KURO GAMES held a special program today (the 26th) ahead of the 3.5 update for its open world action RPG, 'Wuthering Waves.' During the broadcast, key members of the development team introduced the details of the 3.5 version update and the new characters.

In version 3.5, players will leave Lahai-Roi—the primary setting of the 3 series—and head to 'Xianfang,' another region of Huanglong. This area was established through the cooperation of humans and the guardian deity, the Moon-Shadow Fox ('Fox Constellation'), centered around the Xianfang Border and Xianfang City, which are adjacent to Jinzhou, following the influx of Tacet Discords. Although surrounded by rugged canyons, the inhabitants have survived by building sturdy fortresses between the cliffs using unique mechanical technology.

The Xianfang Border is divided into four main zones: Xianfang City (the central hub), Xianyou Dong'e (home to 'Wuyunge,' where various technologies are tested to lure Tacet Discords), Fangjing Xifeng (home to 'Xiantianqu,' where zone-sealing technology is tested), and 'Luoyan South District,' which features relatively gentle terrain and fields compared to the other areas. To capture these diverse environments more immersively, the team focused on special effects, such as seasonal changes and falling leaves drifting on water.

Meanwhile, version 3.5 will depict the story of the Rover returning to Jinzhou after a long absence. Upon their return, the Rover hears news of a sudden disappearance and learns that Yangyang, who was investigating the case, has also gone missing. Hearing this, the Rover heads to the Xianfang Border to investigate alongside Susu, Yangyang's older sister, who had come to Jinzhou specifically for the case.

Chapter 4 of the Companion Mission, which covers this incident, will open on July 10, and the events unfolding in the Xianfang Border and Xianfang City will be explored through version 3.7. Notably, this chapter introduces a unique item called the 'Dengsuoji,' which allows players to experience the story from multiple perspectives through the eyes of Resonators located in different places at specific times. In addition to the Companion Mission, a dangerous mission titled 'Crisis at the Hanging Pavilion, Questioning the Truth,' which follows the story of the 4-star Resonator 'Danjin' met in Jinzhou, will also be available. Players who have not yet completed the existing story can enjoy the Chapter 4 story as a preview simply by entering Jinzhou City and unlocking the terminal.

The 3.5 update also adds the Xianfang-themed exploration bike frame 'Yunbaiqi,' along with region-specific tracks and a new special feature called 'Energy Drift.' Beyond the Companion Missions, new content includes 'Fangzheng Yanwu' (a mechanics-themed activity), 'Claw Machine,' and 'Mingxindai,' where players investigate traces of past events. New Tacet Discords, including 'Manwalei-Debris,' will be added as enemies, along with three new Echo sets.

The second part introduced the new characters coming in version 3.5: 'Yangyang: Heron' and 'Susu.' While 'Yangyang: Heron' still uses a straight sword, she now appears with the Havoc attribute, unlike her 4-star version. She retains her original motions and attack style but has transformed into a more powerful damage dealer that utilizes two different sword techniques. When using her attack skills, 'Yangyang: Heron' performs fast, flashy strikes and switches between sword styles to empower her Resonance Skill; activating an empowered skill in this state accumulates a special energy called 'Azure Heron.' Once two points of 'Azure Heron' are gathered, a different type of empowered attack is triggered depending on the sword style currently in use. Upon activating her Resonance Liberation, Heron-Jak rides a wave of sword energy to charge at enemies, dealing massive area-of-effect damage. This also triggers a weather effect that causes rain in the area.

Yangyang's sister, 'Susu,' is a 5-star Glacio-attribute rectifier Resonator. She uses her ability to manipulate water flow to attack enemies or accumulate 'Breath of Rainclouds' energy to obtain another energy, 'Letter of Floral Fragrance.' Upon activating Resonance Liberation, she paints a landscape depicting the world, and when switching to a party member immediately afterward, she provides buffs based on the amount of 'Letter of Floral Fragrance' energy accumulated

In addition to new characters, the Rover will receive a new 'Electro' attribute. The Electro Rover uses a mechanical bracelet to transform electronic effects into various forms such as shields, swords, and crossbows, allowing for diverse attacks and effects. Charging a basic attack transforms it into a shield, granting invincibility and damage reduction. Successfully guarding against enemy attacks allows the player to temporarily stun the enemy and trigger a powerful counterattack.

