Treasure hunts in the desert are a classic staple of wuxia novels and films: golden sands, ancient roads, ruins, and treasure maps, with fighters from every corner of the Jianghu converging on a single prize. Some come to find it, some to steal it, and some simply wait along the only road out, letting others bring the treasure right to them. So when we set out to build an extraction mode, the desert felt like a natural choice.

This collaboration with Escape from Tarkov also gave Transdust Ruins a clear starting point: keep the core risk-and-reward loop that defines extraction, then see what wuxia could bring to it.

In the original, a firefight-driven experience, scavenging for gear, running into enemies, weighing the risk, and extracting safely make up a full survival gamble. In Transdust Ruins, guns give way to blades, and long-range standoffs now involve Lightness skills, Mystic Skills, and close-quarters Martial Arts. You can trade blows head-on, or use pressure-point strikes, assassination, and disguise, or even pluck an item straight off another player with Celestial Seize.

Authentic Wuxia meeting Signature Extraction isn't just about swapping the weapons and the setting. What we really wanted was to give "how you search, how you take, and how you leave" more solutions that feel true to the Jianghu.

 

Part 1: Extraction, the Wuxia Way

The heart of extraction often lives in a single moment: your pack starts getting valuable, and you have to decide whether to run.

Early on, everything feels worth a try. How much treasure is left ahead, whether the next area is worth searching. But as your pack fills up, every step forward puts both the potential gains and what you've already grabbed on the table.

That's why combat in Transdust Ruins isn't the only answer to every encounter. Extracting safely is the real goal. When you run into another Wanderer, you can draw your blade, lie in wait, slip past the risk entirely, or just extract once you're happy with your haul. Players who love a straight fight can push for high-value zones. Those who prefer to explore and collect can steer clear of conflict and win the round their own way.

Setting all this in the Hexi desert came from the same thinking. Sand, lone smoke, a fading sun, and towering passes form this region's first impression, while dunes, ruins, caverns, and waystations let open-ground scouting, flanking, close combat, and fights over extraction routes all happen at once.

It's a borderland made for treasure hunting. Though maybe it's just as good for hiding...?

 

Part 2: Gameplay Overview - From Preparation to Extraction

In Transdust Ruins, you can drop in solo or team up with two others. A match unfolds across four phases: prep, search, contest, and extract. And how a run plays out begins before you even set foot inside.

Before you head out, gear up in the Warehouse or Shop with weapons, armor, bows and arrows, Mystic Skills, medicine, and other supplies. Planning to fight for high-value targets? Bring better gear and plenty of supplies. Planning to search fast and dodge conflict? Pack light and keep your costs down.

Some utility items shape how you play. The Dragonfinder helps you track down high-value treasure, while the Breath-Holding Talisman shrinks the range at which others can detect you. Load up to take things by force, or travel light to find them. The first choice is already waiting before you step into the desert.

Once you're on the map, treasure won't just sit neatly in a few chests. Bookshelves, wine jars, carts, ruins, even an easily overlooked corner could be hiding something. There are also special chests, treasure maps, mechanism puzzles, roaming rogues, and map bosses. Search steadily and comb through it all, or chase a faster payout by heading straight for the richest spots, where you're also far more likely to run into someone else.

Sandstorm zones appear at random, forcing you to rethink your route. The more a place is worth going to, the more likely you'll cross paths with others. One treasure may be caught by more than one pair of eyes.

Once you actually meet another Wanderer, your wuxia abilities start to earn their keep.

Wind Sense reveals the direction of nearby enemies, and items can shrink how close others get before spotting you. Once you know someone's near, whether to strike first, set an ambush, or simply go around comes down to what's in your pack, what's still ahead, and whether this fight is worth having at all.

If you commit, take them head-on, or catch them off guard with an assassination. Disguise even lets you take the shape of a nearby creature or object, so something that looks perfectly ordinary might not just be scenery.

Then there's a more direct Jianghu trick: Celestial Seize. With the right timing, you can lift an item straight off an opponent without having to beat them first. An encounter might erupt into a brawl, or two sides might pass each other by, or someone might only realize something's gone missing long after they've walked away.

But grabbing the treasure isn't real success yet. Every match in Transdust Ruins runs on a timer. You need to reach an extraction point and get out before it ends for your Loot to truly make it home.

Extraction has its own conditions, too. The number of extraction slots shifts with difficulty, and different points ask different things. Some cap your weight, so if your pack's too full, you'll have to decide on the spot what to leave behind. Others charge a toll to pass.

You can also stash your most important items in the Safety Case ahead of time. Even if you don't make it out, whatever's inside won't be lost. Capacity is limited, though, so you can't fit an entire run's haul. By the late game, the hardest call usually comes down to just one thing: your pack is valuable enough already, so do you leave now?

Extract, and everything you've earned goes home safe. Push deeper, and you might find something worth even more, but everything you've already grabbed rides along on the gamble too. Whether to take one more step becomes a question that gnaws at you the longer you think about it, and one you can't quite resist.

 

Part 3: Loot & Rewards

Once you extract, ordinary items you bring out can be sold for Golden Treasure Tokens to buy gear and items for your next run, or to redeem cosmetics and other rewards. Completing certain activities also earns Floral Weave, which can be exchanged for Lingering Melody, Resonating Melody, and a range of accessories and hair ornaments.

Beyond the loot you extract in-game, we're dropping two limited-time rewards: the Escape from Tarkov-inspired mask Deathknell Knight and the Wind-kov avatar. The mask leaves nothing but your eyes exposed, which, for a band of desert treasure hunters, might be exactly the look you're going for.

During a match, you may also find precious Season Relics modeled on real-world artifacts. Once identified and collected, they unlock matching Decorations and Poses, and some can be brought back to display at your Homestead. As your collection and rank grow, you'll keep unlocking extra rewards.

Building all this, we hoped that every trip into the desert would be about more than "how much did I make this run." Some Wanderers will map out higher-yield routes, some will climb the ranks, and some might just want to recover that one treasure their collection has always been missing. When it comes to hunting treasure, some are counting profits, and there will always be someone who simply wants to complete the set.

 

Your pack is full, the extraction point is right ahead, but deep in the sand and wind lies a treasure you've only just found. At this moment, whether to leave with what you have or push a little further is yours to decide, Wanderer.

Authentic Wuxia x Signature Extraction. Transdust Ruins, the brand-new Escape from Tarkov collaboration mode, opens September 23 at 6:00 (UTC+8). Gear up, head into danger, and set out on this treasure hunt through the sand and wind.