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Where Winds Meet Update Timeline: Every 2026 Version Through 2.2

Every Where Winds Meet version of 2026 with its official date, from 1.2 to 2.2 Perilous Eminence, plus Version 2.3 and the Qingzhou region on October 15.

By Opal•Wuxia systems analyst & cross-cultural guide•Updated: October 12, 2026
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This page lists every major Where Winds Meet version of 2026 on the global servers, with the official dates and what each one added, and what is officially known about the next one. The sections on Versions 1.2 to 1.5 and 2.0 to 2.2 come from the official update overviews and patch notes; the other earlier sections were written in July 2026.

Last checked: October 11, 2026. Version 2.3 arrives on October 15 with the new region Qingzhou.

At a glance

VersionNameUpdate dayHeadline additions
1.2Live to GameJanuary 9, 2026The final volume of the Kaifeng story, Guild Battle preseason
1.3Spring's BlissFebruary 6, 2026Spring Festival events, the Mystic Skill Contortion, the Masked Troupe sect
1.4Home AfarMarch 6, 2026The start of the Hexi expansion (Jade Gate Pass), the Bamboocut - Dust path
1.5As Snow FallsApril 2, 2026Liangzhou in Hexi, the Stonesplit - Strength path, the Raging Tides sect
1.6Flows of DreamsApril 30, 2026The Qinchuan update, Mystic Skill Idle Wind
1.7The Imperial PalaceMay 28, 2026Imperial Palace story
1.8Companions Make HomeJune 25, 2026Homestead, pet companions
2.0Unseen ApproachJuly 23, 2026Hidden Mountain region, Mohist Hill sect, Gauntlets and the Bamboocut - Kite path
2.1Clouded RevelationAugust 20, 2026Heaven's Threshold, Campaign: Mirkvale; the Bamboocut - Draught path on September 3
2.2Perilous EminenceSeptember 16, 2026The end of the Hidden Mountain story, Campaign: Skyward City Ruins; Transdust Ruins on September 23
2.3Not announced yetOctober 15, 2026 (announced)The new region Qingzhou and its Local system; three World Bosses; the Waist Drum; the Inkbound Order sect; Season 5: Ever Aflame; Mount Tai Blizzard on October 29

For 2.0 to 2.2, the update day is the official maintenance window, 05:00–10:00 (UTC+8).

Version 2.3: what we know so far

  • Date: October 15, 2026. The official site's "Version 2.3 Dev Letter 1", posted on October 9, says the new region Qingzhou arrives that day. No time of day has been given, and the version's name has not been announced.
  • New region: Qingzhou, modeled on China's Shandong province, from Mount Tai down to the sea. It comes with a new Local system: villagers you befriend and take along, who help in different ways. Everything the Dev Letter says is on our Qingzhou page.
  • Level caps and Season 5: the official X account says the Solo Mode level cap rises to 18 and the Gear Level cap to 100, while the Character Level cap stays at 100, and that Season 5: Ever Aflame launches at the same time (post of October 8, Pacific time).
  • Official roadmap (October 11): the official X account's Qingzhou roadmap lists three World Bosses (Tidewatcher, Old Raftsman and Shuttlecock Champion), the new weapon Waist Drum, the new sect Inkbound Order and four events, two of them on October 22. Mount Penglai and the Campaign Mount Tai Blizzard follow on October 29. The roadmap ends with the redeem code 1015QINGZHOU (see our codes page). A developer log of October 10 previews a Warehouse that unlocks at Level 20 after the next version update; see the Qingzhou page for both.
  • Not out yet: as of October 10, Steam has no Version 2.3 update overview or patch notes. The Dev Letter says a second part will cover the new gameplay systems, with no date.
  • Jiangnan: the Version 2.2 patch notes close the Reflection Temple for now and say it will reopen "when Jiangnan arrives". The Version 2.3 Dev Letter does not mention Jiangnan.
  • Before 2.3: one more Version 2.2 batch arrives on October 11 at 05:00 (UTC+8). According to the official overview, it adds five new cosmetic items to the shops and no new modes.

New versions often come with new redeem codes; the codes page lists what each code list says about them.

Version 2.2 — Perilous Eminence (September 16, 2026)

  • Update day: September 16, 05:00–10:00 (UTC+8), without downtime.
  • Story: two more Bringer of Embers chapters, A Bitter Winter and Sea of Sunfire. The developers' letter says the Hidden Mountain main story concludes in this version.
  • Campaign: Skyward City Ruins. World bosses: Golden Colossus Taicu and Goshawk (see our bosses guide for every boss).
  • Transdust Ruins (from September 23): a multiplayer extraction mode in collaboration with Escape from Tarkov. It needs level 20 and the exploration quest Sands of Perils, and comes as Solo, Trio, AI Solo and AI Trio. The Arena modes are covered in our PvP guide for beginners.
  • Events: Trekking for Treasures (until October 15) and Goose Greeting (until October 12).
  • September 30 batch (official site): Jianghu Legacy Volume IV: Stars as Raiment, and the events Path of Truants (until October 29), Season-End Dash: Double Blessings (October 1–15) and Season-End Dash: Arena (October 8–15).
  • Reflection Temple: closed for now; it will reopen when Jiangnan arrives, and progress is kept.
  • Balance: the 2.2 patch notes change no skill numbers. The path changes since July are listed per path on the Build Tier List.

