Dreamhaven announced that Wildgate is winding down active development with one final update before the servers stay online in stewardship mode. The 4v4v4 crewed-spaceship shooter had a sharp identity: real role players (pilot, gunner, engineer), boarding actions, and a final extraction. If that loop sold you on Wildgate, these are the seven desktop alternatives that share at least one of its three pillars: cooperative crew roles, ship interiors you fight inside of, and shootouts in space or somewhere just as hostile.
We weighted each on PvP-vs-PvE balance, active player base in 2026, how strong the role-play crew structure is, and whether matches feel under thirty minutes the way Wildgate’s did.
Quick comparison
| Game | Crew size | PvP or PvE | Standout | Steam status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helldivers 2 | 1-4 | PvE co-op | Stratagem-driven space marines | Active |
| Void Crew | 1-4 | PvE co-op | Crewed ship with explicit role stations | Active |
| Sea of Thieves | 1-4 | PvPvE | Ships at sea, the original of the shape | Active |
| Star Wars: Squadrons | 1-8 | PvP and PvE | First-person space dogfighting | Maintenance |
| Deep Rock Galactic | 1-4 | PvE co-op | Dwarven space miners, four classes | Active |
| Pulsar: Lost Colony | 2-5 | PvE co-op | The original spaceship crew sim | Active |
| Star Citizen | Many | PvPvE | Largest persistent ship MMO in development | Alpha |
Why people moved off Wildgate
The forum and Discord threads after the shutdown announcement landed on a consistent set of friction points:
- Queue times tilted long. Outside US peak, finding 12 players for the 4v4v4 mode could take five to ten minutes.
- Crew commitment was high. The role specialisation (pilot, gunner, engineer) only paid off with a coordinated group on voice.
- The economy was thin. Cosmetic-only progression worked, but the lack of weapon progression made the loop repetitive after twenty hours.
- Server stewardship is not the same as live. With active development ending, balance fixes and seasonal content go with it.
Which game should you pick?
- Helldivers 2 for the strongest crewed PvE co-op shooter on PC right now.
- Void Crew for the closest thing to Wildgate’s explicit role stations on a single ship.
- Sea of Thieves if it is the crewed-ship-versus-crewed-ship loop that hooked you.
- Star Wars: Squadrons for first-person space dogfighting.
- Deep Rock Galactic for a four-class PvE co-op shooter with hundreds of hours of run variety.
- Pulsar: Lost Colony if you want the granddad of crewed-ship co-op sims.
- Star Citizen if you have the patience for the most ambitious crewed-ship MMO in development.
1. Helldivers 2 -- the active co-op shooter Wildgate fans should try first
Helldivers 2 trades Wildgate’s 4v4v4 spaceship duels for a top-down-then-third-person PvE co-op shooter built around dropping onto enemy planets, calling in stratagems, and extracting under fire. The crew of friends translates: four players, defined kits, and the constant chatter that made Wildgate work. Arrowhead patches the game heavily and runs a metagame around galactic war fronts.
Where it falls short: Combat is on planets, not in ship interiors. There is no real PvP layer.
Pricing: Paid base game on Steam; cosmetic warbonds run as paid passes.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Helldivers 2 if the four-friends-on-voice loop sold Wildgate to you.
2. Void Crew -- the closest thing to Wildgate's role stations
Void Crew puts one to four players inside a single shared starship with explicit stations: pilot, gunner, engineer, away team. It is the alternative that most clearly inherits Wildgate’s crew structure on PC. Hutlihut Games has kept the game in active updates through 1.0 and beyond.
Where it falls short: PvP is missing; Void Crew is fully co-op. Player population is smaller than Helldivers 2 and Sea of Thieves.
Pricing: Paid one-time purchase on Steam, no live service tail.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Void Crew if the engine-room scramble was Wildgate’s selling point and you do not need PvP.
