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Where Winds Meet

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Where Winds Meet
Cover art depicting a warrior in blue dress overseeing Qinghe
DeveloperEverstone Studio
PublisherNetEase Games
EngineMessiah Engine
Platforms
ReleasePlayStation 5, Windows
November 14, 2025
Android, iOS
December 12, 2025
GenreAction-adventure role-playing
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Where Winds Meet [a] is a wuxia action-adventure role-playing video game developed by Everstone Studio and published by NetEase Games. The player assumes the role of a wandering adventurer during the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Where Winds Meet was released worldwide for Windows and PlayStation 5 on November 14, 2025. It is scheduled to be released worldwide for Android and iOS on December 12, 2025.

Gameplay

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Where Winds Meet is a wuxia action-adventure role-playing game.[1] It can be experienced in single-player and multiplayer modes.[2][3][4][5] Players assume the role of a character who follows the path of a wandering adventurer, known as a youxia in the wuxia tradition, and can also pursue a large variety of professions.[6] The player character's appearance, such as physical attributes and clothing, is customizable.[7]

The wanderer can wield multiple weapon types, each of which is associated with different styles of martial arts.[8] For example, a sword can be used with either the Nameless Sword or Strategic Sword martial arts styles.[9] As of the game's launch, the available weapon types include swords, dual blades, spears, rope darts, fans, umbrellas, and mo blades.[10] Two weapons can be equipped at a time.[8][11] Depending on the current build, the weapons deal damage, provide control, and give healing.[12][13] In addition, there are mystic arts, which are skills that have effects inside and outside of combat.[14][15] They serve offensive, movement, or general purposes.[15] For example, Tai Chi can be used to throw a target, gather leaves in certain areas, or create ripples in water that causes fish to leap.[15]

The game takes place in an expansive open world.[1][8] The world is divided into regions, such as Qinghe and Kaifeng.[16] There are numerous quests, which are divided into categories such as main story, lost chapter, encounter, and exploration.[17] There are also a wide range of other activities, both combative and non-combative.[18] Various sects, each with its own distinct rules and unique incentives for its members, can be joined.[19][20][21]

The game is free-to-play and uses a monetization model that does not involve pay-to-win elements.[22][23] It has multiple options for guidance, which supports the exploration, and difficulty.[24]

Synopsis

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Where Winds Meet is set during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.[1][8][22][25][26] Its world is influenced by the wuxia tradition.[1][8][22]

Development

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Where Winds Meet is a game developed by Everstone Studio and published by NetEase Games.[27][28] The studio is based in Hangzhou, China.[29] The game utilizes the Messiah Engine.[30] It is maintained as a long-term title with periodic content updates.[31]

Everstone Studio set out to create a game that combines wuxia with an open world.[31][32] The team aimed to provide a deep immersion in the wuxia genre, a combat system that is different from traditional wuxia titles on the market, and an open world experience rich with emotional peaks.[31] The exploration in the open world was designed in layers along an emotional gradient and hierarchy: the base layer consists of points of interest, the next layer contains more expansive areas and medium-sized puzzles, and the top layer features content centered on major regional bosses who serve as the emotional climaxes.[31] Furthermore, the exploration was intertwined with the wuxia immersion, in which the goal is to make players feel like a hero, specifically a xiake, through the interactions with this world.[31]

For the worldbuilding, the creative process began with proposing a core thematic concept and gradually translating it into concrete player experiences, including gameplay.[33] Considering the game's roots in wuxia, the development team hoped that the chosen themes resonate with the cultural heritage that Chinese people relate to.[33] Qinghe, for instance, is a region thematically centered on the disappearance and emergence of the xiake, in which the design revolves around the heroes shrouded in legends from a previous era.[31] Kaifeng is a region thematically centered on the prosperity of a flourishing age and the decay amid the echoes of turmoil, in which the design shows the juxtaposition between the situation of the poor and wealthy.[31] The eponymous city in the region was designed based on thorough study of its real-world counterpart.[32] Hexi is a region thematically centered on poetry, in which the design reflects a sense of romanticism reminiscent to xieyi, a classical expressive art style.[33]

The sound design was built around the culture and nature of the period.[32] Folk songs and theaterical plays, those transmitted from history, were utilized.[32] The music was crafted in a form that did not rely on specific melodies but evokes the sounds of wind or water in accordance with the characters' beliefs.[32] This approach aimed not simply to recreate history, but to express the wuxia spirit and thus the hearts of the people living in this world.[32]

Stephen Tung, a martial arts choreographer, was brought on to help with the action design.[34][35]

Release

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Everstone Studio unveiled Where Winds Meet during Gamescom 2022.[36][37] In China, an open beta was launched on December 27, 2024, for PC [38] and on January 9, 2025, for mobile devices.[39] A trailer published by Sony revealed that the game would be a PlayStation 5 console exclusive for at least six months after its release.[40]

