Wuthering Waves is a free open-world action RPG from Kuro Games (China), released on May 23, 2024 for Windows, Android and iOS. You play Rover, an amnesiac protagonist, on the planet Solaris-3 in the aftermath of disasters called the Lament, and recruit Resonators (playable characters, each with their own resonance abilities). New characters come from gacha (a random-pull system), here called Convene. It sits in the same genre as Genshin Impact, but plays very differently.
Wuthering Waves chooses real-time combat: you swap characters constantly, dodge at the right moment to counter, block with a parry (timed deflection), and climb, wall-run and glide as in a parkour game. The launch was full of bugs, but the game is much steadier now. OtaHub reviews it up to version 3.7 (released on September 30, 2026) and scores it as it stands today after many patches, which is why the score is higher than critics' launch scores.
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Developer | Kuro Games; Unreal Engine |
| Publisher | Kuro Games |
| Release date | May 23, 2024 (PC, mobile); PS5 January 2, 2025; macOS March 27, 2025; Xbox July 10, 2026. Reviewed up to version 3.7 (September 30, 2026), on PC |
| Platforms | Windows, Android, iOS, PS5, macOS, Xbox Series X|S |
| Price | Free, with gacha (Convene) |
| Languages | Voice-over in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean; the Steam page (checked October 9, 2026) does not list Vietnamese |
| Length | No fixed length; regular updates about every six weeks |
| Where to play | Kuro Games launcher, Steam, Epic Games Store, App Store, Google Play, PlayStation Store |
| Critic scores | Metacritic 71 (PC), 73 (iOS), 76 (PS5); OpenCritic about 80 to 82% |
Review scope: what is OtaHub basing this on?
This review is based on the PC version, along with the PS5, macOS and Xbox versions, with the game as it stands at version 3.7, "Prism's Illusion, Heart's Illumination" (released on September 30, 2026). It draws on Kuro Games' official information, mechanics guides, critics' reviews and Metacritic and OpenCritic scores. Data was read up to October 8, 2026. The review does not yet include hands-on notes from an editor; when it does, OtaHub will add them. The OtaHub score reflects the game after many patches, so it is higher than critics' launch scores.
Gameplay: fast combat, but is there anything to work out?
Start with swapping characters. Each Resonator has an Intro skill (used when entering the field) and an Outro skill (used when leaving), and both run on Concerto Energy, a meter that fills as you attack, use skills or dodge. That means every swap is a reward, so you want to swap often to keep the rhythm. Each Resonator also has its own Forte Circuit, a mechanic gauge above the health bar, and the Resonance Liberation is the strongest ultimate. Echoes (items collected from monsters and slotted onto characters) add stats and skills.
The dodge and counter system is what OtaHub likes best. When an enemy is about to strike and you dash at just the right moment, time slows for a beat and you can strike back at once for a Dodge Counter. When a yellow ring flashes around an enemy, you press basic attack to parry, knocking them back and staggering them. Guides call dodging the most important mechanic to learn, because it both protects your health and opens the door for a counterattack.
That rhythm will feel hurried to players who only know turn-based combat or element-combo fighting. On the other hand, the game does not make you memorise long combos: you need to read timing more than recall formulas. Exploration is just as brisk: climbing costs stamina, and there is wall-running, mid-air dodging and gliding, while running across fields costs no stamina. Version 2.0 added a flight module in Rinascita, and version 3.0 added the Expedition Motorbike in Lahai-Roi.
When a boss loses its rhythm and you land a Tune Break
Since version 3.0 (December 2025), the game has the Off-Tune system. As you keep attacking, the Off-Tune gauge beside an enemy's health fills up. When it is full, the enemy enters a Mistuned state, and many bosses fall into it by themselves after dangerous attacks, so it is a built-in counterattack window.
That is when you use Tune Break: a big burst of damage that interrupts the enemy's attack, sharply cuts their stagger gauge and resets the Off-Tune bar. After that you simply swap to your main damage dealer for the strongest window of the fight. OtaHub likes this detail because it gives a fight a clear shape: press, wait for the boss to lose its rhythm, then finish.