3. Sea of Thieves -- the original crewed-ship-versus-crewed-ship loop
Sea of Thieves is the prototype Wildgate built on, swapping space for the Caribbean. Up to four players crew a galleon or sloop, take on PvE world events, and run into other crews who want what you are carrying. Rare’s live service has held up since 2018, and the move to multi-platform (including Steam) refilled the queues.
Where it falls short: No engine room mechanics; ship maintenance is rope and cannonball. Combat is third-person melee and broadside, not laser-shooter.
Pricing: Paid one-time purchase on Steam; cosmetic-only post-purchase monetisation.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Sea of Thieves if PvPvE crewed-ship sailing was the loop you wanted from Wildgate.
4. Star Wars: Squadrons -- first-person space dogfighting
Star Wars: Squadrons is a smaller-scale Wildgate alternative if your crew was really there for the cockpit moments. 5v5 dogfights in TIE fighters and X-wings, full HOTAS or controller support, and a tight campaign. EA has stopped active updates, but the multiplayer still finds matches with a small loyal community.
Where it falls short: Population is thin; queue times in off-peak can hit 5-10 minutes. No engine-room or crewed-ship gameplay.
Pricing: Paid one-time purchase. No microtransactions.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Squadrons if Wildgate’s cockpit moments were the part you replayed.
5. Deep Rock Galactic -- four-dwarf co-op space mining shooter
Deep Rock Galactic is the longest-running four-player PvE space-themed co-op shooter on PC, and its season cadence and class identity (Driller, Engineer, Gunner, Scout) translate the role-playing texture of Wildgate to a different mission shape. Caves rather than ship interiors, but the crew chemistry is identical.
Where it falls short: No PvP, no actual ship combat. The art style is comedic and might not match Wildgate’s serious tone.
Pricing: Paid one-time purchase. Cosmetic-only DLC.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick DRG if you want a co-op shooter with seven years of content and a healthy queue at any hour.
6. Pulsar: Lost Colony -- the original crewed-ship sim
Pulsar: Lost Colony is the spaceship co-op crew sim that predates Wildgate. Two to five players crew a single ship through procedurally generated star systems, with explicit captain, pilot, scientist, engineer, and weapons roles. The game went through a long Early Access and shipped 1.0; updates are slower but active.
Where it falls short: Older engine; combat feels dated. Smaller community on Steam.
Pricing: Paid one-time purchase. No live service.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Pulsar if you want the deepest role specialisation per ship station on this list.
7. Star Citizen -- the largest crewed-ship MMO in development
Star Citizen is the most ambitious crewed-ship game on PC, with playable ships ranging from solo fighters to capital vessels that need a dozen crew members. The trade-off is real: it is still in alpha, the wipes are routine, and the patches are heavy.
Where it falls short: Alpha state, real bugs, expensive ship pledges. The grind to a good crew loadout is significant.
Pricing: Direct from Cloud Imperium Games, with a paid Starter Pack and optional ship pledges.
Download: robertsspaceindustries.com
Bottom line: Pick Star Citizen if you have the patience for an in-development MMO and crew sizes Wildgate could not match.
FAQ
What was Wildgate? Wildgate was a 4v4v4 crewed-spaceship shooter from Dreamhaven. Crews of four piloted ships through PvPvE maps, fought other ships, boarded them, and extracted. Active development ended in 2026.
Is Helldivers 2 like Wildgate? Partially. Both are four-player co-op shooters where role and chatter matter, but Helldivers 2 is planet-side PvE rather than ship-versus-ship.
Can I play Wildgate now that development ended? Servers remain online in stewardship mode. New content is unlikely; the existing match types stay.
Are there any free Wildgate alternatives? Star Citizen has a free fly week several times a year. Sea of Thieves has run free trials. Helldivers 2 occasionally discounts deeply.
Which game has the best ship interiors for fighting inside? Void Crew and Star Citizen are the strongest. Pulsar: Lost Colony has interiors with role stations but the combat itself is dated.
