This page is part of our Where Winds Meet hub. Currency names follow the official English client and patch notes. Some guides translate the paid currency as "Echo Pearls"; the official English name is Echo Beads.
Is Where Winds Meet pay to win?
The official line is clear. The Steam page says: "No pay-to-win. Gameplay content is entirely free, with monetization limited to cosmetic items." Producer Beralt Lyu repeated it in interviews: "We don't sell stats, we don't sell power levels." In February 2026 the team reaffirmed that the game would stay free from pay to win even if player numbers dropped, and an official Steam post in November 2025 put it as "We value fairness above all else."
Independent reviews mostly agree. Mein-MMO (November 27, 2025) concluded the game is not pay to win: paying players cannot buy power that free players cannot grind, and level breakthrough timegates cannot be skipped with money. The same review lists the paid battle pass perks as convenience, though:
- +2 to the medicine carry limit
- +12 equipment slots
- a portable merchant
- 10 fewer requirement points on equipment
allthings.how calls these time savers a grey area, and some creators have argued that Echo Jade skill items cross the line. Our view: you can reach every stat, weapon and Martial Art without paying, and the paid edge is saved time, not a stronger character. If you mostly play PvP, read the Arena section of our multiplayer guide, because ranked play rewards practice far more than a bigger inventory.
Every currency explained
The two names that matter are Echo Beads and Echo Jade. Echo Beads are what you buy with money; Echo Jade is what you earn by playing, and it buys more than most new players expect.
| Currency | How you get it | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Echo Beads | Real money top-ups only | Shop appearances, Specials pools, Lingering Melody (200 each), battle pass |
| Echo Jade | Quests, exploration chests, events, codes, maintenance compensation, Arena and guild rewards, Monthly Fund | Resonating Melody (160), Lingering Melody (200, weekly limit), VIP Shop, Inner Way Conversion, Arena battlegroup switch |
| Coins | Almost everything; codes give 5,000 to 20,000 | Vendors and upgrades |
| Lingering Melody | Echo Beads, Echo Jade shops, events, Monthly Fund | One draw on the limited Celestial Echo banner |
| Resonating Melody | Echo Jade, events, codes, login gifts | One draw on the permanent Solemn Echo banner |
| Essence of Heaven, Essence of Earth | Draws and duplicates | Items in the Draw Shop |
| Wonder Jade, Treasure Token, Guild Reputation | Guild Battles | Guild shops |
Echo Jade has no weekly earning cap according to The Escapist, and the official notes show it doing real work outside the shop: an Inner Way Conversion costs 500 Echo Jade after the free attempts (May 27, 2026 notes), and a second Arena battlegroup switch in a half season costs 100. Your first top-up bonus applies once per account across all platforms, according to the official PlayStation notice.
Both are from the official site: the anniversary code popup and the Twitch Drops banner. Codes and drops are the easiest free Echo Jade in the game. Our Where Winds Meet codes page currently has 15 working codes, including 1113HUTUOGO for 200 Echo Jade, 20,000 Coins and two Resonating Melodies.
Celestial Echo and Solemn Echo: how draws and pity work
There are two draw banners, and they take different tickets:
- Celestial Echo is the premium, time limited banner with exclusive cosmetics. Each draw costs one Lingering Melody.
- Solemn Echo is the permanent banner and the friendlier one for free players. Each draw costs one Resonating Melody, and every draw also gives an Essence of Earth for the Draw Shop.
Banners rotate every few weeks. Game8 and The Escapist agree on the guarantees: an Epic item every 10 draws and a Legendary item by draw 150. They disagree on the details, Game8 saying pity does not carry over to future banners and The Escapist saying draws on both banners count toward the same 150, so do not plan around either until you have checked the counter in your own client. The Escapist also notes that a Legendary can be a mount, an outfit or a Harmonic Core, and you do not choose which.
Duplicates turn into Essence: Game8 lists 50 for a duplicate Legendary and 5 for a duplicate Epic. That Essence is how the Draw Shop works, the official term for the exchange shop where named appearances such as Nine-Tails' Legacy, Dancing Moonlight and the Ghoststride mount have been sold for limited windows.
Draw Shop, Specials and the outfit shop
Not everything is random. The official update overviews split cosmetics into several shop categories: Shop Appearance, Mall Appearance, Draw Shop Appearance, Battle Pass Appearance, Mount, Martial Art Effect and Weapon Appearance. Shop and Mall items are direct purchases with Echo Beads. Draw Shop items cost Essence earned from draws. Specials are themed limited pools paid with Echo Beads; The Escapist explains that getting the rarest item hands you all the remaining rewards in that pool.
The official X account valued the free anniversary outfits at 2,580 Echo Beads each, which gives you a sense of what a full premium outfit costs in the shop. Treat that as a reference point, not a price list: shop items vary, and bundles change every version.
