Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

  1. Home
  2. Wiki
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
Developer(s)Leenzee
Publisher(s)505 Games
Director(s)Xia Siyuan [1]
Producer(s)Xia Siyuan [2]
Composer(s)Anti-General [a][3]
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)
Release24 July 2025
Genre(s)Soulslike action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers [b] is a 2025 Soulslike action role-playing game developed by Leenzee and published by 505 Games. The player assumes the role of Bai Wuchang, a female pirate, embarking on a journey through the war-torn and plague-stricken lands of Shu during the late Ming dynasty.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 24 July 2025.

Gameplay

[edit]

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a Soulslike action role-playing game.[5][6][7] It is played in single-player mode [4][8] from a third-person perspective.[7]

The player controls the female pirate Bai Wuchang.[8][9][10][11] She initially wields the Cloudfrost's Edge, a longsword based on the Chinese changdao.[1] There are five weapon types, namely longswords, one-handed swords, dual blades, axes, and spears.[12] The weapons can be equipped as a primary or secondary option.[13] Each weapon can be used to execute light attacks, heavy attacks, weapon skills, and discipline skills.[14] Weapon skills are unique to each individual weapon, while discipline skills are tied to weapon types.[12] There are several discipline skills that can be unlocked through the skill tree and assigned to any weapon within the corresponding type.[12] Defensive maneuvers include dodges, blocks, and deflects (parries), with the latter two depending on the discipline skills available to specific weapon types.[15]

One of the combat mechanics is centered on skyborn might, which is a combat resource used to power weapon skills, discipline skills, and spells.[12] Additionally, it enables swift draws (weapon switches that instantly trigger weapon skills).[16] The resource is accrued by performing shimmers (well-timed dodges) and other methods specific to each weapon type.[12]

Another combat mechanic is centered on madness.[17] If Wuchang kills humanoids or dies, her madness increases.[17][18] If she kills feathered beings, her madness decreases.[17][18] This madness is visually represented through her eyes turning red at 50 percent and her body displaying demonic markings at 90 percent.[18] Once her madness reaches specific heights, certain skill tree upgrades become more effective.[17] Once her madness reaches 90 percent, she will both deal and take increased damage.[17][18] If she dies when her madness is at its maximum height, her Inner Demon materializes as a hostile entity that attacks her and everything else that targets it.[18]

The impetus repository, accessible through shrines, is the skill tree.[19] It is divided in six branches, with one path for each weapon type and another path for other features.[11][12][17] The playstyle can be adjusted by reallocating points in the skill tree at no cost.[11][12][17] Red mercury is a resource that can either be refined into red mercury essense for use as points in the skill tree or be used as currency to purchase items at vendors.[19] Upon death, it is dropped in a proportion determined by the height of madness.[20]

There is an armor transmogrification feature available to customize the player character's appearance independently of stats.[21][22] According to Xia Siyuan, "Armour designs are drawn from Ming Dynasty influences, regional clothing traditions, and mythological elements that tie into the world of Wuchang. Each piece is meant to reflect where it comes from — whether it’s a forgotten temple, a warrior’s clan, or a corrupted region touched by the feathering."[21]

The game follows a non-linear progression.[23][24] It takes place in a world with interconnected areas.[1][25] The traversal between areas is seamless, but some paths may initially be restricted.[1] Shrines, scattered throughout the world, act as checkpoints.[11] Shu Sanctum, a temple, serves as the main hub.[1] The world is populated by numerous non-player characters, who can be interacted with and may provide side quests.[26] Player choices influence the story's direction and eventual ending, with consequences that impact both the world and its inhabitants.[27] This includes choices during the main story, side quests, and non-player character interactions.[17] The game features a New Game Plus mode.[12]

Synopsis

[edit]

Setting

[edit]

