Where Winds Meet lead designer on bringing "a truly immersive Wuxia experience" to the west

MMOs have long been a major player in the Chinese games industry.

The likes of Dungeon Fighter Online, Fantasy Westward Journey, Zhengtu Online and more have racked up hundreds of millions of players; many of these names will be unfamiliar to those of us in the west, however.

But with the breakout success of 2024's Black Myth: Wukong placing Chinese games firmly in the spotlight, more and more studios are looking to make that leap.

Among those is Hangzhou's Everstone Studio, developer of Where Winds Meet, a game that launched in China late last year and is soon to make its way to the west.

Ahead of launch, we asked Where Winds Meet lead designer Chris Lyu about the game's upcoming release.

There's a fair amount of debate online as to whether Where Winds Meet is an MMO or not – what would you say it is?

"Where Winds Meet is an open-world Wuxia RPG. Our vision when making the game was to create a truly immersive Wuxia experience where players can live out their unique martial arts fantasy.

"In the world of Where Winds Meet, limiting the game to either only single-player or only multiplayer would make the game feel incomplete. That’s why we offer two distinct modes – single-player and multiplayer – that operate independently of each other yet can be switched between freely.

"In single-player mode, Where Winds Meet is essentially a full-fledged solo game, where players can immerse themselves in extensive story-driven content. In multiplayer mode, players can collaborate, compete, and explore the vast open world together."

Where Winds Meet has been out in China for 10 months already. How has the reception been among Chinese players so far?

"Since releasing in China, Where Winds Meet has been warmly received by players. With this title, we aimed to creatively reinterpret the classic Wuxia genre – a deeply traditional theme in Chinese culture – and we’re truly grateful that our creative vision resonated strongly with our community. That kind of connection is what excites and honours us the most as developers.

"For instance, players have embraced our approach that a 'Wuxia hero' isn’t always a martial arts master – sometimes, it’s an ordinary person without any special fighting skills.

"Many described the experience as deeply immersive, going so far as to say that 'When it comes to Wuxia games, Where Winds Meet is truly authentic.' The storytelling, art, music, and the vivid, living world all come together to form what our players have called their ideal Wuxia universe.

Are there any differences between creating a game for a Chinese audience versus a Western audience?

"The global release of Where Winds Meet will retain the same core content as the Chinese version. Our goal is to present international players with a world rooted in Eastern culture that feels both fresh and engaging.

"While we believe certain themes are universally relatable – and some players may even find moments of familiarity – what we strive to offer above all is a sense of novelty and discovery.

"Our focus remains on delivering high-quality content that genuinely resonates with players. For example, movement skills like Qinggong and the Tai Chi-inspired combat mechanics are designed to provide players with interactive, responsive, and fun experiences, creating moments of surprise and delight.

"That said, we have adapted certain culture-specific references to ensure they are accessible to players across regions. For instance, the traditional Chinese time unit "Shíchen (十二时辰) has been reinterpreted using the more widely recognisable Zodiac animals for international audiences. We also designed region-specific events and content to be more familiar to players in different parts of the world."

Stephen Tung was reportedly brought on to work on the game's choreography, how was it to work with such a legendary name in martial arts cinema?

"In order to created that romantic and genuine Jianghu, we have invited Stephen Tung Wai, the renowned Hong Kong, China-based martial arts choreographer and film director, to design the actions in the game with the consideration of martial arts.

"During the research and development stage, Stephen Tung Wai participated in the movesets and combat performance design, such as weapons like Mo Blade, Spears, Fans, Umbrellas, Rope Darts, etc.

"Different from the exaggerated moves commonly seen in traditional Wuxia games, the moves designed by Stephen Tung Wai for Where Winds Meet will place more emphasis on the authenticity and rationality of the actions.

"Starting with film-level motion capture, all the martial arts scenes are real. All the combat actions of Where Winds Meet are the result of repeated trials and tempering by professional martial arts actors and the wirework team under the guidance of Stephen Tung Wai. At the same time, in order to simulate the real sense of action feedback, all the martial arts actions are completed through on-site simulated battles.

"Even for single-person actions, at least two martial arts actors are required to carry out the antagonistic interpretation. Fortunately, under the guidance of Stephen Tung Wai, we have combined Where Winds Meet with action movies and completed an unprecedented attempt at the cinematicisation of Wuxia games.

"One of the feelings of cooperating with Stephen Tung Wai is the happiness of 'finding professional people to do professional things'."

Black Myth: Wukong set a new standard for Chinese games in the West. Has that opened up any new opportunities for developers like Everstone Studios? Does it add any pressure?

"We are very glad that more excellent Chinese games are loved by global players. We hope that Where Winds Meet can become one of them and be loved and recognized by players all over the world.

"Games are known as the 'ninth art'. We believe that a good game is a bridge that can connect players from different countries and regions, with different cultures and growth backgrounds.

"Developers from all over the world also keep up frequent communication, learning, and inspiration stimulation together. For example, Where Winds Meet has participated in the Gamescom, the Tokyo Game Show, and the Brazil Game Show for many times, and has conducted exchanges with local excellent game developers and journalists in the game industry.

"In the games of art and passion, it collides with the diverse and brilliant creativity of everyone."

Where Winds Meet releases on 14th November 2025 for PC and PS5.

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