Publisher Krafton introduced Project Windless earlier this year, featuring a striking musclebound bipedal chicken at center stage. For fans of South Korean author Lee Youngdo’s bestselling high fantasy series The Bird That Drinks Tears, the reveal resonated deeply, though the story remains largely unknown in the West. Krafton aims to change that by adapting this beloved IP into a compelling game.
How a LinkedIn Message Sparked Interest
Patrik Méthé, project lead and veteran director from the Far Cry series, joined Krafton’s Montreal studio after a casual LinkedIn outreach. A linked article caught his eye with the hook: ‘The creator of PUBG is looking to do the Korean Witcher.’ Intrigued, Méthé dove in.
“It was purely a classic case of someone poking me on LinkedIn,” Méthé explains. “There was a link in the contact that brought me to an article saying something like that, and for me, it was like, ‘Whoa, okay. I’m very interested in that.'”
Krafton had secured rights to The Bird That Drinks Tears—its CEO is a major fan—but the project’s direction was still open. The studio sought expertise to introduce the IP globally. “They were like, look, we have this IP—what can you do to bring it into the Western world?” Méthé says. His team received significant freedom to craft the vision.
Embracing a Fresh Fantasy Universe
Méthé’s first dive into the series came via a rough in-house English translation. He describes it as “so far from the tropes that we know from more Western culture” and truly fresh. Brainstorming led naturally to the bird-like Rekon race as the focus.
“Every week we were interviewing candidates,” Méthé recalls. “They would look at the book and characters, and say, ‘No matter what, I hope I can play this character.’ It was a Rekon—everyone was intrigued by this huge, half-bird humanoid.” This feedback refined the approach around a mythic Rekon figure.
Core Gameplay: War, Alliances, and Myth-Making
Project Windless delivers an open-world adventure with one-versus-many combat in a fantasy setting. Its trailer evoked God of War and Dynasty Warriors, but Méthé emphasizes key differences: “We’re very different from these games.”
The game centers on war as a core mechanic, not mere backdrop. “Every action that you’ll do, every action that you won’t do, will have an impact on the outcome,” he states. Players control the Hero King, the mightiest Rekon, forging alliances to prevail against invaders like the reptilian Nhaga army.
“You are very, very powerful as a Rekon, but you’ll still need the help of other people,” Méthé adds. Players create their own myth: the Hero King’s legend endures 1000 years later, but the details are player-driven, blending open-world liberty with massive battles.
From the start, the Hero King faces hordes—up to 100 enemies—shifting the mindset to legendary prowess. Progression unlocks abilities and gear, but baseline power allows tackling 30 foes effortlessly. “It’s a mix we’ve never seen,” Méthé notes, promising a unique rhythm amid a true world at war.
Players decide paths: seek allies at a tower, secure catapults from settlements, or carve custom journeys to repel the invasion.
Leveraging Open-World Expertise
Méthé’s Far Cry background informs smart design. “We want to make sure that nothing is imposed on the player. We don’t want a checklist,” he says. The war context sets the stage for maximum freedom.
Player investment hinges on a resonant protagonist and a hateful antagonist. “Those are the two elements we’re always keeping in mind,” Méthé affirms.
Development Status and Next Steps
In development for a few years, Project Windless sits in pre-alpha. The team—a blend of veterans and newcomers—celebrates the trailer’s warm reception. “It was almost emotional to see the reaction,” Méthé shares.
More details remain under wraps, but an English translation of The Bird That Drinks Tears arrives in June for deeper immersion.
