Summary
Genshin ImpactdeveloperHoYoverseaims to build a massive virtual world that’s “more real than reality” by 2030. That’s according to some newly leaked company materials in whichHoYoverseinsists that it’s not a video game company.
Formerly known as Mihoyo—a name that’s still used by its Chinese headquarters—HoYoverse is best known as the developer ofGenshin Impact, a gacha open-world RPG that made over $6 billion in lifetime revenue on mobile platforms alone. Since launchingGenshin Impactin 2020, the Shanghai-based company released two more live-service games—Honkai: Star RailandZenless Zone Zero.
As for what’s next for HoYoverse, the company has apparently set its sights on more than just games.Bloombergreports that the group’s current goal is to create a gigantic virtual world by 2030, citing a leaked copy of a HoYoverse employee manual. This virtual space is described as “more real than reality,” as per the same source. Given this language and the stated timeline, HoYoverse may be exploring thedevelopment of a metaverse—potentially one rooted in virtual reality.
HoYoverse Reportedly Doesn’t See Itself as a Game Company
The likelihood that HoYoverse’s 2030 project is not another video game seems even greater given that the leaked employee manual insists the company is not simply a game developer. “We have never been a game company,” the document states, as per Bloomberg. Looking to drive that point home, the manual compares HoYoverse totech innovators such as Appleand SpaceX. However, the true nature of the virtual world that HoYoverse is supposedly building is left ambiguous. HoYoverse declined to comment on Bloomberg’s story beyond stating that it contains some inaccuracies, without elaborating on what those may be.
We have never been a game company.
HoYoverse Is Reportedly Seeking New Audiences
While HoYoverse’s long-term ambitions may extend beyond gaming, the company remains firmly focused on video games for now. It’s currently said to be developing several titles described as “open-world and farming-simulator” games. Its upcoming projects are understood to be a conscious departure from the anime RPGs that HoYoverse is known for, with the studio looking to leverage them to find new audiences. The developer is reportedly pursuing this direction as part of a strategic pivot prompted by a recurring issue: its new anime games often cannibalize older ones, an undesirable outcome for a company reliant on long-lasting live-service titles.
According to a recent leak,one of HoYoverse’s upcoming games is calledHonkai: Nexus Anima. The project is rumored to offer a combination of RPG andPokemon-like monster-taming mechanics. It’s still expected to incorporate the gacha elements permeating all of HoYoverse’s modern games.