Story and world: Solaris-3 after the catastrophe
The game takes place on the planet Solaris-3 after disasters called the Lament, where Tacet Discords (monsters born of the catastrophe) threaten survivors. The amnesiac Rover gradually uncovers a link to the Black Shores organisation, while the Fractsidus faction tries to accelerate a "True Lament" in order to push humanity's evolution. The story is only discussed up to its opening, with no plot details.
The world spans three regions: Huanglong with seven cities, Rinascita (version 2.0), an alliance of city-states, and Lahai-Roi (version 3.0). Opening gradually over many versions gives each region its own atmosphere and traversal mechanic, but also means you need to play regularly to see everything. The proper nouns are dense, and some players will find it a little confusing at first.
Graphics and music: does the game look good?
The game uses an anime look on Unreal Engine, set in the post-apocalyptic world of Solaris-3, and its three regions (Huanglong, Rinascita, Lahai-Roi) each have their own architectural identity. It won three Gold Awards at Taipei Game Show 2026. Voice-over comes in four languages: English, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean.
On music, the composers listed include jixwang, Minase, jkinss and YUE.STEVEN, and the game won the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in a Video Game at the 16th edition, per Wikipedia. OtaHub has no hands-on listening notes, so it does not judge in more depth how the audio serves the gameplay.
Technical performance: is the game stable now?
The game originally ran on Unreal Engine 4, and an upgrade to Engine 5 was announced from May 2024, per Wikipedia. Launch specifications list a minimum of a GTX 1060 and a recommended RTX 2060 (per The Backdash); on mobile, Android needs at least a Snapdragon 835 or equivalent, and iOS needs an iPhone 11 or later.
The launch state is a real blemish. Wikipedia records several problems at once: system-clock manipulation to reach unreleased content, a "Fatal Error" on the Epic Games Store, and audio delays after patch 1.0.19. Kuro Games apologised and promised compensation in rewards. The expansion to PS5, macOS and Xbox suggests the technical base is now sturdier, so OtaHub scores it 8.8: fairly high, but not the strongest area, since OtaHub has no independent frame-rate measurements.
Content and value: is the gacha really generous?
The game is free and broad enough: three regions, a movement system that expanded through updates, and a steady event calendar. To picture it: a banner is a time-limited pull table for featured characters, and pity is the maximum number of pulls before a rare item is guaranteed. According to gacha guides, character banners have a pity at pull 80 with a 50/50 (if you lose, the next 5-star is guaranteed to be the featured character), and 160 Astrite buys one pull. Weapon banners also have a pity at pull 80 but no 50/50. Critics call the game's gacha forgiving.
Commercially, Wikipedia records Tencent listing the game among six new titles that passed its "Evergreen" revenue line (a target of more than 5 million daily active users on mobile or more than 2 million on PC). An animated series, Wuthering Waves: Elysium, was announced on July 18, 2026. Compared with Honkai: Star Rail, the game picks real-time action over turn-based combat, so its value depends on whether you enjoy fast fights.
For players in Vietnam
- Vietnamese
- Official Vietnamese support could not be verified. Voice-over is in English, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean.
- Price
- Free to download and play. The cost sits in gacha; payment options in Vietnam are unverified in this review.
- Hardware
- PC minimum GTX 1060, recommended RTX 2060. Android needs a Snapdragon 835 or equivalent, iPhone from iPhone 11.
- Where to play
- Kuro Games launcher, Steam, Epic Games Store, App Store, Google Play, PlayStation Store.
What critics say, and where OtaHub differs
Launch reviews were mixed: Metacritic 71 on PC, 73 on iOS and 76 on PS5, OpenCritic about 80 to 82%. Famitsu gave 34/40, IGN 7/10, RPGFan 90/100 and Pocket Gamer 4.5/5. In its first week the game topped downloads in more than 100 regions with over 30 million pre-registrations. In September 2025 Tencent listed Wuthering Waves among six new titles that passed its "Evergreen" revenue line, alongside Zenless Zone Zero, Black Myth: Wukong and Delta Force.
