Experience an epic story, take part in fast-paced martial arts battles, experience different occupations with their own quests, and explore a massive game world that is both beautiful to behold and filled with secrets waiting to be discovered.

Where Winds Meet takes place during the twilight of the Ten Kingdoms - the era in Chinese history when an entire dynasty could crumble in a blink of an eye. The melody of “The Beautiful Lady Yu” heralded the end of the road for the last emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty. Li Yu ruled the world as the emperor but was better known as the Immortal King of Poetry. It was his love for poetry, not power, that eventually lost him the war and saw him become a prisoner of Song. During the three years of incarceration, Li yearned for his country and lover incessantly. After realizing his fate lay in a cup of poisoned wine, he turned those longings into the masterpiece called “The Beautiful Lady Yu”.

Where Winds Meet is set during the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, during an era of war and conflict. The player takes on the role of a wandering swordsman, who grew up during this brutal age, and used their martial arts and sword fighting skills to survive against countless foes. The player is thrust into this ruthless world, and they must choose between upholding their code of morals, in order to protect the innocent and fight for justice or live only for themselves and risk the land slipping further into chaos and despair.

In Where Winds Meet, the swordsman is a master of the blade. The combat involves fast-paced Wuxia-style battles, where the player can counter enemy blows, use Tai Chi to reflect their attacks, or use acrobatics to slip through their guard and strike them from all angles. The player also has access to a number of martial arts skills and ranged weapons, allowing them to break free from one fighting style and use a mixture of abilities to defeat their enemies, creating their own approach to combat. The world of Where Winds Meet is also home to different wild animals and supernatural creatures, who will require their own unique approach in battle. The swordsman’s martial arts skills can also be used to explore the beautiful world of Where Winds Meet, allowing them to scale walls, leap across rooftops, and sprint across the waves. The player also has their trusty steed, which will swiftly carry him across the gorgeous landscape.

Everstone Studio and NetEase Games today announced that Where Winds Meet will launch the second chapter of its Hidden Mountain expansion, titled "Heaven’s Threshold," on August 20 (UTC).

The major update takes players beyond the safety of the mountain city into high-altitude cliffside frontiers, introducing new story campaigns, massive mechanical monsters, puzzle-filled dungeons, and festive seasonal events.

Ascend Heaven’s Threshold

Following the events of the previous chapter, players leave the mountain base to scale the fog-shrouded summits of "Heaven's Threshold." By joining the community-wide "Cloudtop Ascent" building event, players will gradually unlock a vast mountain area featuring vertical exploration, dramatic drop-offs, and crumbling ancient observatories. The story deepens as a moral debate splits the ancient craftspeople: should they stay hidden from the world, or use their advanced engineering to help people in need? 

Engage Dynamic Mechanical Bosses & Dungeons

The update challenges players with giant mechanical bosses and intricate puzzle environments:

• Colossal World Bosses: Face the Inkpincer Scorpion and Cloud-Seizing Serpent - two giant iron beasts designed by ancient inventors. Victory requires timing strikes to hit vulnerable joints when their armor opens.
• Evershift Labyrinth Dungeon: Hidden deep underground, this multi-layered maze features rotating wooden gears and traditional interlocking joints. Players must battle security constructs while adjusting the moving floorboards to find a way out.
• Campaign of Mirkvale: Infiltrate a quiet, abandoned valley taken over by rogue blacksmiths. Players team up with a young boy to repair forgotten waterwheels and machinery to uncover why the industrial center fell silent.

Tactical Combat, Folklore Horror & Other New Gameplay 

• Combat expands with two new mystic skills: Bursting Nine, an archery technique that fires a nine-arrow volley to slow and trap groups of enemies, and World to Sword, which channels excess healing power into flying energy blades. 
• Additionally, to mark China’s traditional Ghost Festival, the update introduces Reflection Temple—a solo survival mode set in an eerie, haunted mountain shrine where players must follow strict rules and uncover hidden clues to escape unpunished.
• For a change of pace, players can join Chasing with Kite, a high-speed racing mode available in both solo time-trials and online multiplayer, or try Pangolin Peddler, establishing merchant trade routes between remote villages to earn rare rewards. 

Join Where Winds Meet at Gamescom 2026

Taking the momentum straight into Cologne, Germany, Where Winds Meet will also be heading to Gamescom 2026 from August 26 to 30. Fans visiting the public area can find the team at Hall 7.1, Booth B-050. 

At the booth, visitors can play an exclusive hands-on demo featuring the dramatic finale of the Hidden Mountain storyline and try out the upcoming Drunken Master combat style. Beyond the game stations, players can explore the eerie "Ghostlight Market" style booth to obtain exclusive merchandise, and witness a unique "wuxia-punk" stage show featuring both human and specialized robot cosplayers blending futuristic tech with traditional martial arts aesthetics.

Answer the call of the wind and prepare to conquer the clouds—mark your calendar for August 20 and embark on your journey through the lofty peaks of Heaven's Threshold!

Combat is an important part of Where Winds Meet, but there is far more to the game that just trading blows with enemies. The player can have their version of the swordsman take on different roles in the game world, such as becoming a doctor who saves lives, or becoming a merchant earning as much gold as possible. Where Winds Meet also has an expansive free-construction system, with over 600 authentic components that allow the player to build structures in the world and make it their own. The player can also choose to live freely and eschew these side-activities, in order to pursue the main story and face the most dangerous enemies in the realm.

Where Winds Meet offers an immersive open-world sandbox experience that has never been seen before, as the player chooses their own path to their destiny against the backdrop of ancient China. This is a tale of bloodshed, struggle, and sacrifice, but there is also hope, as the player can become the one who can bring about change in society. Where Winds Meet is all about giving players the freedom to tell their own story within its beautiful game world.

Key Features:

• Freely explore a vibrant ancient Chinese capital city: Unlike Qinghe’s rolling hills and open wilderness, Kaifeng is a bustling capital. With over one million square meters to discover, players are free to roam the city and experience its lively atmosphere at their own pace.
• Immersive story exploration: Where Winds Meet weaves its grand narrative through a scattered storytelling approach, fully integrated into its expansive world. In Kaifeng, players will experience sharp contrasts—from the luxury of Fanlou Golden Street to struggling slums, from grand palaces to the mysterious ghost market. Each area offers its own stories to uncover, whether through the main quest or by exploring off the beaten path.
• Experience thrilling and stylish combat: As they explore, players meet legendary figures, uncover heroic tales, and settle old rivalries through intense battles. Players can customize their characters and master a unique eastern combat system, unlocking and upgrading a wide variety of weapons and skills inspired by Wuxia martial arts.
• Explore Lively City Life: In Where Winds Meet, players can experience the vibrant bustle of ancient Kaifeng, with over 10,000 NPCs inhabiting the city. NPCs can be friends, pickpocket targets, brawling opponents, witnesses to crimes, or the starting point for new adventures. Some may even entrust players with the key to their destiny, leading to entirely different endings.
• Engage in authentic ancient pastimes: Players can enjoy a range of classic Chinese activities—explore lively city streets, relax at bathhouses, watch traditional opera, and more. There are plenty of ways to experience the charm of everyday life.
• Shape the world with actions: The City changes in response to player choices. Abandoned wheat fields may flourish again, and rundown streets can become lively neighborhoods, all depending on how players interact with the world.

Where Winds Meet is available for Android, iOS, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).