NetEase’s massive free-to-play open world game Where Winds Meet has a very unique monetisation strategy. While many free-to-play games double down on extracting as much cash as possible, via controversial “pay to win” mechanics, the team behind Where Winds Meet is focusing solely on cosmetics as a ‘guiding principle’ vowing to not “sell power”.
Speaking to FRVR, Beralt Lyu, Lead Producer of Where Winds Meet, revealed the ‘greatest commercial advantage’ for the game is that it offers an experience free from “the constraints of pay-to-win mechanics”.
Unlike many free-to-play games that rely on gacha mechanics, Where Winds Meet is committed to a cosmetics-only strategy. There are no gacha elements here whereas some of the biggest free-to-play games, like MiHoYo’s Genshin Impact, can keep powerful characters behind a form of virtual raffle.
“Our perspective on monetization is this: first and foremost,” he said. “We must protect our greatest commercial advantage—which is offering an experience free from the constraints of pay-to-win mechanics. Therefore, with that as our guiding principle, we see no need to become aggressive or introduce statistical advantages in the future.
On launch, Where Winds Meet does offer premium cosmetics in exchange for money, and Lyu is clear that more cosmetics with more complex options will arrive in future updates. “Our commitment is to cosmetics,” they said. “However, we’re also very aware that our current cosmetic system is quite basic. Both the content itself and the ways players can acquire it are areas we are just beginning to explore and refine in collaboration with our community.”
“We must protect our greatest commercial advantage—which is offering an experience free from the constraints of pay-to-win mechanics”
Beralt Lyu, Lead Producer of Where Winds Meet
So, for a game that doesn’t rely on gacha mechanics, is it still a viable business if only cosmetics are fitting the bill? For the Where Winds Meet team, the primary objective is to support long-term development of the game. “Secondly, and more importantly,” Lyu added, “We refuse to undermine our greatest commercial advantage. The unique selling point of Where Winds Meet’s monetization is its lack of constraints—its commitment to not selling power or creating pay-to-win mechanics.”
Where Winds Meet has attracted more than nine million players since it launched last month – and with a mobile version scheduled for December 12th, the team hopes to evolve the world and story “for years to come”.
“While we can’t share a detailed, multi-year calendar just yet, our seasonal update model is built specifically for sustained growth”, said Lyu. “We have a clear, ambitious roadmap of content planned, including new regions to explore, chapters of the main story to unfold, and fresh gameplay experiences to discover.”
He added: “In short, our intention is to support and grow this world alongside our community for the long haul. We’re not just launching a game; we’re planting a seed, and we plan to nurture it with our players for a very, very long time. The journey has only just begun.”
