Wuthering Waves Is Wasting Its Best Feature

Wuthering Waves has made a strong impression in a genre known for repetition. While most gacha games rely on flashy pulls and power creep to keep players interested and playing, Wuthering Waves stood out by offering something more grounded. This isn’t to say it doesn’t keep the gacha-brand spectacle the genre is known for, but it set out to do things a bit differently. That bold approach has paid off and is exactly what’s helped it stand apart in a crowded space.

Unfortunately, that’s also what makes Wuthering Waves‘ handling of its Echo System so disappointing. Echoes are one of the most unique mechanics that sets Wuthering Waves apart from its peers and should be the heart of the game, tied directly into the player’s growth. Instead, they feel like an afterthought in most cases, because while they initially offer what appears to be an extensive amount of player choice, in the end, the Echo variety available is nothing but an illusion at best.

The game introduces Echoes early, almost right out of the gate, and at first, they seem like a brilliant system. Each one comes with its own active ability, and each one does something very different from the last, offering a slew of options. There’s a genuine thrill in collecting them, as it scratches that familiar “gotta catch ’em all” itch we all know and love. As a result, it is highly enjoyable to find and collect new ones, like a monster collector game, as you explore the world. But as you play more, the cracks begin to show. Most of the active abilities feel useless, not because they’re poorly designed, but because almost none of them matter once you factor in one specific mechanic: active Echo passive effects. For some unknown, baffling reason, Kuro Games has recently doubled down on this feature, and it quietly undermines the variety and creativity the Echo system initially promises to an extremely toxic degree.

The problem lies in how Echo passive effects function. These are special bonuses found on certain Echoes that provide significant stat boosts to the character they are equipped to, but only when that Echo is placed in the Active Echo slot. This creates a system where, unless you are willing to weaken your character, you are essentially forced to use an Echo with one of these passive effects. The issue becomes even more limiting when you realize that almost all of these passive effects are tied to 4-cost Echoes, and not even most of them. Just a select few. As a result, most characters get funneled into using the same limited pool of 4-cost Echoes, typically the Nightmare variants. What begins as a system full of possibility ends up feeling like a shallow selection dressed in an initial depth meant to drag you in. Frankly, it’s very disappointing, and Kuro Games is wasting its system.

The Echo passive effects aren’t just restrictive. They actively damage the long-term health of the Echo system. By locking significant stat boosts behind only a few select Echoes, the game limits build variety and reduces player agency blatantly. Instead of letting players experiment and develop their own character setups, the system pushes everyone toward a narrow list of optimal picks, limiting options dramatically. Metas are a natural part of any game, but they should emerge from player choices, not be pre-built into the core design. Kuro Games is deciding which Echoes players should be using, not the players. Echo passives force the player’s hand, leaving little room for creativity.

Because of this, most Echoes in the game feel like total filler. There is an impressive range of abilities and designs available, but very few see actual use. Most players probably have no idea what a wide majority of the available Echoes even do because of the pigeonholing Kuro Games is forcing upon its player base. The passives are simply too important to ignore, which means any Echo that lacks one is rarely worth considering, if at all. As a result, a system that should be full of experimentation ends up feeling static and underused. What’s the point of even having it present if there’s no meaning in having a choice anyway? Even new Echoes suffer from this design flaw. Kuro Games regularly highlights new additions during livestreams and patch previews, but unless those Echoes come with powerful passive effects, they serve no real purpose. They look exciting on the surface, but in practice, they are ignored the moment they drop. What’s the point?

If Kuro Games steps back from the current limitations and rethinks how Echo passive effects are handled, the Echo system could finally become what it was always meant to be: a core pillar of player expression. Right now, the bones are already there. With such a wide variety of Echoes, each offering different abilities and effects, the system should be a place for big, meaningful choices. But that potential is locked behind artificial restrictions. Removing the passive effect bottleneck would open the door to a truly flexible system, where players can mix and match Echoes based on their own strategies, not just raw numbers.

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The system could also serve a deeper mechanical purpose by filling in the gaps that character kits leave behind. Zani is a great example. Her kit revolves around a debuff she can’t apply on her own, making her dependent on another teammate to even function properly. If Echoes could offer a way to apply Spectro Frazzle, that dependency would be lifted. It wouldn’t replace synergy, but it would offer an option. Players who don’t want to lock in a specific support could still make her work. This kind of freedom doesn’t break the game. It makes it just makes it more engaging.

Beyond solving character-specific issues, Echoes could introduce all kinds of indirect benefits that reward creativity. A clever Echo pick might extend a combo window, boost energy regeneration at just the right moment, or even change how a character’s rotation feels. That’s the kind of system that gives players a reason to test, tweak, and experiment. With the right adjustments, Echoes could move from being a forgotten stat piece to one of the most exciting and flexible systems in Wuthering Waves.

So what can be done? If you care about the future of Wuthering Waves and the potential of its Echo system, it’s time to speak up. Kuro Games regularly sends out surveys after each version update, and those are the best opportunities to make your voice heard. Be honest, be detailed, and explain why the current approach to Echo passive effects is hurting the game. This is a gacha title, yes, but it is also an RPG at its core. Just like in any strong, good RPG, player expression should come first and foremost. Systems that limit creativity for no good reason, especially ones that do not impact game balance in any meaningful way, have no place here. Stop letting Kuro Games ruin the fun of build-making. Wuthering Waves has the foundation for something special. Now it is on the players to help steer it in the right direction.