Genshin Impact studio Hoyoverse revealed another new game at today's Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 showcase: Nodusfall, a co-op action game that looks nothing like most Hoyo games.
Nodusfall is described by presenter Geoff Keighley as a mythical action game where teams of Weavers take on divine beasts and beings.
Snippets of presumed gameplay woven into the many cutscenes on display suggest teams of four players will help each other in boss fights, and that's just the start of the Monster Hunter vibes.
Weavers are shown using bows, greatswords, what looks like a longsword (a normal-sized one, not a Monster Hunter-sized one), and some form of magic. One spell seems to revive allies, while another turns the player into a divine being themselves.
In what seems like a scripted sequence, two players team up to land a finishing blow on the dragon mount of a boss. The bosses shown in the trailer have drawn comparisons to Elden Ring enemies like Hoarah Loux, Malenia, as well as Dark Souls 3's Nameless King. Other creatures shown include (what I'm calling) a horned lion, ninetailed fox spirit, armored bear, a fiery archdemon, Fiery Archdemon Deluxe, and an especially feral hog.
Hoyoverse has been dabbling in more realistic art styles in recent projects and job listings, ditching anime for a new MMO called Genesis. Nodusfall looks to be in the same vein, with a detailed fantasy look that's closer to the likes of disguised boss rush Elden Ring Nightreign than the likes of Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, or Zenless Zone Zero.
The question hanging over every Hoyoverse game, no matter how cool it may look, is how it will be monetized. Everything the company touches turns to gacha in some way or another, and it affects everything from storytelling to progression systems. I'd love nothing more than to see Hoyo put its gacha bucks and design experience toward a traditional premium game, but I won't hold my breath.
