Where Winds Meet is heading even higher this month, as Everstone Studio and NetEase Games have announced that the second chapter of the Hidden Mountain expansion, Heaven’s Threshold, launches on August 20 (UTC).
The major update pushes players beyond the relative safety of the mountain city and into fog-covered peaks packed with new story content, mechanical monsters, puzzle-heavy dungeons and seasonal events. Basically, if heights and giant iron beasts are your thing, August is looking pretty busy.
Climbing into Heaven’s Threshold
Following the events of the previous Hidden Mountain chapter, players will leave the mountain base and begin scaling the summits of Heaven’s Threshold.
A community-wide building event called Cloudtop Ascent will gradually unlock a huge new mountain region. Expect plenty of vertical exploration, sizeable drops and crumbling ancient observatories along the way.
The story also digs deeper into the people behind the mountain’s technology. As per the press release, a moral divide has formed among the ancient craftspeople. Some want to remain hidden, while others believe their advanced engineering should be used to help those beyond the mountain.
Naturally, philosophical disagreements are much easier to process when enormous mechanical monsters are trying to flatten you.
Two new colossal world bosses are joining the fight: the Inkpincer Scorpion and Cloud-Seizing Serpent. Both are giant iron beasts created by ancient inventors. Players will need to time their attacks carefully, striking vulnerable joints when each creature’s armour opens.
There is also the Evershift Labyrinth Dungeon, a multi-layered underground maze filled with rotating wooden gears and traditional interlocking joints. Players must battle security constructs while manipulating moving floorboards to find an escape route.
Elsewhere, the Campaign of Mirkvale sends players into an abandoned valley now occupied by rogue blacksmiths. Teaming up with a young boy, players will repair forgotten waterwheels and machinery while investigating why the former industrial centre suddenly went quiet.
New skills, Ghost Festival horror and racing
Combat is expanding with two new mystic skills.
Bursting Nine is an archery technique that launches a nine-arrow volley, slowing and trapping groups of enemies. World to Sword takes a slightly different approach, converting excess healing power into flying energy blades.
The update will also mark China’s traditional Ghost Festival with Reflection Temple. This solo survival mode takes place inside a haunted mountain shrine, where players must follow strict rules and uncover hidden clues if they want to escape without punishment.
For something a little less ominous, Chasing with Kite introduces high-speed racing through both solo time trials and online multiplayer.
Players can also try Pangolin Peddler, which involves establishing merchant trade routes between remote villages in exchange for rare rewards.
Where Winds Meet is heading to Gamescom 2026
The Hidden Mountain story is also making the trip to Cologne, with Where Winds Meet appearing at Gamescom 2026 from August 26 to 30.
Visitors can find the team in the public area at Hall 7.1, Booth B-050.
The booth will feature an exclusive hands-on demo covering the dramatic finale of the Hidden Mountain storyline. Players will also get the chance to try the upcoming Drunken Master combat style.
Away from the demo stations, the booth will feature a Ghostlight Market theme, exclusive merchandise and a wuxia-punk stage show. That performance will combine human and specialised robot cosplayers, mixing futuristic technology with traditional martial arts aesthetics.
Where Winds Meet: Hidden Mountain Chapter 2, Heaven’s Threshold, launches on August 20 (UTC), bringing new mountain regions, bosses, dungeons, activities and story content with it.
Time to start looking up. Very, very far up.