Activating the Resonance Skill changes the weapon to a sword, allowing the Rover to dash at enemies, stab them, and follow up with an aerial plunging attack for heavy Electro damage. Tapping the skill while special energy is full gathers enemies in one spot, and switching party members at this time grants the incoming character an attack boost. Holding the button triggers an overload state, unleashing a composite attribute attack that includes Spectro, Havoc, and Aero. The Resonance Liberation skill summons lightning from the sky and fires it at enemies, dealing massive Electro damage to those in front.

The first half of the 3.5 update will feature the 'Yangyang: Xianling' banner alongside reruns for Yinlin and Zhezhi, while the 'Susu' banner will begin in the second half. During version 3.5, the 'Journey's Character Tuning' event will allow players to select and tune for major Jinzhou characters, including Jiyan, Yinlin, Jinhsi, Changli, Zhezhi, and Xiangli Yao. The first 10 pulls in this event are free, and additional rewards are provided after a certain number of pulls. The 'Journey's Weapon Tuning' banner will also be available. These banners do not share pull counts with other banners; detailed information can be found in the official notice.

The 3.5 update includes regional exploration events, commemorative photo collection events, and the 'Mumu Logistics' event. The event for taking combat photos of Resonators has been renewed as 'Recapturing Light and Shadow.' Additionally, 'Dania' has been added to the Hologram Strategy, and the 'Illusive Realm: Quadrant Expansion' event will begin, where players can challenge high scores by applying various high-difficulty modules and restrictions. A new light-hearted event, 'Scream Recon: Silent Crisis,' which introduces survivor-like gameplay, will also be launched. Participants can earn various resources, including Astrite, and exclusive profile pictures.

The 3.5 version shop will add the 'Yangyang: Xianling' themed bike wrap edition 'Morning Star Lighting the Dark Night,' the accessory 'Cloud Lark,' and the Susu accessory 'Golden Sunset Zhongmingniao.' Summer-themed swimsuit costumes for Yinlin and Chixia will also be released.

Improvements for version 3.5 were also revealed. Players will now be able to set voice languages individually for each character. However, to maintain immersion during story sequences, the game will default to the primary language setting. The story mode will also feature an auto-play function that allows the narrative to progress naturally without clicks, even during choice sequences; players who prefer otherwise can use options like semi-auto. Furthermore, all existing material dungeons can be entered directly through the Solaris Guide without needing to teleport, and new dungeons will also be accessible via the guide once the marker is activated.

Rewards for new and returning players have been strengthened, and graphics and client performance have been improved. Details such as the Rover's gloves, headbands, and masks have been refined, and Intel's frame interpolation technology, XeSS 3, has been applied for Intel graphics card users. A new resource compression technology will reduce storage space by approximately 20GB compared to version 3.4 (PC). Mobile optimization will also be improved to free up more storage space by clearing unused language voice files and other assets, ensuring a smoother experience. After the 3.5 update, the app icon will change from the original Yangyang icon to the 'Yangyang: Xianling' icon, and the login screen will be updated to the Xianfang theme.

Finally, news regarding collaborations, KakaoTalk emoticons, and the world tour was shared. The Wuthering Waves world tour, 'To the New World,' will open ticket sales via the official lounge soon, alongside the sale of themed items following the 3.5 update.

Additionally, the second set of KakaoTalk emoticons will be released on July 10, the day of the update, with various merchandise given to users through a gifting event. A collaboration wrap with 'Escape from Duckov' and a Xbox version were also announced. The team also teased 'Hey Dolls' mini-figures with an Echo theme and the official TCG 'Wuthering Waves Battle,' currently being developed in collaboration with UCP. Details on the TCG will be released later via the UCP website.

Wuthering Waves version 3.5, 'Echoes of the Blade, Songs in a Dream,' will be updated on July 10, and detailed information can be found in the official lounge.