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is set in the war-torn and plague-stricken lands of Shu during the late Ming dynasty.[6][28] The Feathering Disease is an affliction spreading through the lands, causing the gradual decline and collapse of society and its environment.[27] The story is told as an alternate history centered on the disease.[25] According to Xia Siyuan, "Our portrayal of historical events aligns with mainstream historiography. However, the game's world diverges due to supernatural forces that reshaped history millennia ago. We show this through our worldbuilding, which traces back to the era of King Duyu of Shu [from the legendary era of Shu]."[29]

Plot

[edit]

During the late Ming dynasty, the lands of Shu are devastated by warring factions and plagued by a mysterious illness known as the Feathering Disease, which drives its victims insane and gradually transforms them into monstrous beings. Bai Wuchang, a female pirate, suffers from amnesia and is afflicted with the disease.

Development

[edit]
The game features a scene based on Sichuan's Leshan Giant Buddha.[2]

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a game developed by Leenzee and published by 505 Games.[5][6] Leenzee is a studio based in Chengdu, Sichuan, China.[1][21] The project was officially established by the studio in 2019.[30] The game was built using Unreal Engine 5.[13][31]

Historical sites of ancient Shu societies such as Sanxingdui and Jinsha were drawn upon by the developers.[32] Historical and mythical elements featured in classic literature, including the Annals of the Kings of Shu, the Brocade Zither, and the Classic of Mountains and Seas, were adapted.[32] The distinctive landscape of Sichuan and historical Shu, including the architecture and topography, was recreated in the scenery.[25] For the Chinese voiceovers, Sichuanese dialects were used for a lot of non-player characters.[25]

According to Xia Siyuan, "For boss designs, we drew inspiration from Chinese history and culture, especially archaeological discoveries like Sanxingdui, as well as elements from Chinese mythology and folk stories, such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the 'Jiangkou Sunken Silver' legend. We hope to convey the uniqueness of these bosses through visual design, while also interpreting the 'Chinese-style supernatural' genre in the story."[33]

Xia commented that the success of Black Myth: Wukong provided many positive signs and boosted confidence in the future of Chinese studios as well as validated the market, while internally it confirmed that developing Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was the right decision and the game was on the right track.[34] In an interview published in May 2025, he stated that the team currently has 160 members.[29]

Release

[edit]

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was released for PC (Windows), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on 24 July 2025.[9][35][36] It launched as a Day One release on the subscription service Game Pass.[37][38]

Leenzee unveiled Wuchang: Fallen Feathers with a gameplay showcase during Bilibili's High Energy Video Game Festival (高能电玩节) on 17 September 2021.[32][39] At the time, the game had been in development for about a year and a half.[32][40] Following the initial reveal, 505 Games took notice and, after discussions with Xia Siyuan, the company's senior management unanimously decided to sign the game.[2] During the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024, Leenzee and 505 Games released a trailer revealing a 2025 release window.[41][42] In March 2025, they confirmed a summer 2025 launch on the social media channels for the game.[43][44] In April 2025, they released a trailer announcing the release date as 24 July 2025.[45]

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is offered in both a Standard Edition and a Deluxe Edition.[46] The latter edition adds extra content, namely four costume sets (Tiger of Fortune, Draconic Resurgence, Soul Ritual Robe, and Overlord's Regalia), four weapons (Watcher's Gaze, Dragoncoil Lance, Eternal Sovereignty, and Moonlight Dragon), and a skill upgrade item.[46][47] The game became available for pre-order starting 29 April 2025.[45] The Night & White Pack, comprising two costume sets (Night Spectre and White Spectre), a weapon (Vermillion War Club), and a skill upgrade item, was a bonus incentive for pre-ordering.[46][47]

The Day One Edition is the game's physical version.[48] It comes with downloadable content consisting of two costume sets (Night Spectre and White Spectre), a weapon (Vermillion War Club), and a skill upgrade item.[48] It is available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.[48]

