New Genshin, Honkai rival is live and the early hype is already boiling over

Quite an impression.

Jianxin, Gauntlets user in Wuthering Waves.
Image via Kuro Games

Wuthering Waves has finally landed, and the early signs are showing that it could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail.

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The free-to-play title launched on May 23 for mobile devices and PC, with Wuthering Waves quickly becoming an instant hit.

Wuthering Waves promo image
Immediate impact. Image via HK KURO GAMES LIMITED

At the time of writing, the Discord server for Wuthering Waves isn’t joinable because it’s full, with over half a million members.

While that figure is eclipsed by Genshin Impact’s 1.7 million members on Discord and Honkai: Star Rail’s 1.1 million members, the fact that Wuthering Waves has already hit half-a-million already shows its popularity on day one of its release.

Early user reviews have been largely positive, with Wuthering Waves boasting a 4.5-star rating on the Google Store and a 4.8-star rating on the Apple Store. Some critics have voiced negative feedback on Reddit, but overall, the consensus is a positive one and, considering it’s less than a day after Wuthering Waves launched, players are encouraged by what they’ve experienced so far.

It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, however, considering Wuthering Waves smashed all of its pre-registration milestones with over 30 million sign-ups, and achieved five million total followers across all platforms—both of which came with rewards for players which can be claimed via in-game mail.

Players have plenty of content to dive into with official release bonuses, including login rewards, a special broadcast program, challenges to earn Resonator Yuanwu, and Lustrous Tides from upgrading Union Level.

With more events certain to come in the future, this is just the start for Wuthering Waves and it seems the game is here to stay—which should leave Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail looking over their shoulders.

Author
Image of Josh Challies
Josh Challies
Staff Writer. Professional writer since 2014. Pokemon, Marvel, Star Wars and overall geek. Previously wrote for Yahoo Sport, Stats Perform and online news publications.