After a long time of anticipation, Where Winds Meet finally launches globally on November 14, bringing NetEase’s ambitious open-world Wuxia RPG to players worldwide.
Ahead of release, one player who spent over 80 hours on the Chinese version answered hundreds of community questions in a massive AMA. Their insights give us a clear picture of what to expect when the global version drops, from combat mechanics and exploration to co-op, PvP, and even monetization.
So, here is everything you need to know before you start playing!
Fully Voiced Story, With Choices That Matter
Where Winds Meet has a fully voiced main story, with both male and female protagonist options. The global version includes English voices, but the Chinese voice acting is often complimented for its emotional delivery and even better character tone. If you do not mind, it is highly recommended to keep the Chinese voice acting.
Side quests are partly voiced, but you can not change your voice type entirely; you can just change the pitch to better fit your character’s design.
The main story must be completed solo, but co-op becomes available later for exploration, dungeons, and bosses.
Combat: Parrying, Healing, and Style
Combat in Where Winds Meet takes inspiration from martial arts duels, but it is not a punishing Souls-like game. Every weapon can block and parry, and there is even a Parry Assist option that slows time and helps you with timing if you prefer a more relaxed experience.
All weapons have unique styles, but your best bet for solo progression is to combine one healing weapon with one DPS weapon, for example:
- Fan: the main healing weapon.
- Umbrella: a deployable healer that stays active even when you attack with something else.
Optional auto-dodge and auto-parry modes also exist, which make the game very accessible even if you are not used to precise combat mechanics.
Explore, Fly, and Team Up
Exploration is a big part of the game‘s charm. Players can freely go around the open world with friends, uncover secrets, open chests, and take on massive world bosses together.
Early on, you will be limited to running and climbing, but later you will unlock the ability to glide and even fly once you have completed enough of a region’s content. Nothing is missable.
As mentioned, the main story is solo, but nearly everything else (exploration, bosses, dungeons, and raids) supports co-op. Raids can be done in 5-player casual or 8-player harder modes, with matchmaking available.
Progression, Gear, and Builds
Progression revolves around your character level and gear quality. Outfits are purely cosmetic. You will want to focus on upgrading one main weapon pair to avoid spreading your resources too thin.
Gear upgrades are really important; ignoring them makes enemies feel too hard, and fully upgraded gear can shred bosses quickly. Respeccing builds costs resources, but it is not too punishing, and creating new characters is always an option if you want a new start.
PvP and Guilds
PvP in Where Winds Meet is extensive, offering everything from 1v1 duels to massive 30v30 faction wars. Smaller fights (1v1, 2v2, 3v3) can be played anytime, and large-scale battles are scheduled events, usually on weekends.
There is no forced open-world PvP unless you choose to commit crimes, because this will flag you for bounty hunting, and yes, you can actually be jailed for in-game crimes.
Players can also join guilds or factions, unlocking daily activities, titles, and reputation bonuses. You should join a guild as soon as possible.
Customization and Monetization
The character customization is pretty nice; you can freely edit your face, change accessories, and even adjust the angle or size of certain cosmetic items. Some accessories are quirky and unique, like wearable jars or floating fish.
Premium outfits come from battle passes or gacha draws, but all are purely cosmetic. Free options are available through events and exploration, so free-to-play players will not be disadvantaged.
Some top-tier outfits can get pricey, reportedly up to several hundred dollars if you go all-in on the gacha, but keep in mind that they do not affect gameplay at all, so it is really just for cosmetics.
Fans Are Excited but Cautious
As Where Winds Meet gets closer to its global release, the excitement is easy to spot across social media. Players are curious about the world, the story, the exploration, and also how the game will handle things like monetization and performance once everyone jumps in.
One thing is clear, though. It is not a Souls-like, and it is not a Genshin copy. It has its own style and atmosphere, with a Wuxia world that feels emotional, relaxed to play, and genuinely different from anything else out right now.
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