Where Winds Meet is getting its Imperial Palace expansion next week

Everstone Studio's free-to-play Wuxia RPG Where Winds Meet is adding its "Imperial Palace" expansion on May 28. A new gameplay trailer dropped today. Players get a fresh look at the snow-covered Kaifeng royal court, martial arts combat, and side activities.

PlayStation's marketing leans on the game's status as a PlayStation 5 console exclusive. If you play on other hardware, do not panic. The game is still fully available on PC and mobile, where it originally launched alongside the PS5 version in late 2025. The console exclusivity simply means Xbox players are left out for at least six months.

Infiltrating the royal court

The Imperial Palace is not just a visual backdrop. The Version 1.7 update adds a massive new area spanning over one million square meters.

It includes ceremonial halls, hidden spaces, and more than 3,000 dynamic NPCs spread across the Front Court, Inner Quarters, and Central Bureaus.

Players will enter the palace during a main story investigation before joining the Office of Martial and Virtue. This group operates as the court's intelligence agency. From there, you take on undercover assignments to dig into secrets hidden inside the empire's political center. The expansion launches with the Sealed Treasury campaign on May 28. This quest sends players into a heavily guarded royal vault after receiving an anonymous letter. A second campaign centered around an underground prison called the Confinement Tower will follow in June.

Rooftop duels and giant swords

The new environment demands vertical exploration and high-altitude combat. Characters clash on green-tiled rooftops at night.

The combat relies on fast-paced parrying and a variety of traditional weapons.

Where Winds Meet also leans hard into its high-fantasy roots. In one scene, the protagonist casually balances on a giant floating sword against the backdrop of a full moon. It is certainly one way to avoid the morning commute. The game uses these mystical arts to break up the grounded martial arts combat.

Life beyond the blade

The game has always blended its action with life-simulation mechanics. The Imperial Palace update continues that trend with highly specific minigames. Beyond the primary story quests and world bosses, players can take part in fishing, card games, and cricket fighting. You can even attempt to sneak royal meals or try to sit on the Dragon Throne. The developers tease that sitting on the emperor's chair comes with consequences. I assume "consequences" in a 10th-century royal court usually involves a lot of sharp metal.

The update also expands the game's multiplayer components. Players can team up for cooperative trials within the palace grounds or participate in the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival event in June. The festival will add traditional customs and allow players to craft gifts for their companions.

One specific moment stands out: a large, anthropomorphic cat dressed in traditional clothing holding a fish. It is a sharp pivot from the intense rooftop sword fights. It fits the game's kitchen-sink approach to historical China perfectly.

The Version 1.7 update goes live next Thursday. Players who are already invested in the Jianghu storyline can preload the 13GB patch now through the official launcher or the PlayStation Network. The new content is completely free, as the game restricts its monetization to cosmetic items.