Cloud Pirates is launching as free-to-play on April 19

After some time in Early Access, Cloud Pirates is finally ready to sail onto its full release as a free-to-play game on April 19. This aerial action MMO from the makers of Skyforge offers an interesting take on tactical battles with a vast range of customizable airships, and the official launch comes with the Stronghold update, adding things such as three-man teams, Brotherhood Strongholds and Stronghold Siege mode.

Here is everything that the Stronghold update brings to Cloud Pirates:

• Three Party Groups and Personal Ratings – Now you and two of your friends can take to the skies and hunt together! Also, players will have the option to compare their performance with each ship with that of other Captains! Leaderboards with the names and ratings of the best Captains will be posted on a dedicated portal page for all to see!

• League System – Stronghold rolls out an all-new league system where Captains can compete to advance through each of the game’s six tiered leagues. Replacing the previous Captain ratings, ranking will be tied to individual ships providing a more refined matchmaking system to ensure equally skilled opponents for each Captain and ship.

• Brotherhood Strongholds – Captains who have chosen to ally themselves with one Brotherhood or another. They will now get the opportunity to spend the Meteoric Ore obtained in the past in Convoy Mode on creating their very own Brotherhood Strongholds!

• Stronghold Siege – Available to all Captains, this mode takes place on a special Stronghold map during specific times. The new mode tasks players with protecting their own Stronghold or attacking the enemy's. The attackers will be able to damage the enemy Stronghold by capturing points and destroying defensive structures with the ultimate goal of assaulting the heart of the enemy base. While the defenders must stop them at all costs! The winners will be rewarded with a new type of currency, allowing them to purchase special customization options – golden cannons.

• Combat Customization – Captains with Tier 2 ships or higher will have the option to change their ships' weapon and gear configuration after the start of a battle! This will allow experienced Captains to better face their enemies and to adjust their ship load-out for the ultimate performance! Captains will be able to create several pre-sets before the battle and will be able to switch between these pre-sets during the battle start countdown and after dying when waiting for the respawn at a cost.

• Consumables – Rank 4 Captains of Tier 2 ships or higher will have the option to use one-time consumables, acquired in the Hangar via the Equipment screen. These consumables will activate automatically and will come in three categories – Offensive (providing an additional ability), Defensive (passive bonus), Special (passive bonus). The consumables available will be unique to each ship and their price will depend on the ship's Tier.