OtaHub scores higher than the Metacritic level for two reasons. First, the 71 to 76 range measures a buggy launch, while OtaHub scores the current state after many patches and new platforms. Second, OtaHub sees combat and movement as the game's standout, and RPGFan also gave 90/100. That said, this is the score of an outsider who has not played it first-hand, so do not read it as a promise about your experience: if you dislike a hurried fighting rhythm, this score is not for you.
Who should play Wuthering Waves?
Play it if you like real-time action in an open world, enjoy timing dodges and counters, and do not mind gacha. Genshin Impact players who want something faster should give it a try.
Think twice if you are used to turn-based fights because the rhythm is fairly hurried, or if you want a polished game from day one. In that case, try a few free hours first and recheck the Vietnamese language situation.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Fast combat: swapping, dodging, countering and Tune Break
- Flexible parkour movement, with free running across fields
- Gacha judged forgiving, with an 80-pull pity
- Regular updates adding vehicles and mechanics
Weaknesses
- A buggy and troubled launch
- Metacritic 71 to 76, lower than many games in the genre
- Still gacha for characters and weapons
- The Steam page does not list Vietnamese
OtaHub score
The total is the weighted average of the six game criteria; editors may adjust it by up to ±0.2. See our review standards.
- Gameplay & Mechanics · 9.2Constant character swapping, well-timed dodges for counters, and Tune Break to open a boss up: fast combat that still needs thought. This is the game's biggest strength.
- Story & World · 8.2Solaris-3 after the Lament has its own atmosphere and three regions that open up over many patches. Proper nouns come thick, so newcomers need time to settle in.
- Graphics & Art Direction · 9.2An anime look on Unreal Engine, three regions (Huanglong, Rinascita, Lahai-Roi) with their own architecture, and three Gold Awards at Taipei Game Show 2026.
- Sound & Music · 9.0The music comes from several composers and has won a Hollywood Music in Media Award, per Wikipedia; OtaHub has no hands-on listening notes to judge it in more depth.
- Technical & Performance · 8.0Launch was buggy, from clock tampering that opened unreleased content to a "Fatal Error" on the Epic Games Store. The game is steadier now and has reached PS5, macOS and Xbox, but that history still pulls the score down.
- Content & Value · 9.2Free, with a fairly gentle 80-pull pity, regular updates about every six weeks, and new vehicles and mechanics with each version.
OtaHub recommendation: Worth buying
FAQ
Is Wuthering Waves free?
Yes. The game is free to download and play, and earns money through gacha called Convene. One character pull (a Radiant Tide) costs 160 Astrite, the game's main currency.
Which platforms is it on?
Windows, Android, iOS (released May 23, 2024), PS5 (January 2, 2025), macOS (March 27, 2025) and Xbox Series X|S (July 10, 2026).
Does Wuthering Waves support Vietnamese?
OtaHub found no official Vietnamese support. The language list on the Steam page (per a SteamPulse copy) includes English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, Thai and Brazilian Portuguese, but not Vietnamese. Voice-over comes in four languages: English, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean. Check the language settings in the game or on the Steam page.
Is the gacha in Wuthering Waves generous?
Critics call it forgiving. Character banners have a hard pity (guaranteed drop) at pull 80 and a 50/50 rule (if you lose, the next 5-star is guaranteed to be the featured character); weapon banners also have a pity at pull 80 but no 50/50, according to gacha guides.
Is Wuthering Waves like Genshin Impact?
Both are free open-world action games with gacha, but the fighting rhythm is very different: you swap characters constantly, dodge and counter on the beat, rather than mainly working out elemental combinations.
Sources: Wikipedia (Wuthering Waves), Gematsu (version 3.7), Prima Games (dodge and parry), HostedGG (Concerto Energy), Nerdschalk (Off-Tune), ONE Esports (gacha), The Backdash (requirements), Metacritic, OpenCritic. The score is OtaHub's editorial judgement under the review standards.
