As of October 8, 2026, Where Winds Meet, the free-to-play wuxia game from Everstone Studio, has a collaboration extraction mode with Escape from Tarkov called Transdust Ruins. It opened on September 23. Blades replace guns, and you can go in solo or with two others. The developers described it in a letter dated September 21, 2026, and the game's official X account said on September 23 that the mode was live. GamiPrime has not played it, so everything below comes from the letter.
What an extraction mode is
In an extraction mode, you enter a match, collect loot, and bring it home by reaching an exit. The letter says the aim was to keep the risk-and-reward loop that defines extraction: the tension is in deciding when to stop.
How a run goes
The letter says a match unfolds across four phases: prep, search, contest and extract. It does not say which items belong to which phase, so the notes below are grouped by topic, not by phase.
Before a run. You gear up in the Warehouse or the Shop. Two utility items are named. The Dragonfinder helps you track down high-value treasure. The Breath-Holding Talisman shrinks the range at which others can detect you.
On the map. The setting is the Hexi desert. Loot sits in bookshelves, wine jars, carts and ruins, alongside special chests, treasure maps, mechanism puzzles, roaming rogues and map bosses. Sandstorm zones appear at random and force you to change route.
When you meet another Wanderer. The letter calls other players Wanderers and says the more a place is worth going to, the more likely you are to cross paths with them. Wind Sense shows where nearby enemies are, Disguise lets you take the shape of a nearby creature or object, and Celestial Seize lets you lift an item off an opponent without beating them first. When you meet a Wanderer, the letter says you can draw your blade, lie in wait, slip past, or extract once you are happy with your haul. It states plainly that extracting safely is the real goal.
Getting out. Every match runs on a timer, and you must reach an extraction point and get out before it ends for your loot to make it home. The letter gives no timer length. Its summary: "Extract, and everything you've earned goes home safe." Pushing deeper is a gamble, because everything you have already grabbed rides on it too.
One protection exists before the run starts. You can stash your most important items in the Safety Case ahead of time. Whatever is inside is not lost if you do not make it out. Capacity is limited, so it cannot hold a whole run's haul.
Extraction points
According to the letter, the number of extraction slots shifts with difficulty, and different points ask different things. Some cap your weight, so a full pack forces a choice about what to leave behind. Others charge a toll to pass.
What the mode takes from Escape from Tarkov
The letter calls Transdust Ruins the brand-new Escape from Tarkov collaboration mode and says the collaboration gave it a clear starting point. In the original, firefights drive play; here guns give way to blades, and range encounters involve Lightness skills, Mystic Skills and close-quarters martial arts. The only item the letter labels as Tarkov-inspired is a mask, the Deathknell Knight. The letter does not describe the terms of the collaboration.
Rewards
- Golden Treasure Tokens: ordinary items you bring out can be sold for tokens, which buy gear and items for your next run or redeem cosmetics and other rewards.
- Floral Weave: earned by completing certain activities, and exchangeable for accessories, hair ornaments and two other items the letter names.
- Season Relics: modeled on real-world artifacts. Once identified and collected, they unlock matching Decorations and Poses, and some can be displayed at your Homestead.
- Limited-time rewards: the Deathknell Knight mask and the Wind-kov avatar.
When Transdust Ruins opened
The letter says the mode opens September 23 at 6:00 (UTC+8). On September 23, the official @WhereWindsMeet_ account posted that it was "LIVE." All times here are UTC+8: the letter announces 6:00, and the post is timestamped 14:34. The post does not say when the mode actually opened. The game's Steam news feed does not mention the mode; its latest post when we read it on October 8 was a patch-notes post titled with September 16, timestamped September 15.
What the letter does not say about Transdust Ruins
Not stated in the letter:
- the game version tied to the mode, and any level or quest needed to enter;
- how long the mode stays available, and the dates of the limited-time rewards;
- the number of extraction slots, the Safety Case capacity and the timer length;
- the number of players per match, beyond solo or two teammates;
- whether entry to the mode is free, and which platforms it covers.
For other dated updates across free PC games, see the free-to-play PC game news timeline.
Frequently asked questions
What is Transdust Ruins in Where Winds Meet?
An extraction mode made in collaboration with Escape from Tarkov, with blades in place of guns. The developers' letter of September 21, 2026 set its opening for September 23.
Can you play Transdust Ruins solo?
Yes. The letter says you can go in alone or with two other players.
What happens to your loot if you do not extract?
Loot only goes home if you reach an extraction point before the match timer ends. Items placed in the Safety Case before the run are kept either way, but its capacity is limited.
Is Transdust Ruins free to enter?
The letter does not say. It also leaves out the platforms covered and how long the mode stays available.
Sources read
- The developers' letter, "Dev Letter | Escape from Tarkov Collab Mode: Transdust Ruins," dated September 21, 2026: wherewindsmeetgame.com. Read in full on October 8, 2026. It is the only page on the game's website we found that describes the mode.
- Official Where Winds Meet X account, @WhereWindsMeet_, post of September 23, 2026: x.com/WhereWindsMeet_/status/2102647756892553713.
- Where Winds Meet on Steam (free to play, developer Everstone Studio): store.steampowered.com/app/3564740. Checked October 8, 2026.
