Hit RPG from China: Where Winds Meet about to launch for free
2025 was a good year to get a taste of RPGs with an Asian setting. We already got to enjoy Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ghost of Yōtei, and now there’s another game from China that’s launching very soon. Where Winds Meet will be released globally on November 14, completely free of charge. The open-world action RPG from developer Everstone Studio and publisher NetEase Games has been available in China since late 2024 and is quite successful there.
The game takes players to 10th-century China, specifically the era of the "Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms". As a young sword master, players embark on a journey of self-discovery, as the path in Where Winds Meet is not predetermined. Instead, the open-world RPG invites players to explore more than 20 regions and decide for themselves where the journey is headed. The open world includes imperial cities, bamboo forests, snowy mountain passes and abandoned temples. All are rendered in detailed 3D graphics with dynamic weather and a day-night cycle.
Players can strike from the shadows as an assassin, help those in need as a wandering healer or bring peace as a flute player. Moreover, you can join factions and customize your character in various ways. Where Winds Meet also gives players a lot of freedom in terms of combat. With a versatile arsenal of traditional weapons such as swords, spears, dual blades, rope darts, bows, fans and even umbrellas, players can develop their own fighting style. Weapons can be switched at will, and enemies can be defeated using mythical abilities like Tai Chi.
Hype in China
In China, Where Winds Meet has become a major hit. According to the developers, the game reached more than 40 million users by July 2025. And according to a post on X, over 10 million players have already registered for the upcoming global release. Media outlets such as Newsweek and GamerBraves report an overwhelmingly positive response to the Chinese version. The graphics, presentation, and deep combat system are particularly praised.
Whether the global launch will live up to those high expectations remains to be seen. But the numbers from China and the massive pre-release interest suggest that Where Winds Meet could become the next major open-world blockbuster from China, at least if the overall experience is not compromised by technical issues, microtransactions or other issues.
Global release on PC and PS5
Where Winds Meet launches on November 14 as a free-to-play game for PC (on Steam and Epic Games) as well as Sony's PlayStation 5 (from $499 on Amazon). At the time of writing, it's unclear if the title will also come out on Xbox Series X/S.
Source(s)
Image: PlayStation Store
