Nodusfall and the Shadow of Elden Ring: When the Gaming Industry Confuses 'Inspiration' with 'Copying'

There is a moment I will never forget in my sports commentary career: the night Switzerland faced Serbia at the 2026 World Cup, when Xherdan Shaqiri scored and performed the eagle celebration. The entire bar erupted — half cheering, half in tense silence. I realized that match was not just 90 minutes of football, but an entire historical dialogue about war, borders, and national pride compressed into a single play.

Today, looking at the controversy erupting around Nodusfall — HoYoverse's new game accused by the international community of 'copying' Elden Ring — I see a strange parallel. Once again, we are witnessing a match that is not just about what happens on the field, but about what each person brings onto the field from their past.

Context: When the gacha giant leaves its comfort zone

HoYoverse, the Chinese company behind Genshin Impact and the Honkai series, has just announced its newest project: Nodusfall. What is shocking is not the existence of this game, but the radical shift in design language. For the first time, HoYoverse abandons its signature anime style to pivot to dark fantasy with realistic graphics — a genre that FromSoftware, with Elden Ring winning Game of the Year 2026, almost completely dominates.

Immediately after the first trailer was released, the gaming community split into two camps. One side pointed out clear similarities: a winged character reminding players of Malenia, a white-haired woman directly compared to Melina. They used the word 'rip-off' — a heavy, accusatory term. The other side argued that dark fantasy and soulslike are not things FromSoftware can monopolize, and that comparing based on static trailer images is premature.

Core analysis: Beauty lies in difference, not similarity

Based on my experience following matches and analyzing tactics over the past seven years, I recognize a fundamental error: the community is comparing Nodusfall to Elden Ring as if they belong to the same genre. But the truth is that Nodusfall focuses on cooperative boss-hunting mechanics with up to four players — a design closer to Monster Hunter than to Elden Ring.

This is like comparing a center forward to a sweeper just because both play football. They may share the same pitch, but their roles, skills, and contributions to the match are completely different. Visual similarities — dark fantasy settings, soulslike gameplay — do not automatically equate to mechanical similarities.

There are goals that do not hit the net, but enter memory. Elden Ring created a cultural shock in the gaming industry, establishing a new standard for open-world design and challenging combat. Its influence is undeniable — many new projects are choosing similar combat styles, world design, and atmosphere. But a game being influenced by a great work is not shameful. What is shameful is when that influence becomes blind imitation.

Contrarian angle: The blind spot of collective memory

There is a detail most analyses overlook: this controversy is not just about Nodusfall or Elden Ring. It is about a long-standing prejudice in the international gaming community — the prejudice that Chinese developers 'copy' Japanese and Western games. This is a story told repeatedly, and Nodusfall is simply the newest protagonist in an old play.

Immigrants carry their homeland in their football boots. HoYoverse, with financial resources far exceeding FromSoftware's, is making a major strategic gamble: abandoning the anime-gacha identity that built its name to enter a market where its competitor has nearly unassailable credibility. If Nodusfall fails, it will be a heavy blow to the brand. But if it succeeds, it will open a new path not only for HoYoverse but for the entire Chinese gaming industry.

Conclusion: That night of a cracked voice taught me that authenticity is more expensive than perfection

The Switzerland-Serbia match in 2026 did not end with a champion. It ended with an elderly Kosovo man sitting in the corner of the bar, who had not returned home since 2026, shedding tears. Similarly, the Nodusfall controversy will not be resolved by social media accusations. It will be resolved when the game is released and players can evaluate the full experience — not just static trailer images.

An empty stadium is a body holding its breath. But when the match begins, everything will change. The question is not whether Nodusfall looks like Elden Ring — but whether HoYoverse can prove that the similarity is only surface-level, and beneath the familiar shell beats a completely new heart. That is a question only time — and actual gameplay — can answer.