progressed, we felt that Abandon Ship deserved an Art Style to match the dramatic tone of the game, and the Classic Naval Oil Painting style was a perfect thematic fit. We struggled to think of a game with similar artistic inspirations as artists like Turner, Ivan Aivazovsky, Willem Velde, James Wilson Carmichael and Ebenezer Colls (plus many more), so we believe this has provided Abandon Ship with a unique visual identity."

In case you missed it, Abandon Ship has received numerous gameplay videos showing off an in-depth let's play walkthrough with the developers, the role of the captain, and the monsters that the player might encounter out at sea.

You can watch release date announcement trailer below: