Nancy Thakur
November 19th, 2025

How to Change Difficulty in Where Winds Meet (November 2025)

As someone who’s spent countless hours mastering the martial arts world of Where Winds Meet, I know firsthand how crucial choosing the right difficulty can be. When I first jumped into this beautiful wuxia adventure, I made the mistake of starting too hard and quickly regretted it. That’s why I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about difficulty settings to help you avoid the same pitfalls and find your perfect challenge level.

What Is Where Winds Meet?

Where Winds Meet is an epic open-world action RPG set in tenth-century China that throws you into a rich wuxia universe filled with martial arts mastery, political intrigue, and breathtaking landscapes. The game offers multiple difficulty settings that dramatically affect your experience, from casual story enjoyment to soul-crushing challenges that test every skill you’ve developed. Understanding these difficulty options is essential because, as I discovered, some choices are permanent and can’t be changed later.

Why I Enjoy Playing Where Winds Meet?

I absolutely love how Where Winds Meet balances accessibility with depth. The combat system feels incredibly responsive, and each difficulty mode transforms the experience in meaningful ways. When I play on Recommended mode, I get that perfect sweet spot of challenge without frustration, but when I’m feeling particularly confident, Expert mode pushes my reflexes to their limits. What keeps me coming back is how the game respects different playstyles—whether you’re here for the story, the combat, or the prestige of conquering Legend mode.

How to Change Difficulty in Where Winds Meet?

Changing difficulty in Where Winds Meet is straightforward once you know where to look, but there are some important limitations you need to understand. Here’s my step-by-step guide based on countless hours of gameplay:

Step-by-Step Difficulty Change Process

Open the Pause Menu – Press the menu button (usually ESC or Start) during gameplay
Navigate to Settings – Look for the gear icon, typically in the top-right corner
Select the Game Tab – This is where you’ll find gameplay-related options
Find Combat Difficulty – Scroll down until you see “Combat Difficulty” in the settings list
Choose Your Mode – Select from Story, Recommended, or Expert from the dropdown menu

Important: The change takes effect immediately, so you can experiment mid-game to find your perfect balance. I often switch between Recommended and Expert depending on which area I’m exploring or which boss I’m facing.

The Legend Mode Exception

Here’s where things get serious—Legend mode cannot be changed through the settings menu. This is a permanent choice made only during character creation. I learned this the hard way when I wanted to upgrade my main character to Legend mode and discovered it was impossible. If you want Legend mode, you must:

Start a completely new character
Select Legend mode during initial character creation
Accept that this choice is permanent for that character

Visual Differences Between Modes

What I find fascinating is how the UI changes between difficulty modes. On Story mode, you’ll see prominent time-stop prompts and assist indicators that help you parry and dodge. As you move up to Recommended and Expert, these visual aids disappear, forcing you to rely on pure skill and enemy animation reading. In Legend mode, the interface is completely clean—no assists, no prompts, just you and your martial arts mastery against the world.

Where Winds Meet Difficulty Modes Explained 2025

Let me break down each difficulty mode based on my personal experience playing through all of them:

Story Mode

Best for: Narrative-focused players, beginners, or those who want to explore without stress

What I experienced: Enemies are noticeably weaker, and the game provides generous time-stop prompts during enemy attacks. You’ll see clear indicators when to parry, dodge, or counter, making combat feel more like a rhythm game than a challenge. I recommend this mode if you’re primarily interested in the story and world exploration.

Key features:

Reduced enemy health and damage
Time-stop prompts for all enemy attacks
Assist prompts for special moves
Can be changed anytime

Recommended Mode

Best for: Most players, balanced experience, those familiar with action RPGs

What I experienced: This is the sweet spot that the developers intended. Combat feels challenging but fair, with no visual assists to help you. You need to learn enemy patterns and timing, but the punishment for mistakes isn’t severe. I spend most of my time in this mode because it offers the best balance of challenge and enjoyment.

Key features:

Balanced enemy strength and health
No time-stop or assist prompts
Requires genuine skill development
Can be changed anytime

Expert Mode

Best for: Experienced action gamers, Soulslike veterans, challenge seekers

What I experienced: Expert mode is where the real challenge begins. Enemies hit harder, have more health, and their attack patterns become more complex. The “Assist Deflection” feature is completely disabled, meaning you won’t get any help timing your parries or dodges. I switch to this mode when I want to test my skills or when I’m feeling particularly confident.

Key features:

Significantly increased enemy difficulty
No assist prompts of any kind
Requires mastery of combat mechanics
Can be changed anytime

Legend Mode

Best for: Hardcore players, completionists, those seeking ultimate prestige

What I experienced: Legend mode is a completely different beast. Everything is harder—enemies have massive health pools, deal devastating damage, and their AI becomes more aggressive and unpredictable. The reward? Exclusive badges and identifiers that you can only earn in this mode. I have a dedicated Legend mode character just for collecting these prestigious rewards.

Key features:

Maximum enemy difficulty and health
No assists or prompts possible
Exclusive boss rewards (badges and identifiers)
Permanent choice – only available at character creation

Hardcore Mode (Coming Soon)

Best for: Extreme challenge seekers, permadeath enthusiasts

What I’m expecting: While not yet available, Hardcore mode promises permanent character death upon defeat. This means if you die, you lose that character forever. I’m both terrified and excited for this mode to be released, as it will add a whole new layer of tension to every encounter.

