Sirus Gaming joined the Where Winds Meet SEA Media Gathering in Hanoi, giving us the chance to sit down with the NetEase team and hear directly about where the project is headed next.
During a group interview featuring Joy Chen (SEA Publishing Lead) and Jasmine Jiang (NetEase Games Southeast Asia PR Lead), the discussion covered a surprisingly wide range of topics. Speaking on behalf of the team behind the game, they spoke candidly about the next major region after Hidden Mountain, their approach to monetization, how they handle localization in Southeast Asia, and how community feedback actually reaches the studio. We also learned how unexpected collaborations with names like action legend Yuen Woo-ping and Incantation director Kevin Ko have fundamentally shaped the game.
Rather than simply reproducing every question and answer, we pulled together the most interesting takeaways from the session.
A Brand-New Region is Coming After Hidden Mountain
One of the clearest pieces of new information came right at the start.
The NetEase team confirmed that their October update will introduce a brand-new region, a completely independent story, and a new sect following the conclusion of the Hidden Mountain storyline. The most interesting part is that this next region is not being positioned as a simple visual change.
Hidden Mountain was built around verticality, freerunning, and exploration that stretches from high-altitude peaks to underwater spaces. The NetEase team said the next region will feel completely different in how players interact with the open world, solve puzzles, and discover hidden treasures.
This suggests the studio is trying to make each major region feel mechanically distinct rather than relying on scale alone. For a game that has already grown into a massive open-world experience, that is exactly the right challenge to focus on.
The Publishing Team Wants the Core Experience to Stay Free
Monetization was another major topic. Asked why Where Winds Meet went with a free-to-play structure rather than charging upfront or placing progression blocks behind purchases, the NetEase team said the original goal was simple. Players should be able to experience the main story, boss encounters, and open-world exploration without ever hitting a paywall.
They described the game as something they wanted to treat as a creative work, not simply another commercial product. The publishing team confirmed that their non-pay-to-win model has worked and that they intend to maintain it long-term.
They also noted that cosmetic preferences differ heavily by region. Asian players tend to favor more traditional Wuxia-inspired designs, while Western players show more interest in pet-themed or battle-oriented styles. But the core philosophy remains the same, summed up perfectly in one line from the discussion:
“Building robust trust with our players is our top priority.”
That is the standard they will ultimately be judged against as the game continues to grow.
Wuxia is Not Just Kung Fu
One of the most fascinating parts of the interview had very little to do with combat systems. The team was asked about how international audiences often simplify Wuxia and the jianghu into just martial arts or kung fu. Their response was not to insist on a strict definition. Instead, they described Wuxia as being rooted in freedom and personal choice, arguing that forcing a single definition onto players would work against the spirit of the genre itself.
They stressed that Wuxia goes far beyond weapons and fighting. In their view, it is tied to history, poetry, philosophy, lifestyle, relationships, and the choices people make. Hidden Mountain was used as a prime example. The conflict involving the Mohist sect (particularly their choice between opening up to the outside world or remaining isolated) was designed to express Wuxia themes through the story rather than through heavy exposition.
The fantasy is not simply about becoming stronger. It is about deciding what kind of person you want to be in the jianghu.
Localization is About Emotion, Not Literal Translation
For Southeast Asia, localization is a particularly important topic. The publishing team said their approach is not limited to translating words directly. The ultimate goal is to preserve the emotional tone and what they call the “Wuxia spirit” of the original writing.
That process is ongoing. The NetEase team noted they are continuously refining localized dialogue not only for new chapters like Hidden Mountain, but also for older regions including Qinghe and Kaifeng.
A literal translation may communicate what a character says, but it does not always communicate why a scene is emotional, poetic, or culturally significant. This dedication to regional authenticity is exactly why their recent expansion into the Vietnamese market is such a massive step for the studio.
Additionally, the team confirmed they are actively listening to Southeast Asian player feedback regarding network latency to continuously optimize server routing for a smoother experience.
Yuen Woo-ping Did More Than Lend His Name
The interview offered much more detail on the game’s collaboration with legendary action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping.
The team reached out to him earlier this year to help refine martial arts actions, combat, and weapon use. What stood out was the sheer level of detail involved. According to the NetEase spokespersons, Yuen closely audited details such as body weight transfer, core stability, and the exact way force is delivered through each stance.
The goal was not simply to make attacks look stylish. They wanted combat to feel as if there was actual physical momentum behind every strike. He was involved in the physical language of the combat itself, insisting that martial arts must feel grounded in real-world physics. This makes the partnership a highly meaningful collaboration rather than a simple celebrity endorsement.
Player Feedback Actually Reaches the Studio
Studios constantly say they listen to players. The more useful question is what actually happens after that feedback arrives. The NetEase team explained that they actively aggregate feedback across Reddit, Discord, X, Instagram, and Facebook. They then categorize that input based strictly on volume, urgency, and importance to establish development priorities. Dedicated localization and community teams review player input daily and pass it directly to the development team, who then schedule updates.
Crucially, they look beyond the loudest voices online. The NetEase team pointed to the Homestead and Companion systems as examples of features designed specifically for more casual or simulation-focused players who might not be highly active on social media.
Hidden Mountain’s Finale Was Planned Well in Advance
With the Hidden Mountain storyline approaching its conclusion, the team discussed how the studio approached the final confrontation.
They revealed that the overall three-chapter structure was planned well ahead of time, particularly the climactic boss encounter at the end. That final battle was then heavily refined through community input, rigorous internal testing, and external focus groups. Watching how testers directly reacted to the boss encounter allowed the team to continuously adjust mechanics and pacing.
For a storyline that has been building across multiple updates, that level of planning is highly encouraging. It is also a big reason why the new boss fights feel so spectacular to actually play, which we break down in detail in our Where Winds Meet: Hidden Mountain Chapter 3 Finale Hands-On Preview.
Reflection Temple Started as a Film Collaboration
One of the more unusual stories from the interview involved Kevin Ko, the director of the Taiwanese horror film Incantation.
The Reflection Temple mode was inspired by traditional Eastern Ghost Month customs. It translates real-world folklore taboos into explicit gameplay survival rules while incorporating themes of ancestor offerings and wandering spirits. But the collaboration was not originally supposed to become a gameplay level.
The publisher first approached Ko to create a promotional short film. During early brainstorming, however, a lead level designer who was a massive fan of Incantation helped push the idea toward integrating horror storytelling directly into the game. The publishing team confirmed they plan to pursue similar high-profile collaborations in the future when the story calls for outside expertise.
A Game Defining Its Own Version of Wuxia
Before wrapping up, the NetEase team touched on the game’s approaching first global anniversary. They described it as their biggest celebration event so far, promising new narrative content, new gameplay modes, and the largest welfare rewards since launch.
The clearest theme running through the entire interview in Hanoi was that the team has no interest in treating Where Winds Meet as a fixed, finished product.
New regions are being designed around completely different exploration ideas. Player feedback is actively affecting feature development. Localization is being revised long after release. Collaborations are being baked directly into the game design rather than used purely for marketing.
The game is already incredibly large. The challenge now is making every new addition feel like it has a reason to exist. Based on what we heard in Hanoi, the publishing team and the studio appear very aware of that challenge, and they are fully prepared to meet it.
