Making Friends in Where Winds Meet (Or Just Using Them for Loot)
Wandering around 10th-century China as a solitary swordmaster is romantic and all, but sometimes you just want to beat up a boss with your buddies.
The multiplayer in Where Winds Meet is a bit of a mess to understand at first glance. The game throws terms like "MMO Mode" and "Co-op Room" at you without explaining why you can't just join your friend immediately.
I’ve dug through the menus and the confusion so you don't have to. If you want to squad up, there are specific hoops you need to jump through, and some hard limits on what you can actually do together.
Here is how to stop playing with yourself and start playing with others.
The Level 10 Gate
First things first, you cannot play co-op right out of the gate. You have to earn it.
You need to hit World Level 10 before the game trusts you with friends. This essentially means you have to power through the tutorial phase, finish a chunk of the main story quests, and maybe grind a few side objectives.
Do not try to invite your friends five minutes after installing. It won't work. Speedrun the early game, get some gear, and hit that level cap.
The Two Different Modes
Once you unlock multiplayer, the game splits into two distinct vibes. You need to toggle this via the "Mode Switch" button in the menu—it looks like a little guy wearing a pointy hat.
First, there is Solo/Co-op Mode. This is your private instance. You can invite up to four friends for a total squad of five. This is where you want to be if you’re trying to actually coordinate and get things done without randoms interfering.
Then there is Online Mode (often called MMO Mode). If you switch to this, your world opens up. You will see random players running around, doing their own thing. It makes the world feel alive, but it also disables the main story and standard enemies. It’s mostly for social vibes and shared world events.
How to Actually Invite People
If you want to bring your specific friends in, stay in the Solo/Co-op mode.
Go to that Mode Switch menu again and look for the "Invite Visitors" button in the bottom right. If you are on the same platform, like Steam or PS5, you can just use the friends list.
If you are trying to play cross-platform, the game uses a code system. Generate a co-op code, send it to your buddy on the other platform, and they can punch it in to join your lobby.
What You Can (And Can't) Do Together
Here is the heartbreak. You cannot play the entire main story in co-op. The game forces you to be the "main character" for the big plot moments.
However, you can do almost everything else. In a co-op group, you can tackle World Bosses, clear enemy strongholds, and hunt for chests. You can even share progress on puzzles and "curiosities" you find in the wild.
Dungeons are the highlight here. When you enter a dungeon in co-op, the player limit actually increases, sometimes up to 10 people depending on the difficulty. It turns a hard encounter into a chaotic raid.
A Note on PvP and Murder
If you prefer killing your friends over helping them, the MMO mode has you covered.
There are dedicated PvP modes like Arena duels and 30v30 Guild Wars. There is even a Battle Royale mode called "Perception Forest" if you want to fight in a shrinking circle.
The coolest part, though, is the crime system. If you get caught stealing or killing NPCs, you go to jail. You can actually organize a prison break where your friends fight the guards to bust you out. It’s chaotic, it’s violent, and it’s way more fun than paying the bail.
So, hit level 10, generate your code, and go cause some problems. Just don't expect to hold hands through every single cutscene.