Version 2.1 — Clouded Revelation (August 20, 2026)

  • Update day: August 20, 05:00–10:00 (UTC+8). The update overview also covers the later batches of September 3 and September 13.
  • New area: Heaven's Threshold in the Hidden Mountain. It opens once the players on a server finish building the Cloudstair together in the Cloudtop Ascent event.
  • Story: Muted Skies and Gold Crow Fall. Campaign: Mirkvale. Jianghu Legacy: Volume V: Evershift Labyrinth.
  • World bosses: Inkpincer Scorpion and Cloudclutch Serpent. New Mystic Skills: Bursting Nine and World to Sword.
  • August 27: the folklore horror stage Reflection Temple (official site).
  • September 3: the new path Bamboocut - Draught (Skystrike Gauntlets + Riven Twinblades), built around a "drunk" state, and Solo Mode Lv. 17 Ascendancy, with the level cap still at 100.

Version 2.0 — Unseen Approach (July 23, 2026)

  • Update day: July 23, 05:00–10:00 (UTC+8).
  • New region: the Hidden Mountain, starting with the Unseen Approach area (level 32 and Hidden Mountain Main Chapter 2: Haven Astray). The developers' letter of July 19 describes the region as 4 main areas, 14 sub-regions, more than 10 new bosses and 8 Jianghu Legacies.
  • Story: the Bringer of Embers prologue, with the chapters Parting Tale and Haven Astray.
  • Campaign: Changeless Heart. World bosses: Ci & Cuo and Ironheart Centipede.
  • New sect: Mohist Hill (level 10 and Haven Astray).
  • New weapon type: Gauntlets, with the new path Bamboocut - Kite (Heavenwill Gauntlets + Skygrasp Rope Dart).
  • Rising Beyond (from August 6): build the Skytouch Rail and ride the Sky Shuttle.
  • Season progression: Solo Mode Lv. 16 Enlightenment with a level cap of 100, and Tier 96 gear.
  • Martial paths: the same update changed several paths; the Build Tier List lists the changes per path.

Earlier in 2026

The sections on Versions 1.2 to 1.5 were checked against the official update overviews on October 11, 2026. The others were written in July 2026; the Version 1.7 date was checked again on October 8 against the PlayStation Blog.

Version 1.2 — Live to Game (January 9, 2026)

The first major update of 2026 delivered the final volume of the Kaifeng story, Gambit Beneath the Shimmer, which unlocks Campaign: Supreme Freedom. It also started the Guild Battle preseason, with a preparation phase from January 9 and weekend matches from January 17 to February 6, added two new maps, Nine Mortal Ways Base and Mistveil Prison, and opened the first Jianghu Martial Games event.

Why it matters now: if your story progress stops somewhere in Kaifeng, the ending of that arc has been playable since January.

Version 1.3 — Spring's Bliss (February 6, 2026)

A Spring Festival update, released in a rolling maintenance on February 6 (05:00–10:00, UTC+8). Besides the festival events, among them All as One, a parade from Heaven's Pier to Blissful Retreat and new Mahjong, Wrestling and Fireworks modes, the official overview lists these additions:

  • Mystic Skill Contortion: you shrink down and explore the world from a tiny point of view. The daily quest Tiny Adventure in Qinghe unlocks it, and it stays after the festival.
  • New sect: the Masked Troupe, a sect for players who care more about Photo, Spotlight and music than about combat. You join with a personal invitation.
  • World bosses: the Drunk Martial Artist at Southwatch Height in Kaifeng and the Coffin Master at Mercyheart Monastery in Qinghe.
  • Taiping Mausoleum, a floor-by-floor challenge whose attempts reset every week.
  • Guild War League: the Rewind Season brought a new league with placement matches, a regular season and promotion and relegation.
  • Spotlight: upload a photo or a video and the game generates emotes, poses, audio and camera moves from it, which you can use for photos and videos in the open world.

Why it matters now: Contortion and the Masked Troupe stayed after the festival ended.