Where Winds Meet was released worldwide for PC (Windows) and PlayStation 5 on November 14, 2025.[41] It is scheduled to be released worldwide for mobile devices (Android and iOS) on December 12, 2025.[42][29][43] It features cross-platform play and progression.[42][29][43]

Reception

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Where Winds Meet received "mixed or average" reviews on PC and "generally favorable" reviews on PlayStation 5 from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[44][45]

After its Chinese PC launch in December 2024, Where Winds Meet surpassed 3 million downloads within four days.[46]

After its worldwide release, Where Winds Meet reached 2 million players within a day [47] and 9 million players within two weeks.[48][49][50] The game reached a peak of over 250 thousand concurrent players on Steam.[51][52]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Simplified Chinese: 燕云十六声; traditional Chinese: 燕雲十六聲; pinyin: Yànyún Shíliù Shēng; lit. 'sixteen sounds of Yan-Yun'.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Lyu, Beralt (May 30, 2024). "Where Winds Meet brings superhuman, open-world martial arts adventure to PS5". PlayStation.Blog.
  2. ^ Blum, Jeremy (November 12, 2025). "Where Winds Meet: Should you choose Solo or Online mode?". Rock Paper Shotgun.
  3. ^ Perez, Diego (November 17, 2025). "How to play Where Winds Meet multiplayer with friends". GamesRadar+.
  4. ^ Palumbo, Alessio (July 30, 2025). "Where Winds Meet Final Test Q&A - EverStone Unveils Its Living World 'Wuxia' Action RPG, Offering Single Player and MMO-Like Features". Wccftech.
  5. ^ Brown, Joshua (November 14, 2025). "Where Winds Meet co-op - How to unlock multiplayer and all modes". PCGamesN.
  6. ^ Wen, Alan (November 14, 2025). "How Where Winds Meet brings Chinese wuxia fantasy to the open world". Epic Games.
  7. ^ Stella, Marloes Valentina (November 28, 2025). "How to change your appearance in Where Winds Meet". Polygon.
  8. ^ a b c d e 山田集佳 (July 30, 2025). "武侠＆オープンワールドRPG『風燕伝：Where Winds Meet』を日本語で体験！". IGN Japan (in Japanese).
  9. ^ Whaling, Jacob (November 22, 2025). "Where Winds Meet: Complete Guide To Weapon Martial Arts". TheGamer.
  10. ^ Tompok, Hijam (November 14, 2025). "All weapon types in Where Winds Meet explained". Sportskeeda.
  11. ^ Blum, Jeremy (December 2, 2025). "Best weapons in Where Winds Meet". Rock Paper Shotgun.
  12. ^ Perez, Diego (November 22, 2025). "Where Winds Meet weapons tier list for the best offensive options". GamesRadar+.
  13. ^ Brown, Joshua (November 20, 2025). "Where Winds Meet tier list - best weapons, martial arts, and class combinations". PCGamesN.
  14. ^ Billcliffe, James (November 13, 2025). "Where Winds Meet Mystic Arts Guide and Unlock locations". VG247.
  15. ^ a b c Castania, Gabrielle (November 20, 2025). "Where Winds Meet: Best Mystic Arts To Unlock First". TheGamer.
  16. ^ Brown, Joshua (November 21, 2025). "Where Winds Meet map - all regions and locations". PCGamesN.
  17. ^ "Beginner's Guide to Where Winds Meet - Where Winds Meet Guide". IGN. November 23, 2025. Archived from the original on December 3, 2025.
  18. ^ Simons, Lucas (November 21, 2025). "Maximize Your Rewards in Where Winds Meet: Ultimate Daily & Weekly Activities Guide". Game Rant. Simons, Lucas (November 28, 2025). "Unlock Exclusive Solo Mode Activities in Where Winds Meet!". Game Rant. Simons, Lucas (November 27, 2025). "Where Winds Meet Online Mode: Exclusive Activities You Can't Miss!". Game Rant.
  19. ^ Castania, Gabrielle (November 20, 2025). "Where Winds Meet: Complete Guide To Sects". TheGamer.
  20. ^ Billcliffe, James (November 13, 2025). "Where Winds Meet Sect Guide". VG247.
  21. ^ Blum (November 25, 2025). "How to join all Sects in Where Winds Meet". Rock Paper Shotgun.
  22. ^ a b c Wood, Dashiell (July 29, 2025). "'No other studio has made this kind of game before' – Where Winds Meet developers on building the ultimate free-to-play Chinese fantasy epic". TechRadar.
  23. ^ Young, George (November 20, 2025). "New MMO on the block Where Winds Meet promises to never become pay-to-win, greeting players with the message "your legend is written by skill and choice, never by wallet size"". GamesRadar+.
