Nodusfall: When HoYoverse Leaves Its Comfort Zone to Enter Elden Ring's Territory

Hook — Not the familiar anime-style game. When HoYoverse unveiled the first trailer of Nodusfall, the gaming community immediately split into two camps. One side saw too many similarities with Elden Ring — from the winged character design reminiscent of Malenia, to the white-haired woman directly compared to Melina. The other side argued that dark fantasy and soulslike gameplay are not things FromSoftware can monopolize. But what makes this story more noteworthy is that HoYoverse — the publisher of Genshin Impact with its signature anime style — chose to leave its comfort zone and step into completely unfamiliar territory. Context — Nodusfall is HoYoverse's newest project, marking a major strategic shift as it abandons anime style for dark fantasy with realistic graphics and cooperative gameplay. In a context where Elden Ring's 2026 release reset industry standards for open-world action RPGs, it is unsurprising that many new projects are choosing similar combat styles, world design, and atmosphere. The core difference the trailer reveals is the co-op boss-hunting mechanic for up to four players — an element that could place Nodusfall closer to Monster Hunter than to Elden Ring in actual play feel. The question is not just whether HoYoverse is copying, but whether it has the capability to realize an ambition far beyond anything it has done before. Core — Based on my experience following matches and game industry developments, the key point here is not about who is right or wrong in this controversy, but about how we evaluate a game when we have only seen a few still images from a trailer. The current 'rip-off' controversy is based on visual comparison, not gameplay comparison. The community placed the two games side by side, pointed out that the winged character resembles Malenia, that the white-haired woman resembles Melina, and quickly concluded. But that is the perspective of a viewer, not the perspective of a player. When a player actually holds the controller and experiences Nodusfall, what determines the game's identity is mechanics, not character design. The four-player co-op boss-hunting mechanic is a genuine differentiator — it completely changes the rhythm of combat, the division of roles, and how individual skill is expressed. In Elden Ring, the player faces the world alone, and every dodge is a monologue. In Nodusfall, four players must coordinate like a competitive team — one pulls the boss, one deals primary damage, one controls vision, and one provides support. That is the tactical language of esports, not the language of a solitary journey. What matters more is that my analysis shows HoYoverse has the financial resources to seriously invest in this project. Unlike independent studios that must count every dollar of budget, HoYoverse can afford top-tier design teams, advanced graphics technology, and extended development time. But financial resources do not automatically create design pedigree. FromSoftware built its reputation over more than a decade with Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring — they understand how to create feelings of fear, curiosity, and triumph in a way no other school has been able to imitate. Some people see the future in advance; the future only silently nods. The real question is whether HoYoverse is building a future of its own, or merely repeating a future already written by someone else. Contrarian — There is a counterintuitive perspective few mention: being compared to Elden Ring from the very beginning could be the best thing that ever happened to Nodusfall. When the community spends hours analyzing every frame of the trailer, comparing every character, and debating the degree of copying, they are doing what no advertising campaign could achieve — generating massive attention for a game that has no release date yet. In the sports and entertainment business, negative attention is still attention. And if Nodusfall truly proves its own identity through cooperative mechanics at launch, the current controversy will become motivation to attract even more interest. However, it must also be said clearly: the dignity of the accused does not mean making excuses. If the next gameplay reveal shows that Nodusfall resembles Elden Ring not just visually but also mechanically, the community's reaction will be far harsher than it is now. The second wave of criticism at launch will be something no communication strategy can soothe. Takeaway — In an empty theater, you can hear the breathing of pain more clearly. Nodusfall is standing on an empty stage before the eyes of millions, and their breathing right now is skepticism. But a slow-motion gank is worth more than a hastily praised match. I will not rush to judgment about Nodusfall until I see actual gameplay, because every great epic begins with a moment where outsiders look in and think it is merely repetition. Some people see the future in advance; the future only silently nods. The remaining question is: when the future nods at Nodusfall, will it be a new chapter or a rewritten copy?