Announcing open-world action RPG Project Windless for PS5

Today is a big day for us at Krafton Montréal Studio. We finally get to share a first look at Project Windless, our new open-world action RPG coming to PlayStation 5. This is a project we’ve been quietly working on for years, and it feels great to finally bring you into the world we’ve fallen in love with. If you haven’t seen it yet make sure to check out our announcement trailer:

Project Windless is set in the universe of the acclaimed Korean fantasy series The Bird That Drinks Tears. 

When we first discovered the novels, they immediately stood out. This was not a classic Western fantasy setup. It was stranger, darker, and more tragic. In many ways, it was also more human.

In this world, each race has its own worldview and its own complex history. Conflicts are never clean or heroic. The world felt ancient and lived-in, full of places we wanted to explore. We quickly realized that this universe naturally fits an open-world experience, a place where you can wander, discover, and get lost in its mysteries.

Instead of adapting the story you might know, we decided to go way back in time. We went over a thousand years before the events of the books and explored a turning point that the novels barely touch on. In this forgotten age, the land is divided, and as tensions rise, you step into the role of a mythical figure whose actions will shape the birth of a new kingdom.

From the beginning, we wanted Project Windless to feel like your world, not ours. We made it an open world with as little hand-holding as possible. You are free to chart your own course, the world rarely forces you in a single direction. Whether you’re exploring on your own, delving into a hidden story, or preparing up for a massive battle, we want your journey to feel personal and authentic, full of unexpected moments. Instead of guiding players step by step, the world is designed to encourage curiosity, to take risks, to forge alliances, to wage war, and ultimately to decide what kind of legend you, as a player, want to become.

One of the big early questions we had was: who should the player be in this world? We kept coming back to one answer: the Rekons.

Rekons are a nomadic warrior race of humanoid birds, known for their immense physical strength and size. From the moment we started prototyping, everything clicked. Their speed, reach, and physical presence were perfect for the one-versus-many combat fantasy at our game’s core.

What truly defined them for us, though, was their complexity. They are powerful, yes, but they are also solitary, with strong personal beliefs and vulnerabilities, including a well-known fear of water. These traits made them feel more real and helped us create a strong, memorable protagonist who is not invincible.

We also challenged ourselves to create a combat experience that feels different from what you usually see in action RPGs, something bigger and wilder, driven by the raw chaos of battle. As a Rekon warrior, you often fight dozens (sometimes hundreds) of enemies at once. To be clear, these crowds aren’t just visual noise. Brought to life through innovative mass technology, they move, flank, surround, and react to your actions, turning every battle into a living, unpredictable spectacle. You might cut through swarms or face giant creatures that dominate the battlefield. Every encounter pushes you to read the situation, adapt, and react in the moment.

We can’t wait for you to experience it for yourself. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to sharing more about the world and the journey that await.

Project Windless is currently in development for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.