Official merchandise for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was created. The game's music collection was produced in a Standard Edition, Deluxe Edition, and Collector's Edition.[49] Each edition includes a music CD, metal case, and tracklist as well as one or more additional collectibles, such as a figurine of the protagonist included in the Collector's Edition.[49] Themed gaming controllers were produced in collaboration with multiple brands including 8BitDo,[50][51] Beitong,[52] Flydigi,[53] and GameSir.[54][55]

Reception

[edit]

Reviews

[edit]

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[56]

At launch, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers received "mostly negative" player reviews on Steam mainly due to PC performance issues.[58] Leenzee and 505 Games acknowledged the problems and promised to resolve them, stating "These problems should never have occurred, and we deeply regret the inconvenience and negative experience some players are currently facing."[59] The following day, they deployed an initial patch adressing several key issues, said that the digital soundtrack would be given for free as a compensation, and announced that a more comprehensive update would follow in the coming days.[60]

Sales

[edit]

On launch day, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers reached a peak concurrent player count of 131,518 on Steam.[58][61]

Accolades

[edit]

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers won Surprise of the Year and was nominated for Most Anticipated Game at the UCG Game Awards 2024.[62][63]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Zhong Ziqi is known by the artist name Anti-General.[3]
  2. ^ Simplified Chinese: 明末：渊虚之羽; traditional Chinese: 明末：淵虛之羽; pinyin: Míngmò: Yuānxū Zhī Yǔ.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Wen, Alan (27 January 2025). "With Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Chinese studio Leenzee aims to soar to the heights of its field". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 28 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b c 亞小安 (19 May 2025). "專訪《明末 淵虛之羽》製作人夏思源，透露首次曝光挨批至今的心路歷程". 4Gamers (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 28 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b Takowsky, Stephen (14 June 2024). "WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers Details & Trailer – Wishlist now!". 505 Games. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b Sam (18 October 2024). "魂系武俠 RPG《明末：淵虛之羽》公開最新宣傳影片 確定首日加入 Game Pass 陣容". 巴哈姆特 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 23 January 2025.
  5. ^ a b Jisho (22 January 2025). "【試玩】《明末：淵虛之羽》序章試玩報導 充滿魂味的武俠黑暗奇幻作品". 巴哈姆特 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 30 January 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Romano, Sal (9 June 2024). "WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers launches in 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b Wood, Austin (17 October 2024). "After loving Black Myth: Wukong, I'm pushing this new Chinese Soulslike action-RPG way up my wishlist following a bloody trailer that doubles the Sekiro vibes". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025.
  8. ^ a b Kawanishi, Paulo (22 July 2025). "What time does Wuchang: Fallen Feathers release?". Polygon. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b Takowsky, Stephen (23 July 2025). "Survive Shu: Your Essential Guide to Starting Wuchang: Fallen Feathers". Xbox Wire. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025.
  10. ^ Velde, Issy van der (29 April 2025). "Promising Soulslike Wuchang: Fallen Feathers finally gets a summer release date and a new trailer showing off its fast combat and electrifying soundtrack that blends traditional Chinese music with modern electric guitar riffs". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 29 April 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d Cogswell, Jessica (23 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Review - Ain't Nuthing Ta Pluck With". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Wood, Rhys (23 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is handily the best soulslike game since Lies of P, and one the progenitors of the subgenre would be proud of". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025.
  13. ^ a b Palumbo, Alessio (11 February 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Has Been Upgraded to Unreal Engine 5 for Improved Quality and Performance". Wccftech. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025.
