One of the biggest surprises of yesterday's State of Play broadcast was undoubtedly the announcement of Project Windless. An open world action RPG in development at KRAFTON Montréal, it is based on the "The Bird That Drinks Tears" fantasy universe created by the Korean novelist Lee Youngdo, which has been described as "The Korean Lord of the Rings". Patrik Méthé, Head of KRAFTON Montréal Studio and Creative Director, said in a statement:
From the start, we asked ourselves what it really means to play a legendary figure in a fantasy world. 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.
Project Windless is technically a prequel set 1,500 years before the events narrated in Youngdo's books, a common choice for game developers whenever they want to draw from lore while maintaining complete creative freedom. The story will focus on the origins of the "Hero King," the legendary founder of the Aragit Kingdom. The setting features four unique races:
- The Tokabi: Tricksters who wield fire and magic, known for laughing in the face of death.
- The Humans: Ambitious and strategic, constantly vying to shift the balance of power.
- The Naga: A cold-blooded and brilliant reptilian race, driven by a ruthless desire for domination.
- The Rekkon: The bird-like playable race. Fierce, nomadic warriors of immense size and speed, driven by a singular "life wish."
In the first developer diary, KRAFTON Montréal, which is working alongside KRAFTON teams based in teams in Pangyo, South Korea, to ensure authenticity, the combat was described as brutal, visceral, and overwhelming. In the lore, Rekkon warriors have immense strength, so players will often face dozens or even hundreds of enemies simultaneously. To achieve this scale, the team behind Project Windless is using a new "Mass Entity AI" technology. This system allows for the simulation of hundreds or thousands of smart, reactive characters. The goal is to transform standard encounters into unpredictable, large-scale conflicts that simulate the feel of a world truly torn by war.
Project Windless is being developed as a premium single player experience for PC and consoles. There's no release window in sight.