Battle Pass: Free, Elite and Premium
Each season has a free track and two paid tiers, Elite and Premium (the names used in the official PlayStation notice). Premium includes the Elite rewards and more. The paid tracks carry skins, Echo Jade, Lingering Melody, dye and tokens, plus the convenience perks listed above. In the US App Store the Elite pass is listed at $9.99 and Premium at $19.99, matching what GuruGamer and allthings.how reported; prices differ by region.
Two battle pass outfit sets from the official overviews: Fragrant Orchid from the 2.0 era on the left, Chilled Current from 2.2 on the right.
| Season | Version | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Inkstone Reverie | 1.2 (January 2026) | Named in the 1.2 overview |
| Fragrant Orchid | 2.0 era (July 2026) | Named in the July 2026 patch notes |
| Scarlet Whispers | 2.3 | Ends November 13, 2026 at 17:59:59 (UTC+8) |
Practical details from the 2.3 notes: the pass runs past level 50, the weekly battle pass EXP cap resets on Monday at 05:00 (UTC+8), and the Battle Pass shop sells a Level Cap Token. If you buy late in a season, you will not reach the top unless you have banked the weekly EXP, so the best time to buy is the first week.
Monthly Fund: the best value purchase
The Monthly Fund (some menus and guides call it the Monthly Pass) is the cheapest paid item and the one most free players eventually buy. It is $4.99 in the US App Store, matching The Escapist's figure. Mein-MMO and other guides agree on what it contains, and Game8 and The Escapist confirm the Lingering Melody at day 20:
- On purchase: 300 Echo Beads and 90,000 Coins.
- Every daily login for 30 days: 100 Echo Jade and 50 battle pass EXP, for 3,000 Echo Jade and 1,500 EXP in total.
- After 20 days of logins: one Lingering Melody.
- While it is active: the VIP Shop and Must-Haves List (added in 1.2). The VIP Shop sells items such as the Dreamtint Kit for more dye plan slots and the Transformation Pill for Echo Jade, with stock that refreshes each Monthly Fund cycle.
How to get Lingering and Resonating Melodies for free
Free players draw on both banners. The steady sources, according to Game8 and The Escapist:
- Resonating Melody costs 160 Echo Jade in the Jianghu Treasure shop. Codes, login events and guild events also hand them out; the official 1.2 seven day login event did.
- Lingering Melody costs 200 Echo Jade in Jianghu Treasure, limited to two a week. Game8 lists more weekly exchanges: the Season Shop after the weekly Jade Fish cap, the Draw Shop for Essence, and the Meow Meow Temple shops in Qinghe and Kaifeng.
- Official gifts. NetEase sent every player 10 Lingering Melodies in November 2025, and maintenance compensation usually includes Echo Jade.
The first anniversary is the biggest free haul so far. The official X post of November 2, 2026 promises one outfit of your choice from 12 (each valued at 2,580 Echo Beads) for logging in, 42 Lingering Melodies and 27 Resonating Melodies through easy in game rewards, and five free outfits across November and December. Version 2.4 and the Hutuo region start on November 13; the full event list is in our anniversary update guide.
Too many choices? Screenshot to discover your destined 2580 outfit! (official Where Winds Meet channel)Spending tips for free players
- Spend Echo Jade on the weekly Lingering Melody exchange first. Two a week for 200 each is the best rate for the limited banner.
- Pull Solemn Echo with Resonating Melodies as they come; it is permanent, and each draw feeds the Draw Shop.
- Do not chase every Celestial Echo. Pity behaviour between banners is disputed, so save for the outfit you really want.
- Keep some Echo Jade for gameplay. Inner Way Conversion costs 500, and that affects your build. Our builds guide shows which Inner Ways are worth it.
- Redeem every code and claim the anniversary rewards. They are worth more than a month of grinding.
- If you pay once, make it the Monthly Fund. It returns more Echo Jade than any other purchase, as long as you log in daily.
New players can find where the first Echo Jade comes from in the beginner guide.
FAQ
Is Where Winds Meet pay to win?
NetEase says no: gameplay content is free and monetization is limited to cosmetics. The paid battle pass does add convenience perks such as extra equipment slots and a portable merchant, but no stats you cannot earn.
What is the difference between Echo Beads and Echo Jade?
Echo Beads are bought with real money. Echo Jade is earned in game and buys Resonating Melodies for 160 and up to two Lingering Melodies a week for 200 each.
What is the pity in Where Winds Meet?
Game8 and The Escapist agree that a Legendary item is guaranteed by 150 draws and an Epic item every 10 draws. They disagree on whether the counter carries over between banners.
How much is the Where Winds Meet Monthly Fund?
It is $4.99 in the US App Store. It gives 300 Echo Beads and 90,000 Coins at once, 100 Echo Jade per daily login for 30 days and a Lingering Melody after 20 days.
How much is the battle pass in Where Winds Meet?
In the US App Store the Elite pass is $9.99 and the Premium pass $19.99. Prices vary by region and platform.
Can you get Lingering Melody for free?
Yes. Echo Jade shops sell two a week, Draw Shop Essence and events give more, and the first anniversary hands out 42 Lingering Melodies.