  14. ^ Denzer, TJ (22 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers review: Sway like a swan, strike like a hawk". Shacknews. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025.
  15. ^ Highton, Andrew (24 July 2025). "Can You Parry or Block in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers?". Insider Gaming. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025.
  16. ^ Webster, Hilton (24 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers - Every Weapon Type, Explained". TheGamer. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h Cotts, Josh (23 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Review". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d e Pritchard, Marie (24 July 2025). "Wuchang Fallen Feathers Madness and Inner Demon explained". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025.
  19. ^ a b Pritchard, Marie (24 July 2025). "How to use Red Mercury in Wuchang Fallen Feathers". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025.
  20. ^ Vaz, Christian (25 July 2025). "Wuchang Fallen Feathers Madness explained". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 26 July 2025.
  21. ^ a b c Carpenter, Nicole (14 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers brings color to the muted Soulslike genre". Epic Games. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025.
  22. ^ Vaz, Christian (24 July 2025). "Wuchang Fallen Feathers transmog system explained". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025.
  23. ^ 猛鲨男鱼王 (3 May 2025). "《明末：渊虚之羽》将提供非线性体验！自由决定先打哪个Boss". GamerSky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 May 2025.
  24. ^ Sinha, Ravi (2 May 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Lets You Fight Bosses in Any Order". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on 3 May 2025.
  25. ^ a b c d 王文杰 (20 January 2025). "《明末：渊虚之羽》：被喷换皮团队的翻身仗". ChuApp (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 28 January 2025.
  26. ^ Wacholz, Charlie (21 March 2025). "Color, character, and combat: one hour hands-on with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers". Epic Games. Archived from the original on 21 March 2025.
  27. ^ a b Amoroso, Dan (14 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Dev Discusses Combat Design, Player Choice, and More". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 16 July 2025.
  28. ^ 重田雄一 (29 April 2025). "中華ソウルライク『明末：ウツロノハネ』プレビュー 大自然のマップや防具ごとに見た目が変わるなど、ビジュアルへのこだわりが光る". IGN Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 May 2025.
  29. ^ a b Rodriguez, Jason (5 May 2025). "The brutal bosses of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers kicked my ass for two hours straight". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025.
  30. ^ Marvin (19 July 2025). "一切都理所当然——夏思源与《明末：渊虚之羽》". 3DMGAME (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 July 2025.
  31. ^ Sinha, Ravi (10 February 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Has Switched to Unreal Engine 5". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on 16 March 2025.
  32. ^ a b c d RU (17 September 2021). "有著《血源詛咒》既視感？類魂遊戲新作《明末：淵虛之羽》首度公開實機展示影片". 巴哈姆特 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 23 January 2025.
  33. ^ Towell, Justin (30 January 2025). "Wuchang Fallen Feathers wants to pick up where Dark Souls left off: "If skilled players still rely on the HUD... the combat system has a significant problem"". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 19 February 2025.
  34. ^ McCrae, Scott (6 March 2025). "Black Myth: Wukong empowered fellow soulslike devs to become China's first "elite" devs on par with Naughty Dog or Capcom: "The market has been validated"". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 9 March 2025.
  35. ^ Saed, Sherif (17 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers - here's the PC you'll need to run it, and when it's going to unlock in your region". VG247. Archived from the original on 17 July 2025.
  36. ^ Nightingale, Ed (17 July 2025). "Ahead of its release later this month, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers PC specs revealed - and they're surprisingly modest". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 17 July 2025.
  37. ^ Griffin, Marc (15 July 2025). "3 of summer's biggest games are headed to Game Pass in July". Polygon. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025.
  38. ^ Romano, Sal (15 July 2025). "Game Pass adds Grounded 2 (Game Preview), WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, Wheel World, and more in late July". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025.
