This page is for new players starting Huaxia: Warring States for the first time. The advice below targets the Early Access build as of late April 2026 and assumes a single-player run with no prior save.
Before You Launch
Check that your hardware clears the listed minimum on the System Requirements page. Early Access builds occasionally raise the floor between updates.
Pick a language from the in-game options. The currently-listed localizations on the official store are English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese; see English Localization for the current state and history of language support.
If you have only watched videos of the free demo so far, read Demo vs Early Access first. Several systems and large amounts of content shifted between the two builds.
First Launch and Save File
Start a new run from the main menu. Starting a new run leads into character creation. Use the in-game save options before risky actions. Manual saves exist as well; use them before risky actions like duels with strong masters or sieges of fortified strongholds.
Character Creation: Choices That Matter
The full set of options, including bloodlines, birthplaces, constellations, and traits, lives on the Character Creation page. The compressed version for new players:
Choice | What to Pick First Run |
|---|---|
Family origin | A common scholar or peasant family is the easier opening; noble origins start with more resources but draw more attention from rivals |
Bloodline | Pick whichever lineage perk matches your intended fighting style; bloodlines unlock or boost specific weapon and martial-art trees |
Birthplace | Choose the prefecture you want to start near; respawn and travel times reward picking somewhere central rather than at the edge of the map |
Constellation | Treat as a flavor of long-term perks; pick a constellation aligned with the talent tree you intend to climb |
Traits | Take a balance of combat traits and social traits; you cannot recruit certain retainers or join certain schools without the matching personality traits |
First Hour
Walk to the village marker and complete the introductory questline. It teaches movement, dialogue verbs, and the journal.
Open the world map. Note your starting county, the nearest cities, and the nearest stronghold. Do not pick fights with stronghold garrisons yet.
Find the local martial-arts teacher or wandering master and learn one early form. The Combat System punishes button-mashing once you face human opponents with martial arts of their own.
Recruit your first companion when an eligible retainer appears in town. Companions handle one of the basic roles you have not personally specced into yet, like ranged combat or persuasion.
Take a short hunting or escort job to test your gear. Loot in the early game is poor; the early-game economy rewards small, finished tasks more than long expeditions.
As of a June 2026 update, the starting county, Sanchuan County, no longer spawns large packs of bandits and beasts, so the opening hours are gentler than the wider world. Treat that safety as local to the starting area: neighboring counties still hold wandering threats that can overwhelm an under-leveled character.
Common Pitfalls
Mistake | Consequence | |
|---|---|---|
Charging strongholds too early | Stronghold garrisons hit hard; lose every soldier you brought and respawn far from your save | |
Ignoring elemental affinities | Without weapon-versus-element awareness from the | Five Elements, Yin-Yang, and Eight Trigrams overlay, fights against martial-arts users feel random |
Skipping schools of thought | Several long-term progression paths are gated behind a school affiliation; see | Hundred Schools of Thought for what each grants |
Hoarding resources | Early Access economy favors spending on upgrades and retainer recruitment over saving for a single late-game purchase | |
Refusing to retreat | Some encounters scale to your party. Disengaging is a real option and is sometimes the right one |
What to Read Next
Once you have the basics, the Combat System page covers the layered melee and strategic systems, Retainers explains companion recruitment in depth, and Clans and Homesteads walks through the founder path. For the long arc, Hundred Schools of Thought describes the philosophical schools that shape your character's identity.