Where Winds Meet pushes you into a sprint by default, which is great for covering ground but terrible when a quest wants a slow tail or you simply want to admire the landscape. The game hides walking behind “stroll mode” and a slightly awkward input combination that many players miss entirely.
Stroll mode basics
Walking is not a skill you unlock later; it is available from the start as a movement mode called “stroll mode.” When stroll mode is enabled, your character slows to a walk, and sprinting is disabled. Toggling it is completely input-based and works differently on keyboard and controller:
| Setup | Action name in controls | Default input | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse & keyboard (PC) | Sheathe Weapon / Temp Skill / Walk (Hold) |
Z (hold to toggle) |
Switches between running and walking. |
| Controller on PC | Stroll / Mount Wayfinder |
Hold LT + press Left Stick Button (L3) |
Cycles movement modes (strolling, running, sneaking). |
| PS5 (DualSense) | Stroll toggle (not separately listed) | Hold L2 + press L3 |
Toggles stroll mode on and off. |
Once you know the binding, there is no menu setting to flip; it is always a live toggle.
How to walk on mouse and keyboard
On the keyboard, walking is baked into the same key that handles sheathing:
- By default, the walk toggle is bound to
Zunder the nameSheathe Weapon / Temp Skill / Walk (Hold). - Holding
Zbriefly will toggle walk mode on or off. You do not need to keep the key held to keep walking.
If the binding was changed or you want to remap it, use the in‑game menu:
- Open the settings menu.
- Go to Keyboard > Button Settings > Basic Moves.
- Locate
Sheathe Weapon / Temp Skill / Walk (Hold)and check or change the key.
Z and nothing happens, press and hold it instead. The game treats the input as a held action even though the result is a toggle.
How to walk with a controller on PC
On a gamepad, walking lives behind the skill modifier. On the default PC controller layout, the key details look like this:
| Action | Category | Default button (PC controller) |
|---|---|---|
Prepare Skill |
Skills | LT |
Stroll / Mount Wayfinder (Hold) |
Skills | LT + Left Stick Button (L3) |
To toggle walking with an Xbox‑style controller on PC:
- Press and hold
LT(left trigger) to bring up the extra movement options. - While still holding
LT, click the left stick in (L3). - Release the buttons. The game cycles through its movement modes; one of them is strolling (walking).
On screen, a small prompt appears on the right side when you hold LT, indicating that pressing the left stick button will toggle “stroll” or “throttle.” Each press with LT held moves you to the next mode (for example, run → stroll → sneak, depending on context).
LT until you press L3. Walking stays enabled until you repeat the combination to switch back.How to walk on PS5
DualSense controls are almost identical to the PC controller layout, but the labels change:
| Action | Default button (PS5) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Defense | L2 |
Also used as the modifier for more options. |
| Move | Left stick | Click in for L3. |
| Stroll toggle | L2 + L3 |
Not listed by name in the basic control grid. |
To turn walking on or off on PS5:
- Hold
L2. - Press the left stick button (click the stick in, L3) once.
- Release the buttons. A large message, such as “Enter Strolling Mode” or “Disable Strolling Mode” appears across the middle of the screen.
If nothing seems to happen, make sure you are actually clicking L3 (pressing the stick down) rather than nudging the stick in a direction. Several players confuse “press the left analog” with “push the stick forward,” which will only move your character, not toggle the mode.
How to tell if stroll mode is enabled
Stroll mode changes both movement and the UI:
- Your character’s top speed drops to a walk. Sprint no longer works while the mode is active.
- A prominent notification appears each time you toggle it, usually near the center of the screen, stating that you have entered or left strolling mode.
- On the right side of the HUD, contextual hints under the
L2/LTicon update to show the stroll toggle when you hold the trigger.
That middle‑screen banner is easy to miss once and unforgettable after; if you are seeing it every time you hit the trigger and stick together, you have found the right input.
Why you might be stuck walking or unable to sprint
There are two common reasons your character refuses to sprint:
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Always moving slowly, sprint button does nothing | Stroll mode accidentally toggled on | Toggle stroll off: Z on keyboard, or L2/LT + L3 on controller. |
| Cannot sprint even after turning stroll off | Character has an illness that disables sprinting | Visit a clinic in a settlement or have another player heal you in multiplayer. |
Walking due to the stroll mode is instant to resolve with the input toggle. Illness is trickier because nothing in the movement controls fixes it. If you suspect a debuff, head to the in‑game clinic and pay for treatment; players report that it immediately restores sprinting.
Checking or remapping walk controls
If the defaults do not work for you—especially if you are left‑handed or on a handheld PC—it helps to confirm the bindings directly:
- Keyboard: Open settings > keyboard > button settings > basic moves, and look for
Sheathe Weapon / Temp Skill / Walk (Hold). Change it to another key if needed. - Controller on PC: Under the controller section of the control menu, scroll to the Skills category and confirm
Stroll / Mount Wayfinder (Hold)is bound toLT + Left Stick Button. Some layouts can be edited; others are fixed. - PS5: The official control diagram lists the core actions but not the stroll label. The combination remains
L2+L3, and is not fully remappable at launch.
L2 + L3 still follows the same logic as an Xbox‑style pad.Once the hidden toggle is out of the way, Where Winds Meet’s walking mode becomes a simple tool: slow when you want to soak in a village, speed up when you are covering distance, and remember that a single mistimed trigger‑plus‑stick click can put you into strolling mode again. If sprint suddenly vanishes, check that toggle before overhauling your build or emptying your inventory.
