Krafton Reveals Project Windless for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox

Why It Matters

The project marks Krafton’s first major AAA narrative‑driven RPG, expanding the company beyond battle‑royale roots while leveraging a distinctive Korean IP for global audiences.

Key Takeaways

• Krafton Montreal leads development with Korean studio partnership
• Set 1,500 years before Bird That Drinks Tears novels
• Uses Unreal Engine 5 and Mass Technology for massive battles
• Single-player premium RPG, no live-service components
• Hero King protagonist is a Rekon wielding twin star‑forged blades

Pulse Analysis

Krafton’s announcement of Project Windless signals a strategic shift for the South Korean publisher, traditionally known for multiplayer shooters like PUBG. By targeting the high‑budget, single‑player RPG segment on PC and next‑gen consoles, Krafton aims to capture a slice of the lucrative market dominated by titles such as *Elden Ring* and *Starfield*. Leveraging Unreal Engine 5, the studio can deliver photorealistic environments and sophisticated physics, while its proprietary Mass Technology promises unprecedented scale in real‑time combat, positioning the game as a technical showcase for next‑generation hardware.

The game’s narrative foundation draws from *The Bird That Drinks Tears*, a celebrated Korean fantasy series, but sets the story 1,500 years earlier. This pre‑quel approach allows Krafton to craft an original entry point for international players while enriching the lore for existing fans. By collaborating closely with its Pangyo team, the development pipeline blends Western AAA production pipelines with authentic Korean mythological elements, a combination that could differentiate the title in a crowded fantasy market and broaden the appeal of Korean cultural content worldwide.

Gameplay innovation centers on the Hero King, a towering Rekon wielding twin star‑forged blades, and the ability to influence massive, player‑driven battles. Unlike typical live‑service titles, Project Windless focuses on a curated single‑player experience, emphasizing narrative agency and skill‑based combat. The integration of large‑scale, real‑time engagements without delegating control to AI commanders offers a fresh take on the one‑versus‑many formula, potentially setting new standards for immersive, story‑driven action RPGs. If executed well, the title could establish Krafton as a versatile AAA developer and open doors for further adaptations of Korean literary properties.

Krafton reveals Project Windless for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox

*During Sony's State of Play, Krafton revealed Project Windless · a new premium open‑world action RPG, set in the universe of The Bird That Drinks Tears novel series.*

Project Windless is in development for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC platforms. The development is led by Krafton Montréal Studio in close collaboration with teams in Pangyo, South Korea. You can find the reveal trailer, dev diary, new screenshots, concept art, and more details from Krafton below:

Krafton today unveiled Project Windless, a new open‑world action RPG set in the fantasy universe of The Bird That Drinks Tears novel series, with the debut of its first‑ever trailer during today’s Sony PlayStation State of Play. This marks the first public reveal of the single‑player title, currently in development at Krafton Montréal Studio, and introduces players to a vast world shaped by myth, war, and legendary heroes.

A New Premium Open‑World Action RPG

Designed as a player‑driven open‑world experience, Project Windless centers on a continent‑spanning conflict, combining epic storytelling with visceral, mastery‑driven combat and massive real‑time battles. Built with Unreal Engine 5, the game features a non‑linear structure where player decisions shape alliances and the broader conflict unfolding across the world through exploration, combat, and interaction with key factions.

Set in the World of The Bird That Drinks Tears

While Project Windless is designed to stand on its own for new players, its world is rooted in The Bird That Drinks Tears, a landmark Korean fantasy series by author Lee Yeong‑do. Instead of directly adapting the novels, the game is set approximately 1,500 years before the original story, during a largely unexplored mythical age when legends were still being formed. This approach allows Project Windless to serve as an entry point for global audiences while also expanding the universe for longtime fans. The world features four intelligent races: Humans, Rekon, Nhaga, and Tokkebi. Each race has its own culture, conflicts, and worldview.

Play as the Hero King

In Project Windless, players assume the role of the Hero King, a legendary mighty warrior of the Rekon race. Rekons are towering humanoid bird beings known for their overwhelming strength and ferocity. Armed with twin star‑forged blades, the Hero King stands as a powerful force facing overwhelming odds—cutting through dozens of foes simultaneously, confronting massive creatures, and leading allied forces when battles escalate to epic scale. As players build reputation and forge relationships across the world, they unite different races and factions, shaping the foundations of a future kingdom through their actions.

Large‑Scale Battles Powered by Mass Technology

At the core of Project Windless is Mass Technology. This technology enables thousands of soldiers and massive creatures to clash in real time across dynamic battlefields.

Combat is fully real‑time, fast‑paced, and skill‑based. Players fight directly within massive engagements rather than issuing commands from a distance, combining precise combat mastery with tactical decision‑making to influence the flow of battle. The result is a one‑versus‑many combat experience that blends personal action with the scale of full‑scale warfare.

“From the start, we asked ourselves what it really means to play a legendary figure in a fantasy world,” said Patrik Méthé, Head of KRAFTON Montréal Studio and Creative Director. “For us, that meant giving players real agency, not just in combat, but in how wars unfold, how alliances are formed, and how history is written. Project Windless is built around the idea that legend is not something you observe, it is something you actively create through play.”

A Global Development Effort

Development of Project Windless is led by Krafton Montréal Studio, Krafton’s AAA development hub in North America, in close collaboration with teams in Pangyo, South Korea. This partnership combines Western AAA development expertise with a strong focus on cultural authenticity and world‑building inspired by Korean mythology.

First Developer Diary Now Available

Alongside the reveal trailer, KRAFTON also released the first Developer Diary for Project Windless. The video offers early insight into the game’s creative vision, world design, and development philosophy, and is available now on the official Project Windless YouTube channel.

Project Windless is designed as a premium, single‑player experience with no multiplayer or live‑service components. The game is currently in development for PC and consoles. Additional details, including the release window, will be announced at a later date.

Project Windless Screenshots

Project Windless Concept Art