NetEase GamesWhere Winds Meet has exploded in popularity on Steam, with players voicing disbelief that the open-world game is completely free to play.
Since its global launch on November 14, all-time peaks for Everstone Studios’ wuxia RPG have continuously been broken, having recorded 193,860 concurrent players on November 16, per SteamDB.
This also doesn’t take into account PlayStation 5 figures, where Where Winds Meet is available as a console exclusive.
The studio announced that within 24 hours, the total number of players reached the 2 million mark.
With the game’s world, visuals, and scope drawing widespread praise, many players have openly questioned how Where Winds Meet has no price tag reflecting its quality.
Players “can’t believe” the game is free
Off the back of release weekend, a prevailing sentiment on social media has been surprise regarding how Where Winds Meet was able to be made available at no cost to the consumer.
On Steam, where the game currently holds a “Very Positive” overall rating, multiple user reviews rhetorically questioned the lack of any monetary cost.
“How is this free, seriously? I have this feeling someone is gonna break into my house so they can give me some kind of fine or extort me for time spent playing,” one read, with another adding, “I cannot believe that this game is free.”
Where Winds Meet’s all-time concurrent player record on Steam as of November 16, 2025.The same dialogue continued on Where Winds Meet’s fledgling subreddit, with one thread asking, “My Jaw dropped after reaching Kaifeng city. How on earth could this be a free game?”
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So, what’s the catch? If you’ve no interest in cosmetics, none at all. If, on the other hand, you’re a would-be fashionista, Where Winds Meet’s big money generator is cosmetic monetisation.
As it’s still early days, it’s unclear if in-game purchases constitute pay-to-win, but having done some window shopping ourselves in-game, there doesn’t appear to be anything of the sort, at least in the early hours.
Taking your first tentative steps in Where Winds Meet and find yourself in need of some direction or just some general tips? Check out our guides to help you along.