More than three million PC players in four days, over 15 million players across both platforms in 28 days, and more than 30 million players in 67 days: NetEase's self-developed open-world martial arts game Where Winds Meet has achieved remarkable growth in recent months. It has become one of NetEase's fastest-growing flagship releases in recent years, combining strong word of mouth with substantial public interest.
Soon after launch, Youdao Ads began working closely with Where Winds Meet. A series of integrated marketing initiatives ultimately generated more than 500 million online video impressions and over 21.4 million livestream impressions, helping the game reach new audiences and grow.
Games inspired by Chinese culture and martial arts compete in a crowded category with a relatively established player base. Marketing beyond existing communities therefore offers an attractive route to new growth and breakthroughs.
Image source: the official Where Winds Meet WeChat account.
Set during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and the early Song dynasty, Where Winds Meet stands out for its detailed visuals and rich cultural background. However, reaching new audiences presented several challenges.
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How could the game's substantial cultural content be adapted into formats that younger players would readily engage with?
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How could it reach and attract a broader audience beyond existing player communities?
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How could acquisition, retention, and community-driven sharing support the IP's long-term growth?
These challenges clarified the marketing goal: use content appealing to younger audiences to reach new communities and acquire additional users, while drawing on cultural value to build lasting IP and achieve a step-change in awareness.
To meet these objectives, Youdao Ads designed and executed an integrated promotional plan around three priorities: content, resources, and experiences.
Content tailored to each campaign milestone
Key milestones Reaching multiple communities to attract players
As the game approached 30 million registered players, substantial user acquisition was needed. Youdao Ads invited professional gaming creators to highlight gameplay in livestreams and partnered with multiple creators on ensemble team-play content, creating a lively multiplayer atmosphere and encouraging existing players to bring in new ones.
For the Hexi and Liangzhou updates, the team adjusted content to each release's features. Gaming creators reviewed the updates and tried them hands-on, while other creators filmed martial arts scenes faithfully recreating the game's story. The team also invited noted scholar Dai Jianye to explain the history behind the narrative, strengthening the IP's educational role and making it a bridge between younger audiences and traditional culture.
The poignant story of Caojing Guanyin and An Liuli in the Liangzhou update was especially popular. The project team traveled to Xiangshan Film and Television City and worked with professional cosplayers and accomplished directors to produce a series of high-quality character films. Several related videos received more than ten thousand likes.
Seasonal occasions Playful collaborations to increase engagement
For occasions such as Labor Day and Children's Day, the focus shifted to entertaining, playful content. During the May Day holiday, the game introduced a Bosses' Day Off activity. Creators joked about bosses going on strike and made humorous videos while cosplaying game bosses, sparking discussion among players. Outside the game, a collaboration with Baidu Maps introduced character navigation voices. Youdao Ads worked with creators known for their looks and playful content to turn the navigation lines into widely shared catchphrases.
Long term operations Maintaining momentum and discussion
During ongoing operations, topical campaigns sustained awareness. In summer, for example, content combined keywords such as extreme heat and heatstroke with the game's summer-cooling festival activities and everyday situations to encourage player discussion and interaction.
Resources spanning creator tiers and interests
When selecting creators, follower counts and content fit were only part of the assessment. The priority was their ability to reach audiences outside the game's existing community. Partners covered anime and related fan culture, history, current affairs, comedy and remix videos, sports, visual effects, and other fields. Their videos repeatedly appeared near the top of platform trending charts.
Live comments and discussion threads included users asking for explanations of unfamiliar references, noticing that many of their favorite creators were playing Where Winds Meet, and remarking on how popular the game had become. This demonstrated effective reach among broader audiences.
A creator's video reaches number one in the sports category.
Experiences connecting online and offline activity
Alongside high-quality online content, the campaign featured a range of offline activations. At the CP31 fan convention, for example, Youdao Ads selected popular, outgoing cosplayers with extensive experience entertaining convention audiences. They wore cages while leading processions, interacted playfully with other IPs, and filmed absurd dance videos, attracting both players and passersby.
Event videos shared afterward prompted large quantities of related user-generated content and quickly gained traction. On Xiaohongshu, the topic about an outgoing young master's eventful convention day reached number nine on the trending chart through organic traffic. On the same day, a topic praising the authenticity of Where Winds Meet cosplayers entered the top ten, successfully turning offline attention into online discussion.
Other cross-industry collaborations, including Great Tang All Day Mall, combined game environments with city landmarks, bringing the IP into everyday life as a cultural symbol people could experience directly.
Image source: the Shaanxi Culture and Tourism Douyin account.
These social media campaigns delivered strong traffic results and helped build lasting brand value for Where Winds Meet.
In total, the collaboration involved more than 1,000 creators, generated over 500 million online video impressions, more than 21.4 million livestream impressions, and over 30 million engagements and discussions. Online content and offline activities repeatedly appeared on trending lists on platforms including Xiaohongshu and Bilibili. The campaigns also strengthened the IP's positioning as a game rooted in Chinese culture and a vehicle for cultural communication. Large volumes of quality user-generated content and game-related memes helped create a distinctive community culture.
The collaboration between Youdao Ads and Where Winds Meet supported both immediate audience growth and the long-term development of the IP. Youdao Ads will continue refining its marketing work to help games grow through strong branding and effective execution.