  39. ^ 閃電 (17 September 2021). "《明末：淵虚之羽》公開實機演示畫面，畫面、美術都很像中國版的《血源詛咒》". Yahoo News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 23 January 2025.
  40. ^ Siwondark (17 September 2021). "国产魂类ARPG《明末：渊虚之羽》公开！女侠大战克苏鲁风怪物". GamerSky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 23 January 2025.
  41. ^ Stewart, Marcus (24 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Is A Fantastical Souls-like Action RPG Set During China's Ming Dynasty". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 25 March 2025.
  42. ^ Cripe, Michael (11 June 2024). "Xbox Games Showcase and Black Ops 6 Direct June 2024: Everything Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on 23 January 2025.
  43. ^ Kerry, Ben (26 March 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Brings Its Action-RPG To Xbox Game Pass This Summer". Pure Xbox. Archived from the original on 18 July 2025. Screenshot captured from the original on 18 July 2025.
  44. ^ Parijat, Shubhankar (26 March 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Launches This Summer". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on 18 July 2025. Screenshot captured from the original on 18 July 2025.
  45. ^ a b "明代末期の古蜀を舞台に謎の病と戦う。アクションRPG「明末：ウツロノハネ」，7月24日に発売決定。新キービジュアルも公開". 4Gamer (in Japanese). 29 April 2025. Archived from the original on 29 April 2025.
  46. ^ a b c Romano, Sal (28 April 2025). "WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers launches July 24". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 3 May 2025.
  47. ^ a b Kennedy, Victoria (29 April 2025). "Chinese dark fantasy Wuchang: Fallen Feathers release date announced". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 29 April 2025.
  48. ^ a b c Bitner, Jon (7 May 2025). "Soulslike RPG Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Getting A Physical Day 1 Edition". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025.
  49. ^ a b 元素黄狗 (10 July 2025). "《明末：渊虚之羽》音乐集实体版来了！明日开启预约". GamerSky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 July 2025. 元素黄狗 (10 July 2025). "《明末：渊虚之羽》各版本音乐集有大惊喜：还赠游戏激活码！". GamerSky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 July 2025.
  50. ^ Petite, Steven; Bitner, Jon (2 July 2025). "8BitDo's Official Wuchang-Themed Ultimate 2 Controller Looks Awesome". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 17 July 2025.
  51. ^ 浮梦万物皆虚 (28 June 2025). "八位堂《明末：渊虚之羽》线下试玩会：联名手柄超酷！". GamerSky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 17 July 2025.
  52. ^ 猛鲨男鱼王 (26 June 2025). "《明末：渊虚之羽》北通联动手柄今日预售！送联名充电底座". GamerSky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 17 July 2025.
  53. ^ 元素黄狗 (12 July 2025). "飞智《明末：渊虚之羽》联名手柄正式公布！细节出色超帅气！". GamerSky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 17 July 2025.
  54. ^ 飘渺鱼 (20 July 2025). "龙鳞金甲立体纹理！微软授权 无线Xbox版 G7 Pro《明末：渊虚之羽》联名款手柄正式上市". GamerSky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 20 July 2025.
  55. ^ Clarke, Jon "Sikamikanico" (21 July 2025). "'Wuchang: Fallen Feathers' Wireless GameSir Controller Announced". XboxEra. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025.
  56. ^ a b c d "WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  57. ^ "WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers". OpenCritic. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  58. ^ a b Koepp, Brent (24 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Breaks Sales Records Despite Review Bombing on Steam". VICE. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025.
  59. ^ Nightingale, Ed (24 July 2025). "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers studio acknowledges performance issues, patch on the way". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025.
  60. ^ Faulkner, Cheri (25 July 2025). "New Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Update Fixes Performance Issues, Grants Additional Freebies As Apology". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 26 July 2025.
  61. ^ 心态良好的胖子 (24 July 2025). "热度火爆！《明末：渊虚之羽》在线玩家峰值突破13万". GamerSky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 24 July 2025.
  62. ^ For the nominations, see "UCG游戏大赏2024全奖项提名公开！". Ultra Console Game (in Chinese). 27 December 2024. Archived from the original on 4 April 2025. For the results, see "UGA2024圆满结束！全奖项获奖游戏和厂商公开！". Ultra Console Game (in Chinese). 15 January 2025. Archived from the original on 5 April 2025.
  63. ^ For the results, see 沁雅畅慧 (16 January 2025). "「UCG 游戏大赏 2024」颁奖典礼圆满结束". Game Bonfire (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 January 2025.
[edit]