Combat Mechanics Differences by Difficulty

What I find most interesting is how difficulty affects the actual feel of combat beyond just enemy health and damage:

Enemy AI Behavior

Story: Enemies are more predictable, telegraph attacks longer, and give you more time to react
Recommended: Balanced AI that challenges but doesn’t overwhelm
Expert: Enemies use more complex combos and adapt to your playstyle
Legend: AI becomes ruthless, using advanced tactics and coordinated attacks

Parry and Dodge Windows

Story: Generous timing windows with visual prompts
Recommended: Standard timing windows, no prompts
Expert: Tight timing windows requiring precise execution
Legend: Extremely tight windows with no margin for error

Resource Management

Higher difficulties make resource management more critical. On Legend mode, I find myself constantly monitoring my stamina, health items, and special ability cooldowns, whereas on Story mode, I can be much more liberal with my resources.

Where Winds Meet Codes and Rewards

While there aren’t specific difficulty-related codes, I’ve found that playing on higher difficulties can unlock certain achievements and recognition within the community. The most notable rewards are the Legend mode badges—unique identifiers you earn for defeating bosses on Legend difficulty. These serve as permanent proof of your skill and dedication.

Current known rewards:

Boss-specific badges (Legend mode only)
Unique character titles
Community recognition
Potential future exclusive content

Latest Updates and Changes in Where Winds Meet

As of November 2025, the difficulty system remains relatively stable, but here are the latest developments I’ve observed:

Recent Patch Notes Impact

Improved difficulty switching responsiveness
Bug fixes for Legend mode reward tracking
Enhanced AI behavior on Expert and Legend modes
Preparation for upcoming Hardcore mode release

Community Feedback Changes

The developers have been responsive to player feedback about difficulty balance. I’ve noticed adjustments to enemy scaling in certain areas, making the progression feel more natural across all difficulty modes.

Tips & Tricks to Master Any Difficulty

Based on my extensive playtime, here are my best tips for succeeding at any difficulty level:

General Combat Tips

Master the parry system first – This is your most valuable defensive tool
Learn enemy patterns – Each enemy type has tells for their attacks
Use the environment – Terrain can give you advantages in combat
Manage your stamina – Don’t spam attacks; conserve energy for defense

Difficulty-Specific Strategies

For Story Mode:

Focus on learning the story and exploration
Use this mode to practice combos and experiment with different weapons
Don’t worry too much about perfect combat execution

For Recommended Mode:

Develop consistent parry timing
Learn to manage multiple enemies
Balance offense and defense appropriately

For Expert Mode:

Perfect your dodge and parry timing
Study enemy attack patterns thoroughly
Use consumables strategically
Consider specialized builds for specific challenges

For Legend Mode:

Patience is key – rush in and you’ll die quickly
Master every combat mechanic available
Study boss patterns extensively before attempting
Consider co-op help for particularly tough encounters

Co-op Considerations

When playing in co-op, difficulty settings affect the entire group. I’ve found that communication is essential when tackling higher difficulties with friends. Make sure everyone is comfortable with the chosen difficulty level, as it can significantly impact the group’s success rate.

FAQs About Where Winds Meet Difficulty

Can I change difficulty mid-game?

Yes, you can change between Story, Recommended, and Expert modes anytime through the settings menu. However, Legend mode is permanent and can only be selected during character creation.

Do I miss out on content by playing on easier difficulties?

No, all story content and areas are accessible regardless of difficulty. The only exclusive content is the Legend mode badges, which are purely cosmetic/achievement-based.

What’s the best difficulty for beginners?

I recommend Recommended mode for most beginners. It provides a balanced challenge that teaches the game’s mechanics properly without being overwhelming. You can always adjust later if needed.

Can I get all achievements/trophies on Story mode?

Yes, according to my research and the developers’ statements, all achievements and trophies can be earned on any difficulty, including Story mode.

Is Hardcore mode worth waiting for?

If you enjoy extreme challenges and permadeath mechanics, absolutely. However, be prepared for the potential frustration of losing characters permanently.

How does difficulty affect loot and progression?

Higher difficulties don’t directly affect loot quality or quantity, but the increased challenge means you’ll naturally progress more slowly and potentially earn more through overcoming tougher obstacles.

Conclusion

Mastering the difficulty system in Where Winds Meet has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my journey through this beautiful wuxia world. Whether you’re here for the story, the combat, or the prestige of conquering Legend mode, there’s a perfect difficulty setting waiting for you.

I encourage you to experiment with different modes and find what works best for your playstyle. Don’t be afraid to adjust as you go—except for that permanent Legend mode choice, of course! The flexibility to change difficulty is one of the game’s greatest strengths, allowing you to tailor the experience to your mood and skill level.

Now it’s your turn to dive in and find your perfect challenge. What difficulty mode are you planning to start with? Share your experiences and questions in the comments below—I’d love to hear about your martial arts journey in Where Winds Meet!

Looking for more gaming guides? Check out our combat progression tips and admin abuse prevention strategies for more gaming insights.