Wuthering Wavesis a new, free-to-play gacha RPG from Kuro Games, the Chinese developer behind lesser-known games, such asPunishing: Gray RavenandTwin Tail Battleground. Kuro, who is currently a subsidiary of the multimedia conglomerate Tencent, releasedWuthering Waveson iOS, Android, and PC earlier this year. Although the game suffered from some launch issues caused by bugs and broken patches, it was an immediate hit. Kuro Games announced that over 30 million people from across the world had pre-registered the title, and that it had become the most downloaded iOS/Android game in more than 100 regions. The unprecedented success ofWuthering Wavesautomatically cemented it alongside the leaders of the gacha RPG genre, likeGenshin ImpactandHonkai: Star Rail.
Kuro Games aims to attract even more fans toWuthering Waveswith its upcoming 2.0 update, which will bring the game to PlayStation 5 on July 03, 2025. The highly-anticipated patch is going to contain a bucketload of new features, including 5 new Resonaters (a.k.a. playable characters), a new region called Rinascita, and plenty of new questlines. What Kuro Games has already revealed about update 2.0 is apparently just scratching the surface, though, as there is apparently even more unannounced content that will be added to the game next month. One such feature, according to recent rumors, is the ability to swap the gender of playable characters, which, if true, will putWuthering Wavesahead of its competitors.
Rumors Suggest that a Gender-Swapping Mechanic Will Be Added to Wuthering Waves in Update 2.0
A trustworthy insider known as Sleep recently shared an image of an unfinished build ofWuthering Waves’s 2.0 update, which clearly depictedUI elements for a gender-swapping feature. The leak also revealed that said feature would have a 24-hour cooldown period. In other words, once players pick a new gender for their protagonist, they will not be able to revert their change until they wait an entire day. The ability to change genders mid-game is, as previously mentioned, not something that Kuro Games has officially confirmed but, assuming these leaked images are legitimate, update 2.0 may giveWuthering Wavesa long-requested feature that’s sorely been missing in other recent gacha RPGs.
HoYoverse’s Games Do Not Allow Players to Change Their Genders Mid-Playthrough
The majority of anime-style gacha games, including the ones fromGenshin ImpactandHonkai: Star Raildeveloper HoYoverse, do not allow players to swap the gender of their protagonists in a single playthrough. In most instances, if players want to experience the game as a male instead of a female or vice versa, they will have to start the entire RPG from scratch. HoYoverse’sGenshin Impact, for example, may be a pioneer of the gacha genre, but it lacks this simple feature that many other games have, like the Hotta Studio-developed RPGTower of Fantasy. The same can be said forHonkai: Star Rail, as well; players are not allowed to switch between the Trailblazers Stelle and Caelus mid-game.
To HoYoverse’s credit, its most recent title,Zenless Zone Zero, does give gamers the freedom to change the gender of their characters. However, there’s a catch. InZZZ, there are two types of playable protagonists: Agents and Phaethon siblings. Agents are the characters players control during combat encounters, while the Phaethon siblings are the ones they use outside of battle. There aremore than 20 obtainable Agents in the game, both male and female, but there are only two Phaethon siblings.
When starting a new playthrough ofZenless Zone Zero, players are given the option to choose between one of two non-combat protagonists, the male lead Wise and his sister Belle. The character they pick will become more prominent inZZZ’s story. Their sibling, on the other hand, will serve as a navigator.Players can technically switch between protagonistswhen exploring the game’s Overworld, but during quests and story events, they can only use the Phaethon sibling they first chose, which seems like an arbitrary restriction. Hopefully, if Kuro Games brings a gender-swapping feature toWuthering Wavesin its 2.0 update, HoYoverse follows suit by adding the mechanic toZenless Zone Zeroand its other games.
Wuthering Waves
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome aboard, roving voyager.Upon the shores lay the silent embers of a world during the Ebb Tide.Desolated by the Lament, the erstwhile creations and earthly beings are left static.But they strike back, strong enough to penetrate the silence.Humanity has risen anew from the ashes of the apocalypse.And you, Rover, are poised for an adventure of Awakening.Companions to meet, enemies to conquer, new powers to gain, hidden truths to unveil, and unseen spectacles to behold… A vast world of endless possibilities awaits. The choice rests in your hands. Be the answer, be the leader, and follow the sounds to arrive at a new future.As Wuthering Waves echo endlessly, mankind set sail on a new journey.Rise and embark on your odyssey, Rover.
