Summary

  • Wayfinder is transitioning from an online-only game to a single-player offline experience with optional co-op mode in the upcoming Echoes update.
  • The removal of microtransactions means players will only need to make a single purchase to access all content and exclusive cosmetics.
  • The Echoes update will introduce RPG elements like random weapon drops, armors with stats, new Wayfinders, four difficulty levels, and a new hero named Grendel.

Wayfinder announced that it will remove all microtransactions and the mandatory online connection to play it in the next update. The update is set to arrive at the end of May and will change the entire dynamic of Wayfinder, transforming what is currently an online-only game into a single-player offline game with an optional co-op mode for up to three players.

Although Wayfinder is an action-RPG that presents itself as an MMORPG, its player community doesn't think it behave like one. The game is set in large zones where players occasionally encounter another player online while facing monsters and world bosses. Only in Skylight, the main city that functions as a hub, can a player reliably find other online players in the game. In this way, Wayfinder is more akin to Diablo than a full-fledged MMORPG like World of Warcraft.

All this will change now that Wayfinder has announced it is removing the always-online requirements, alongside microtransactions. Developer Airship Syndicate stated it intends to keep Wayfinder active in the long run and identified that the healthiest way to do this is to change the game's entire dynamic. Thus, Wayfinder will cease to be an online game and become a single-player game with an optional 3-player co-op by the end of May in the Echoes update. The downside is that since all game progress is currently on a server, it will not carry over in the switch. Players will need to level up their Wayfinder characters all over again.

Wayfinder Removes Online-Only Requirement

On the bright side, Airship Syndicate also announced that it will remove all microtransactions from Wayfinder. Once the Echoes update arrives, Wayfinder will only have a single purchase price. Those who bought Wayfinder early access won't need to repurchase the game, and players who purchased any microtransactions will be compensated with the new in-game currency used to acquire exclusive cosmetics.

With this drastic change from online to offline and the removal of items locked behind microtransactions, Wayfinder had to alter its entire gameplay to fit the new model. When the Echoes update arrives, players will notice that all weapons will become random drops, and armors will have stats. The game will incorporate RPG talents in the progression, facilitate the acquisition of new Wayfinders, and add four difficulties. Finally, a new Wayfinder hero named Grendel will join the roster , and an unexplored Overlands zone will be available in the game.

Airship Syndicate has provided a 2024 roadmap for Wayfinder. The Echoes update will arrive on May 31 for all founders, while other players must wait until June 11 to play the game. In the summer, the new update will come to PlayStation 5, with plans for Wayfinder to leave early access in the fall, officially launching for Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X.