It infuriated a large part of the community by taking the player-voted GOTY award from Expedition 33, yet the numbers now speak for themselves. The 3.0 update of Wuthering Waves has propelled the anime-style open-world RPG to new heights, turning it into one of the biggest trends of 2025.
One of the most surprising and controversial winners at the latest Game Awards was undoubtedly Wuthering Waves. The game claimed the Players’ Choice GOTY, beating out titles such as Expedition 33, Silksong, Dispatch, and Genshin Impact. The outcome, however, sparked widespread backlash.
Some fans accused the developers of influencing the vote through in-game rewards tied to previous awards, while others questioned whether a gacha title released in mid-2024 should even be eligible for a 2025 award. Opinions varied, but the result stood: Wuthering Waves won, and it is now determined to prove that victory was deserved.
Wuthering Waves Wants to Prove Its GOTY Worth
The release of Update 3.0 marks one of the most important moments in the history of this anime-inspired open-world RPG. Alongside new characters and weapons, players gain access to a brand-new region featuring a massive map and the opening chapter of a new story arc.
This narrative expansion is particularly significant, as many within the community agree that recent updates have greatly improved the game’s storytelling. The impact of these additions was immediate.
According to SteamDB, the number of concurrent players quadrupled compared to pre-update figures, reaching a peak of 40,721 users. While not staggering on its own, this figure tells only part of the story.
Wuthering Waves launched initially through its own client and the Epic Games Store and also maintains a substantial mobile audience, meaning Steam represents only a fraction of its overall player base.
The World of Wuthering Waves Delivers
Player reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Based on Steam data, the game holds a 90 percent positive rating after more than 35,000 reviews, an impressive achievement for a gacha-driven title.
Such games are often targeted by coordinated review bombing, yet Wuthering Waves has largely avoided this fate. The primary complaint since Update 3.0 concerns a slight decline in performance.
I still believe the Game Awards should reconsider the Players’ Voice category. That said, Wuthering Waves stands as a strong example of how anime-style RPGs can be done right and has emerged as a serious competitor in a market long dominated by Genshin Impact and the wider HoYoverse catalog.
The real test will be whether it can sustain this momentum. The comparison is obvious: Genshin Impact also enjoyed an explosive start, with its downturn coming much later.
Source: 3djuegos
