Nodusfall and the Shadow of Elden Ring: When HoYoverse Bets Its Entire Reputation on a Dark Fantasy Gamble

The moment Nodusfall's first trailer appeared, the global gaming community instantly split into two camps. One side saw a winged character and screamed "Malenia!". The other pointed at a white-haired woman and compared her to Melina. Within 24 hours, the word "rip-off" flooded forums, and HoYoverse — the Chinese giant that harvested billions from Genshin Impact — suddenly faced a life-or-death question: is this pivot to the soulslike genre a strategic mistake, or a bold move only those who dare to think big can understand?

The context of this controversy is not simple. HoYoverse, a company known for its anime aesthetic and gacha mechanics, announced a complete departure from its familiar visual language to embrace realistic dark fantasy. This is a radical shift in brand identity. Not just a new game — this is a message to the entire industry that HoYoverse no longer wants to be confined to the anime segment. But this very shift places them in dangerous territory: the harder they try to escape their own shadow, the more vulnerable they become to comparisons with others.

Elden Ring's influence on the gaming industry is undeniable. Since its 2026 release and Game of the Year win, FromSoftware's title has established a new standard for the action RPG genre. Countless new projects adopt similar combat styles, gloomy world design, and characteristic heavy atmosphere. Nodusfall is no exception — but the question is: is this similarity a deliberate inheritance, or a copy lacking creativity?

What most of the debate overlooks: Nodusfall is not a purely single-player game. According to published information, the game focuses on cooperative boss-hunting mechanics with up to four players. This is a fundamental difference from Elden Ring. In terms of core gameplay, Nodusfall may be closer to Monster Hunter than to Elden Ring — an interesting combination that the gaming community quickly recognized when comparing it to "Elden Ring meets Monster Hunter".

Visual similarity does not necessarily equal mechanical similarity — and this is the biggest blind spot in the current plagiarism accusations.

Based on my experience tracking game release cycles over nearly two decades, I notice a recurring pattern: communities often judge based on first visual impressions, while a game's true value only reveals itself through gameplay. A trailer is just a promotional poster — it doesn't convey how the game operates, the feel of controls, or the depth of combat systems. When only static images are available for comparison, every plagiarism accusation is speculative.

Legally, HoYoverse's risk is low. Game mechanics are generally not copyrightable; only specific expressive elements such as character designs, art assets, and names can be considered infringing. A winged character "reminding" players of Malenia or a white-haired woman "compared to" Melina are archetypal similarities, not direct copies. However, reputational risk is real — and in the court of public opinion, "inspired by" versus "ripped off" is decided by community sentiment, not legal standards.

Look at the financial picture. HoYoverse is one of the most profitable game companies globally — Genshin Impact alone generates billions in annual revenue. The company can afford long development cycles, hire top talent, and polish Nodusfall to high standards. This capital advantage partially offsets the design pedigree gap compared to FromSoftware. But the strategic bet is enormous: HoYoverse is staking its brand reputation — built on polish and originality — on a genre where the direct competitor holds an almost unassailable position.

This story also carries a regional layer. HoYoverse represents China — a nation with capital and scale but historically lacking the design pedigree of Japanese studios in the action RPG genre. FromSoftware, conversely, is a symbol of design craftsmanship. The "copy" controversy therefore carries the weight of a China-Japan confrontation over creative capability — a narrative that has long existed in global gaming discourse, and Nodusfall is merely the latest catalyst.

Interestingly, this very controversy creates a massive free marketing opportunity. The more a game generates debate, the more attention it attracts. If HoYoverse proves its own identity through gameplay — especially the cooperative boss-hunting mechanic — the current wave of criticism can transform into a media lever. Industry history has witnessed similar cases: initial controversy generates curiosity, and if the final product is good enough, public opinion quickly shifts.

But there's also a more dangerous scenario. If Nodusfall launches with gameplay that truly lacks differentiation — not just visually but in feel — the backlash will be far more severe, because the community will feel their initial accusations were validated. This is the "second wave" risk HoYoverse needs to prepare for. The smartest strategy now is to proactively release extended gameplay footage, focus on cooperative mechanics, and shift the debate from "copy or not" to "how different is the experience".

Ultimately, the core question is not whether Nodusfall resembles Elden Ring — but whether HoYoverse can convince the market that visual similarity is only surface-level, and that gameplay depth is what defines value. In an industry where reputation can be built overnight and destroyed in a single trailer, the most important lesson is: missing data is not useless; it is a map pointing us to where no one has measured yet. And at this moment, all we have is a very rudimentary map.

When every transfer bubble begins with a beautiful story and ends with a balance sheet, here the beautiful story is a HoYoverse daring to step out of its comfort zone. Will the final balance sheet record a successful venture or an expensive lesson? The answer lies in gameplay — the only thing that can turn a controversial trailer into a recognized masterpiece.