  24. ^ Ali, Usama (November 18, 2025). "Where Winds Meet: Which Guidance Mode (& Difficulty) Should You Choose?". Game Rant.
  25. ^ Kim, Matt (August 23, 2022). "Where Winds Meet: A New Open World Game That Promises Ultimate Player Freedom". IGN.
  26. ^ Chalk, Andy (April 3, 2024). "Open-world wuxia game Where Winds Meet is holding its first beta test in North America later this month". PC Gamer.
  27. ^ Sinha, Ravi (August 4, 2025). "Where Winds Meet is Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen". GamingBolt.
  28. ^ Mercante, Alyssa (November 20, 2025). "Open-World RPG Where Winds Meet Has It All: Evil Geese, AI Chatbots, And A $40,000 Skin". Kotaku.
  29. ^ a b c Wood, Dashiell (December 2, 2025). "Free open-world RPG Where Winds Meet finally hits mobile next week after a successful PC and PS5 launch". TechRadar.
  30. ^ 浮梦万物皆虚 (December 27, 2024). "《燕云十六声》PC公测开启：4K高清画面欣赏". GamerSky (in Chinese).
  31. ^ a b c d e f g 王文杰 (December 9, 2024). "对话《燕云十六声》主创团队：勇于探索的人，值得更多的期待 - 触乐". ChuApp (in Chinese).
  32. ^ a b c d e f 山田集佳 (August 8, 2025). "『風燕伝：Where Winds Meet』開発者の「武侠愛」がすさまじい この熱量がゲームを変える". IGN Japan (in Japanese).
  33. ^ a b c 王文杰 (April 4, 2025). "《燕云十六声》大更新，内容长线运营还有新解法吗？". ChuApp (in Chinese).
  34. ^ Lees, Gina (November 14, 2025). "Where Winds Meet guides, gameplay, trailers, and more". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on November 29, 2025.
  35. ^ Zheng, Eric (November 7, 2025). "Where Winds Meet: dive deeper into gameplay and story details". PlayStation.Blog.
  36. ^ Nelson, Will (December 8, 2024). "Visually breathtaking open-world RPG launches later this month, for some". PCGamesN.
  37. ^ Ye, Kamui (September 27, 2022). "《燕云十六声》主创访谈：真实与幻想交织的武侠开放世界". IGN China (in Chinese).
  38. ^ 心态良好的胖子 (December 7, 2024). "终于来了！《燕云十六声》PC公测12.27正式开启". GamerSky (in Chinese). co1dsleep (December 27, 2024). "外媒：《燕云十六声》来自中国 有望成为新的游戏热点". GamerSky (in Chinese).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ 浮梦万物皆虚 (January 5, 2025). "《燕云十六声》1月9日开启移动端公测 主线推进开封地图将完全解锁". GamerSky (in Chinese). 浮梦万物皆虚 (January 10, 2025). "《燕云十六声》移动端流水出炉：AppStore畅销榜第32名". GamerSky (in Chinese).
  40. ^ Blake, Vikki (July 3, 2025). "Wuxia Open-World Action-Adventure Where Winds Meet a PlayStation Console Exclusive for at Least 6 Months". IGN.
  41. ^ Lees, Gina (November 14, 2025). "Where Winds Meet guides, gameplay, trailers, and more". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on November 29, 2025. For the PC system requirements, see Kawanishi, Paulo (November 12, 2025). "When does Where Winds Meet release in your time zone?". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 29, 2025. Archer, James (November 12, 2025). "Where Winds Meet's PC performance Wing Chuns itself with technical and presentational problems". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on November 29, 2025.
  42. ^ a b 薯泥 (December 1, 2025). "沉浸開放武俠《燕雲十六聲》兩周玩家突破900萬 手機版預告12/12推出". 4Gamers (in Chinese).
  43. ^ a b Marnell, Blair (December 2, 2025). "Where Winds Meet Will Officially Launch On Mobile This Month". GameSpot.
  44. ^ a b "Where Winds Meet PC Critic Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  45. ^ a b "Where Winds Meet PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  46. ^ Qin, Sherry (February 20, 2025). "NetEase Resumes Profit Growth but Revenue Slips". The Wall Street Journal.
  47. ^ Nightingale, Ed (November 18, 2025). "Chinese action-RPG Where Winds Meet reaches two million players in just 24 hours of global release". Eurogamer.
  48. ^ 心态良好的胖子 (November 30, 2025). "武侠响彻全球！《燕云》国际服两周游玩人数破900万". GamerSky (in Chinese).
  49. ^ Koselke, Anna (December 1, 2025). "New open-world MMO Where Winds Meet hits 9 million players in 2 weeks, with Steam reviews soaring at a "Very Positive" rating". GamesRadar+.
  50. ^ Sinha, Ravi (November 30, 2025). "Where Winds Meet Reaches 9 Million Players in Two Weeks". GamingBolt.
  51. ^ 可樂餅 (November 24, 2025). "《燕云十六声》Steam在线数再创新高！老外玩疯了". GamerSky (in Chinese).
  52. ^ "《燕云十六声》再创新高！成为Steam第一中国游戏，丁磊给予极高评价". GameLook (in Chinese). November 25, 2025.
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