"Where Whales Meet": Where Winds Meet fans left stunned after a whale spends 40,000 USD on a mount just one week after launch

Where Winds Meet has taken the gaming community by storm since it was released earlier this week, on November 14, 2025. With millions of players navigating the Wuxia RPG set in ancient China, one player has stood out from the rest by spending 40,000 USD on a mount.

No, that was not a typing error. One player just spent upwards of 40,000 USD to purchase a boat in Where Winds Meet. Gacha games are known to attract whales, notoriously rich players who spend a fortune on cosmetics and items. However, this whale just spent enough money on a cosmetic boat to buy an actual boat in real life.

Recently, social media was filled with posts and comments by fellow Where Winds Meet players who stated that they climbed aboard the Mirage boat, one of the most expensive mounts that players can buy in the game. Gamers received a server-wide announcement to get on the boat, and the reactions were as expected:

The Mirage boat is a mount that can be constructed using 170 pieces of the Mirage Torn Page, an item that can be purchased using Harmonic Cores. Harmonic cores are a notoriously difficult item to obtain, requiring players to keep drawing or pulling for items till they receive it. Based on calculations by players, it takes around 150 pulls to receive one core.

Essentially, getting 170 Mirage Torn Pages would set a player back by a minimum of $40,000. This amount could go up as high as $70,000, given the draw percentage and pity system. Reacting to the calculations, a user had the perfect reaction:

Another player on Reddit joked that their 1,500$ spent on the title pales in comparison to the massive amount of money dropped by the whale. They took a hilarious dig, thanking the player for supporting the game and ensuring it stays afloat:

Meanwhile, other players took to cracking hilarious puns, stating that the player who spent upwards of $40,000 on a digital cosmetic was more than a simple whale. They came up with an array of hilarious puns to highlight the incredulity of the situation:

Redditors had a fun time crowning the player as the king of whales (Image via Reddit/@kend7510)

The majority of the community was left stunned at this massive flaunting by the whale. Gacha games attract whales like a beacon, so it comes as no surprise that the heavy-hitters have made their way to Where Winds Meet, a title with over 200,000 concurrent players days after it was launched.

Also read: How to get Lingering Melody in WWM

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Is Where Winds Meet a paid game?

You can play the title without any purchases as well (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || NetEase)

No, Where Winds Meet is not a paid game. The developers, NetEase Games, have stated that the Wuxia title is completely free-to-play and has no pay-to-win mechanics. Gamers can dive into the title for free without having to purchase any packs or subscriptions. The free tier gives access to all main quests and missions in the title.

However, there is the option to purchase cosmetics and other enhancements in the game, which can result in minor buffs. Similarly, the season pass is a paid reward track that offers rare upgrade items and healing enhancements with ease, making it easier for gamers to navigate the gameplay. However, these items can be obtained through playing as well.

As with all gacha games, the skins and cosmetics with a bustling market with hundreds of different cosmetic choices that gamers can buy. These are purely cosmetic and offer no competitive advantage and are just a personal choice (unless you are a whale who wants to drop $40,000 USD and make a statement).

Also read: How to unlock Lone Cloud sect in Where Winds Meet

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Check out some more WWM content:

• Where Winds Meet review: The best, most compelling Wuxia game in years
• Where Winds Meet walkthrough: Gathering of Heroes (Universal Furnace)
• How to unlock and use Internal Arts in Where Winds Meet

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Edited by Sayendra Basu