Nodusfall and the Elden Ring Shadow: When a 3-Minute Trailer Creates a Media Storm

When HoYoverse released the first trailer for Nodusfall, the gaming community took less than 24 hours to deliver its verdict: this is a clone of Elden Ring. Static images were placed side by side, comparing every character, every frame. But I've learned one thing after seven years of following the transfer market: hasty verdicts are always the wrong ones. The context of this storm is not hard to understand. HoYoverse, the company behind Genshin Impact and the Honkai series, is known for its anime style and gacha mechanics. Nodusfall marks a strategic pivot: abandoning the anime style in favor of dark fantasy with realistic graphics and co-op mechanics. This is the first time HoYoverse has announced a project completely different from their brand positioning. And that very difference created attention — which quickly turned into controversy. Elden Ring, released in 2026, set a new standard for the action RPG genre. Its influence on the entire industry is undeniable — many new projects are choosing similar combat styles, world design, and atmosphere. When a giant like HoYoverse enters this territory, being compared to FromSoftware is inevitable. But the important question is not "Is Nodusfall similar to Elden Ring" — it's "what does that similarity mean." Look at the data. The gaming community used the term "rip-off" when placing images of the two games side by side. A winged character was said to remind players of Malenia, a white-haired woman was compared to Melina. But these similarities are at the archetype level — not direct copying. In the game industry, gameplay mechanics (soulslike combat, dark fantasy settings) are generally not copyrightable. Only specific expressive elements — character designs, art assets, names — can be considered infringing. And what is described in the article falls into the gray zone of "inspiration" rather than "copying." The real differentiator lies in the co-op mechanic. Nodusfall focuses on boss hunting with up to four players — a design closer to Monster Hunter than Elden Ring. The community has already recognized this by calling Nodusfall a combination of Elden Ring and Monster Hunter. This recognition creates an opening for HoYoverse: if they show co-op gameplay that is genuinely different, the narrative can shift from "clone" to "creative variation." When the transfer window goes quiet, I hear the rustling of spreadsheets. Here, my spreadsheet records one thing: this controversy is built on a very weak foundation. Only a trailer exists — no gameplay footage has been released. Judging a game based on static images is a fundamental analytical error. I've seen this many times in the transfer market: a rumor spreads based on a blurry photo, and when the truth emerges, everything is completely different. 47 rumors to find one truth — and the truth always lies behind the number of sends. In this case, the truth about Nodusfall will only be revealed when HoYoverse releases actual gameplay. If the co-op mechanic is clearly demonstrated, the "rip-off" narrative will quickly subside. If the gameplay truly resembles Elden Ring mechanically, the backlash will be even more intense — because the community will feel their initial suspicions have been confirmed. Agents don't read rumors, they read how often you're right. HoYoverse is in an extremely strong financial position — Genshin Impact alone generates billions of dollars in annual revenue. They have the resources to invest, hire talent, and polish Nodusfall to a high standard. The capital advantage can partially offset the design pedigree gap with FromSoftware. But the biggest risk is not financial — it's reputational. If the "copycat" label sticks to the HoYoverse brand, it could affect all their other titles. There's a counterintuitive angle here: this controversy might be the best thing that ever happened to Nodusfall. In the game industry, negative attention is still attention. If HoYoverse proves its own identity, current controversies can become motivation to attract more attention. This is a familiar pattern: the more a game generates controversy before release, the more people know about it at launch. But this only works if the final product is good enough. The regional context is also noteworthy. This is an implicit rivalry between China and Japan in game development. HoYoverse — China's most valuable game company — is entering a genre dominated by Japan's FromSoftware. Chinese developers have historically faced plagiarism accusations in global gaming discourse, and this controversy fits that pattern. However, HoYoverse has an advantage most other Chinese companies don't: superior financial resources and a development team proven through multiple successful titles. The real question is not "Does Nodusfall copy Elden Ring" — it's "does HoYoverse have the design capability to create a soulslike with its own identity." Their history lies in anime gacha, not realistic action RPGs. This is a test of organizational capability: does the studio have the talent to execute a genre they've never attempted? The answer will come when gameplay is revealed. Legally, the current risk is low. The "rip-off" accusation is only the opinion of part of the community, not an official conclusion. Copyright law generally does not protect gameplay mechanics — only specific expressive elements. The similarities described (a winged character reminding players of Malenia, a white-haired woman compared to Melina) are at the archetype level, not direct copies. The likelihood of FromSoftware or Bandai Namco filing a lawsuit is very low. But the court of public opinion is a different story — there, "inspired by" and "ripped off" are decided by community sentiment, not legal standards. The most dangerous scenario is not the current trailer backlash — it's the "second wave" at release. If Nodusfall launches with gameplay that feels derivative (not just visually similar), the backlash will be far more severe, because the community will feel their initial accusations have been validated. Conversely, if the co-op gameplay is genuinely different, the current controversy will become a story of misunderstanding — and HoYoverse will benefit from the attention without paying the price. From the perspective of someone who has followed the transfer market for seven years, I see a clear parallel: markets always overreact to initial information. A photo of a player wearing a scarf on a plane can generate hundreds of articles about a transfer that doesn't exist. A three-minute trailer can generate thousands of articles about a game no one has played. In both cases, the lesson is the same: wait for the truth to be confirmed before delivering a verdict. Nodusfall will not be canceled because of community backlash. HoYoverse has invested years in this project and will not abandon it over a social media controversy. The controversy will shape marketing strategy, not development direction. And that's what makes this story interesting: will HoYoverse be wise enough to turn negative reactions into media momentum, or will they let it become a shadow that follows Nodusfall until release? When I look at my spreadsheet — where I record every signal, every data point, every anomaly — I see one thing clearly: this controversy is in the early stage of its media cycle. It will last one to six months, until HoYoverse reveals the next gameplay. At that point, the story will be rewritten — in one direction or another. And all we can do now is wait, observe, and remember: hasty verdicts are always the wrong ones.