Although Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has only just launched on Steam, this action RPG with a Soulslike flavor has already become a global talking point among gamers. In an impressive debut, it attracted over 114,000 concurrent players on its first day, rocketing to the top of Steam’s trending charts. This level of success is rare for a completely new title, especially one developed by a Chinese studio with little international reputation prior to launch.
However, the strong numbers didn’t translate into satisfaction. On the contrary, as more players downloaded the game, negative reviews began to pour in, dragging the overall rating into steep decline. As of now, only 19% of more than 4,000 reviews on Steam are positive—a worrying statistic by any standard.
The main issue isn’t gameplay mechanics or visual design, but the game’s shockingly poor optimization. Despite its promising premise—an action RPG set in late Ming Dynasty China during a time of plague and chaos—Wuchang: Fallen Feathers left many players disillusioned due to serious technical problems. Reports of frame drops, screen tearing, control input lag, and overall choppy performance have flooded forums and review sections.
Even players with high-end gaming rigs found themselves unable to enjoy a smooth experience. Some joked that they could “hear the GPU screaming” within minutes of launching the game. Others accused the developers of artificially lowering the game’s minimum requirements by forcing users to rely heavily on upscaling tools like Nvidia DLSS or AMD FSR—a move seen more as corner-cutting than genuine optimization.
One Steam user, while acknowledging the game’s potential, bluntly stated: “The performance is horrible. I can’t play more than 30 minutes without getting a headache from the screen tearing and erratic frame rates.” Such complaints have become the norm across Reddit threads, discussion boards, and Soulslike fan communities worldwide.
The backlash didn’t stop there. Another seemingly simple oversight drew sharp criticism: the inability to remap keybindings. For many gamers, especially those who rely on non-standard setups or require accessibility options, this was a serious inconvenience. In an era when major studios are striving to make games more inclusive, the lack of basic customization features was viewed as a significant misstep.
Player frustration escalated even further when reports surfaced of missing pre-order rewards. Several buyers noted that they had not received the promised content, deepening the sense of betrayal—particularly among those who had supported the game well ahead of launch.
Faced with mounting pressure, the developers of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers finally broke their silence. In their latest statement, they acknowledged the technical issues and pledged to release an update as soon as possible to address the lag, performance flaws, and to add customizable control settings. Additionally, they confirmed that all players missing pre-order rewards would receive them in the upcoming patch.
To help calm the community, the team announced several goodwill measures: all Steam buyers will receive a free digital soundtrack; those who had already purchased it will get a refund. Meanwhile, Deluxe Edition owners will also be granted an exclusive costume set in a future update, as a gesture of apology.
Still, for many players, these gestures aren’t enough. What they truly want is a polished experience that lives up to the time and anticipation they’ve invested. Skepticism remains high, especially since some of the current issues were reportedly present during earlier test phases and went unaddressed.
Comparisons have already been made to Monster Hunter Wilds, another game that faced harsh backlash over poor optimization. Many fear that Wuchang: Fallen Feathers could suffer a similar fate unless the development team acts swiftly and seriously. It’s a cautionary tale for any studio entering the demanding Soulslike genre—a space where players expect not only thoughtful gameplay, but also rock-solid technical performance.
That said, Wuchang still shows signs of promise. There’s undeniable strength in its atmospheric world-building rooted in East Asian culture, its challenging boss battles, and its dark, dramatic storytelling. If the technical issues are resolved, it could still establish a lasting presence in the genre.
Ultimately, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers remains a wildcard in 2025’s gaming landscape. Its explosive launch proves that interest in the Soulslike genre is far from waning, especially when infused with unique cultural themes. But that same passionate community won’t hesitate to voice disappointment if they feel let down. The game’s future now hinges on whether its developers truly listen—and act—or if Wuchang will be remembered as another beautiful but broken title that fell short due to careless execution.