At Gamescom 2025, we got to try Where Winds Meet, the long-awaited wuxia open-world RPG by Everstone Studio and published by NetEase.

Launching worldwide this November, it’s shaping up to be one of the most ambitious Chinese RPGs to date. From martial arts duels to freedom-driven exploration, here’s what stood out.

Story and Setting

Set in 10th-century China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the game places you in a chaotic era of political conflict and rival warlords. You step into the shoes of a wandering swordsman with a mysterious past.

The narrative leans heavily on intrigue, martial sect rivalries, and moral choice. Will you fight as a righteous hero, carve a path as a cunning opportunist, or tread a middle ground? Every decision shapes the legacy you leave behind.

Martial Arts Combat

Combat is the centerpiece of Where Winds Meet. Instead of simple hack-and-slash, you learn Mystic Arts that make fights feel cinematic. Expect parries that launch enemies, counters that use their own strength against them, and pinpoint pressure strikes.

Weapons like swords, spears, and bows each offer flashy combos and distinct playstyles. Combat choreography, guided by Hong Kong fight director Stephen Tung Wai, makes duels look more like martial arts films than traditional RPG battles.

World and Exploration

This is an open world built for freedom and wuxia flair. You can sprint up walls, skim across rivers, ride horses, glide through the air, or leap across rooftops with energy-based skills.

The world is filled with villages, ruins, and encounters, and NPCs react dynamically to your actions. Help the weak, deceive merchants, or create chaos; the choice is yours. Beyond combat, you can even live alternate roles, such as doctor, musician, scholar, or merchant, each adding new dimensions to exploration.

Multiplayer and Systems

While fully playable solo, Where Winds Meet also features a shared-world system. You can join co-op adventures, duel other players, or form guilds to tackle raid-style challenges.

The game follows a free-to-play model with cosmetic purchases and a battle pass. Everstone has promised no paywalls that block progression, though players are watching closely to see how this promise holds up after launch.

Visuals and Audio

Running on NetEase’s Messiah Engine, the game delivers sweeping vistas, authentic architecture, and lush landscapes. Motion-captured animations make combat smooth and cinematic.

Audio also stands out, blending traditional Chinese instruments with orchestral scores to immerse players in the wuxia atmosphere. Localization and UI, however, are areas that still need polish before the global release.

First Impressions

Where Winds Meet is ambitious, with its martial arts combat, player-driven choices, and a Wuxia open-world design. The freedom to shape your character’s path, whether in combat, profession, or morality, gives it a strong identity.

Still, questions remain around its free-to-play approach and how smoothly such a large-scale project will land globally. For now, though, it feels like a promising blend of wuxia storytelling and modern RPG design.

Where Winds Meet launches on November 14, 2025, for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store. With its wuxia-inspired combat and expansive freedom, it’s definitely one RPG worth keeping on your radar.

Check out the Where Winds Meet official website for the latest updates and more details on its worldwide launch. Also, check our interview with Where Winds Meet’s Development Team, where they talk about how they envisioned their living Wuxia world.