When you first boot up Where Winds Meet, the open-world wuxia RPG feels almost overwhelming with choices. You pick your starting backstory, customize your character, and then are thrown straight into a choice between three different sects, each with unique skill trees and exclusive rewards. I picked the Shaolin sect on my first playthrough because I loved the heavy melee playstyle, but 15 hours in I realized I wanted to try the ranged bow skills from the Qingcheng sect instead. That’s when I first asked: can you switch sects in Where Winds Meet without restarting my entire save file?
Can You Switch Sects in Where Winds Meet? The Short Answer
The short answer is yes, you can swap sects mid-playthrough, but there are strict limitations and requirements you have to meet first. The feature isn’t available from the start of the game, and you’ll have to put in a bit of grind to unlock it, especially if you want to join a more exclusive, high-tier sect. I tested this mechanic extensively across two playthroughs, and I found that most players can unlock the ability to swap sects around the 20-hour mark, depending on how much side content you complete. You keep all your core character stats, non-sect inventory, and main quest progress when you swap, so you won’t lose all the hours you’ve put into your character. You cannot swap sects if you are currently in a sect-specific event, ranked PvP tournament, or have pending sect quest rewards to claim, so you’ll need to wrap up all those commitments before you start the process.
Key Requirements to Unlock Sect Swapping
You can’t just walk up to a different sect’s leader and ask to join whenever you want. The game has four non-negotiable requirements you have to meet before you can initiate a sect swap, and missing even one will lock you out of the feature until you fix it. From my own experience fumbling through my first swap attempt, I recommend checking off all these requirements at least a week before you plan to switch, to avoid last-minute grinding. The full list of requirements is:
- Complete the "Wandering Swordsman" main story arc, which unlocks after you reach level 20 and finish the first three regional side quest chains in the starting area
- Reach at least Friendly reputation standing with the sect you want to join, which usually takes 3-5 days of completing their daily side quests
- Pay a one-time swap fee of 50,000 taels, plus 10 rare sect tribute items from your current sect, which you can earn from weekly sect challenges
- Have no active pending quests, event sign-ups, or guild alliance commitments tied to your current sect
I made the mistake of trying to swap before I finished the Wandering Swordsman arc on my first attempt, and I had to grind through three extra main story missions just to unlock the option. If you’re not sure whether you’ve unlocked the feature, you can check by opening your character menu, navigating to the Sect tab, and looking for a "Change Sect" button in the bottom right corner. If it’s greyed out, you’re missing at least one of the requirements listed above.
Pros and Cons of Switching Sects Mid-Playthrough
Swapping sects isn’t a decision you should make on a whim, because there are real benefits and downsides to the process. I’ve swapped twice now across my two playthroughs, and I’ve found that it’s worth it for some players, but a total waste of resources for others. Let’s break down the biggest positives and negatives to help you decide if it’s the right move for you.
On the plus side, swapping sects lets you completely change your playstyle without deleting your save file. If you picked a heavy melee sect first but find you prefer supporting your team with heals or dealing damage from range, swapping lets you access those skill trees without starting over from level 1. You can unlock rare cross-sect combo moves by learning core skills from two different sects, which are some of the most powerful abilities in the game for both PvE and PvP content. You’ll also get access to all the exclusive rewards, cosmetics, and quest lines from your new sect, which adds a ton of new content to play through if you’re getting bored of your current sect’s daily grind.
That said, there are some pretty significant downsides to consider too. You’ll lose all access to your old sect’s exclusive gear, skins, and daily rewards, and you won’t be able to get them back unless you swap back later (and pay the full swap fee again). You’ll also have to restart your sect rank progress from zero, which means you won’t be able to access high-level sect quests or exclusive endgame content for your new sect until you grind your rank back up. I learned this the hard way when I swapped to Emei sect last month: I lost my rare Shaolin staff skin that I’d spent 2 weeks grinding for, and I had to do 10 days of low-level Emei daily quests before I could join their endgame boss raids.
Tips to Make Sect Swapping As Smooth As Possible
If you’ve decided that swapping sects is the right move for you, there are a few simple tips you can follow to make the process as painless as possible, and avoid the mistakes I made on my first swap. These are all tricks I picked up through trial and error, and they cut down my swap prep time by almost half on my second attempt.
First, always test the sect’s skills before you commit to joining. Almost every sect in the game has a trial area near their main headquarters, where you can test all their core skills and combo moves for 10 minutes without having to join first. This lets you make sure the playstyle actually feels good for you, instead of wasting 50,000 taels on a sect you end up hating a day later. Stock up on taels and rare sect tribute items at least a week before you plan to swap, so you don’t have to grind low-level quests for hours last minute to get the required materials.
Second, make sure you claim all pending sect rewards and finish all active sect quests before you initiate the swap. Any unclaimed rewards or incomplete quests will be deleted permanently once you leave your old sect, and you won’t be able to get them back. If you’re part of a guild, check if your guild has any alliance ties to your current sect before you swap, because some guilds restrict access to guild events for players who aren’t part of their allied sect.
Third, talk to other players who are already part of the sect you want to join before you make the switch. Ask them about the time commitment for daily quests, the quality of their exclusive rewards, and any hidden downsides they’ve noticed while playing. For example, the Huashan sect has some of the strongest sword skills in the game, but their daily quests take almost twice as long to complete as most other sects, so it’s not a great fit if you only have a few hours a week to play. If you’re a PvP-focused player, you can also ask about how the sect performs in the current meta, since balance patches often shift sect power levels significantly every few months.
At the end of the day, can you switch sects in Where Winds Meet is a question with a clear yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for every player. If you’re only a few hours into your playthrough and you hate your starting sect, it’s probably faster and cheaper to just start a new character instead of going through the swap process. If you’ve already put 20+ hours into your character and you want to try a new playstyle without losing all your progress, swapping sects is a great option, as long as you plan ahead and meet all the requirements. Take your time, test out different playstyles, and pick the sect that feels the most fun for you, not just the one that’s considered meta right now.