Version 1.4 — Home Afar (March 6, 2026)

The start of the Hexi expansion. The PlayStation Blog described Hexi as three major maps with nearly 20 sub-regions and eleven bosses, released in three chapters: Jade Gate Pass in this version, then Liangzhou (Version 1.5) and Qinchuan (Version 1.6). The official overview adds:

  • Getting there: finish the Qinghe campaign Still Shore to start the Hexi main chapter By Lamplight and unlock the region.
  • New path: Bamboocut - Dust, pairing the Everspring Umbrella with the Unfettered Rope Dart. Finish the exploration quest Skill Theft: Unearned Lesson, then the Sanctum quest for either weapon. Our Umbrella build covers the path.
  • New Mystic Skill: Moonleap Morph, which turns you into a fish that glides across the sand.

Why it matters now: Hexi is where most post-Kaifeng exploration, farming, and boss content lives. If you have not set foot there, that is your largest pile of unplayed content.

Version 1.5 — As Snow Falls (April 2, 2026)

The second Hexi update. The official overview went up on Steam on April 1 (Pacific time) for a rolling update on April 2:

  • New area: Liangzhou in Hexi. After the Hexi campaign Whitecrown Fortress, the Lost Chapter Ten Through the Pass opens it.
  • Story: chapters 2 and 3 of the Hexi main story A Lonely Moon Over Chang'an, Liangzhou Melody and Paper Moon. Campaigns: Death of the Governor and Dasan Pass.
  • New path: Stonesplit - Strength, pairing the Heng Blade Snowparting Blade with the Mo Blade Phalanxbane Blade. Our Stonesplit - Strength build covers it.
  • New sect: Raging Tides.
  • Also: Landlords, a three-player card game in Wandering Paths; the Wandering Signpost, an item you can craft; and the Mystic Skill Goosy Slide, which can sometimes end certain campaign boss fights on the spot.

Why it matters now: Stonesplit - Strength sits in the top tier of both current PvP tier lists; see our PvP Tier List.

Version 1.6 — Flows of Dreams (April 30, 2026)

The Qinchuan update, arriving alongside the game's half-anniversary. It added three events — Lumina Guide: Qinchuan, Let It Snow, and the Half-Anniversary activities — plus a new Mystic Skill, Idle Wind, which lets you transform into a fleeting breeze and travel across the lands.

Why it matters now: Idle Wind changed how fast you can cross open terrain; movement-focused builds and exploration completionists should pick it up first.

Version 1.7 — The Imperial Palace (May 28, 2026)

The game's second major expansion, announced on the PlayStation Blog on May 25 for May 28: a story-and-systems update centered on the Imperial Palace, followed by a June 5 patch that fixed regional server availability, controller responsiveness, Imperial Palace quest text, mobile scene loading, and Grand Nuo Ritual stability.

Xbox Launch (June 8, 2026)

Where Winds Meet arrived on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud, free to download from the Microsoft Store. The player pool widened accordingly — worth knowing if you queue for PvP or group content.

Version 1.8 — Companions Make Home (June 25, 2026)

Two headline systems:

  • Homestead — the Blissful Retreat village in Qinghe becomes your personal estate: recruit villagers and animals as Retainers, run an inn, a brewery and a porcelain kiln, plant crops and sell goods through Trade for Profit. Full breakdown in our Homestead guide.
  • Pet companions — the cats Maverick, Scar and Pudding at launch, then Goldie, Inkwell and Gusty on July 3; they react to the weather and to what happens around them.

Sources

Version history

  • October 12, 2026: Version 2.3 now includes the official roadmap of October 11, with its three World Bosses, the Waist Drum, the Inkbound Order, the October 22 and 29 dates and the code 1015QINGZHOU.
  • October 11, 2026: added Versions 1.3 (Spring's Bliss) and 1.5 (As Snow Falls) from the official update overviews, which this page had left out, and corrected the name of Version 1.2 to Live to Game. Version 1.4 now lists the Bamboocut - Dust path and how Hexi unlocks, from its official overview.
  • October 10, 2026: Version 2.3 now has its date (October 15) and region (Qingzhou) from the official Dev Letter, plus the new level caps, Season 5 and the new World Boss. Added the October 11 batch of Version 2.2.
  • October 8, 2026: added Versions 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 from the official overviews and patch notes, and a section for 2.3. Removed the July outlook and the old claim that major versions come every 11–13 weeks, and corrected the Version 1.7 date to May 28.
  • July 6, 2026: first published (updated July 8).

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Continue reading

Illustration of a homestead in a sunny valley with a golden grain field, fenced paddocks, a water mill on a stream, wooden houses and a pottery kiln with a thin line of smoke, under green mountainsNextHomestead GuideHow to unlock the Homestead, running Blissful Retreat with Retainers, Beyond Mundane and the cat and goose companions.

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About the author: opal is a cross-cultural Wuxia world interpreter and systems-oriented analyst. She transforms complex game systems and cultural concepts into clear, immersive insights that help players experience Eastern Wuxia worlds with ease.