Wuthering Waves

Wuthering Waves is set in an open world. The player controls the protagonist Rover, as well as recruited allies called Resonators, which are split into 4-star and 5-star rarities. The endgame content features modes where characters can be used in a series of combat challenges.

The game's gacha system features banners known as Convenes, where Resonators and Weapons can be obtained. There are three types of Convenes: novice, event, and standard. Event Convenes are limited-time banners distinct from the permanent standard pool. They typically feature rate-up exclusive Resonators or weapons and rotate periodically as part of version updates. A pity system guarantees that 5-star items are obtained within a set amount of pulls.

The game is set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world of Solaris-3. A catastrophe called the Lament wiped out most of humanity in Solaris-3 and caused unknown beings and monsters, called Tacet Discords, to appear. Over millennia, Solaris-3 underwent multiple Laments including regional Laments, and over time, humanity adapted to the threat and rebuilt civilization. Solaris-3 is divided into regions, with at least three nations introduced in the game: Huanglong, composed of seven cities each guarded by supernatural beings called Sentinels, Rinascita, a confederation of city-states governed by competing governing bodies, and Lahai-Roi, an underground tribal nation that houses a technologically advanced mechanoid called Exostrider.

The story follows the Rover, an amnesiac wanderer who has awakened from a deep slumber and sets out to explore this new world. The player takes the role of the Rover, either the male or the female iteration depending on the player's choice, as the protagonist of the game. They would be shortly thereafter joined by a companion named Abby, a small, levitating cat-like being who regularly communicates with others as they journey throughout the world in search of their past and origins. Shortly after, the Rover realizes that their previous iteration led an organization known as the Black Shores, whose goal is to combat against Threnodians and Tacet Discords that plague Solaris-3.

Wuthering Waves is developed by the Guangzhou-based studio Kuro Games. It is directed by Solon Lee. It was first revealed in May 2022 with cinematic and teaser trailers. It was announced for iOS on March 25, 2024.

The game underwent two closed beta tests, with the second concluding in March 2024. After the first closed beta test, the story content was largely reworked in response to player feedback that it felt "uncomfortable".

According to review aggregator Metacritic, Wuthering Waves received "mixed or average" reviews for the iOS and Windows version, and "generally favorable" reviews for the PlayStation 5 version. 80% of critics recommended the game according to OpenCritic.

Wuthering Waves had over 30 million pre-registered users from over 100 regions and initially launched to a mixed reception with some positive feedback. While some players pointed out some issues at the game's launch, others praised the game, saying it had the "best gameplay" among gacha games. Within its first week, it became the most downloaded in 100 regions. Some players were able to access unreleased content by changing the system clock.