Nodusfall Called an 'Elden Ring Rip-off': The Trap of Visual First Impressions

The first trailer for Nodusfall, HoYoverse's newest project, needed just a few frames to ignite a full-blown controversy. A winged warrior immediately reminded players of Malenia from Elden Ring, and later a white-haired woman was compared to Melina; the atmosphere turned tense almost instantly. Within less than 24 hours, the community was split into two camps: one side called Nodusfall a “rip-off,” while the other argued that dark fantasy is not FromSoftware's exclusive property. I am not surprised by this storm. What draws my attention is that almost every accusation was made when we had only seen a few still images, while all actual gameplay remained in the dark. This is not an intellectual property lawsuit; it is a test of how the gaming industry judges a product before understanding how it works. The context is clear. HoYoverse, a Chinese company known for its anime style and gacha model, suddenly announced a complete pivot: realistic graphics, a dark fantasy setting, and a co-op boss-hunting mechanic for up to four players. Meanwhile, Elden Ring remains a milestone in the action RPG genre. The influence of FromSoftware's game is undeniable; it is no surprise that many new projects choose similar combat styles, world designs, and atmospheres. The visual similarities between Nodusfall and Elden Ring are real, but the more important question is: are those similarities enough to convict a game that has not yet shown a single minute of playable footage? If I frame this as a match, I would say we are evaluating a football team based only on its squad list while the actual match has not been played. Deschamps was not wrong that year — the problem was the public perception of ugliness. In 2026, France were mocked by the whole world for being pragmatic and playing anti-football, yet it was precisely that “ugliness” that brought home the World Cup. With Nodusfall, the community is also rushing to label the game a copy because of the trailer's visual style, while ignoring the biggest difference lying at the core of its gameplay: a four-player mode of hunting bosses. If Elden Ring is a solitary experience in a decaying world, a game focused on multiplayer cooperation leans far more toward Monster Hunter. Comparing Nodusfall to Elden Ring right now is like putting a centre-forward next to a sweeper simply because they both wear white shirts. The meta in esports is not invented by anyone — it reveals itself when someone is willing to calculate. Elden Ring did not create the soulslike trend simply by releasing a good game; it changed players' expectations of difficulty, of environmental storytelling, and of death as part of the loop. Other developers look at that and understand that to survive, they must learn the design language FromSoftware has popularized. But learning a language does not mean writing the same novel. The difference lies in the syntax — in how systems interact. A four-player boss-hunting game must redesign the entire combat tempo, the coordination of skills, and how monsters react to multiple targets. That is not a paint coat over a copy; that is a fundamentally different gameplay structure, if HoYoverse executes it properly. Looking at the accusations, I see a recurring pattern: players tend to label something a “rip-off” when they see familiar motifs, not when they understand how the game operates. Malenia's wings, Melina's silver hair, Gothic-style architecture — all are easily reminiscent images. But throughout gaming history, many titles have been accused of copying when first announced, only to later be recognized for their own identity once gameplay was shown. The opposite has also happened. So what is missing from this debate is not opinion, but data — data from hands-on sessions, from boss-hunting mechanics, from how four players coordinate to take down a world boss. An empty stadium gives us data, but it strips away what data cannot measure: the noise. Here, social media noise is drowning out the real data. I must admit I can be wrong. It is possible that Nodusfall really is built on an overly safe template, and when gameplay is revealed, all the comparisons will become more accurate. I have seen many games with impressive trailers that turned out to be soulless clones. That risk is real, and it will become a much more dangerous “second wave” at launch if Nodusfall fails to prove that its four-player mechanic can create a distinct experience. But the problem is that the current debate lacks enough evidence to conclude anything about gameplay quality. The community is making a moral judgment based on three still frames, and that is as biased as criticizing a player only because his hairstyle resembles a certain star. Do not ask how talented a player is; ask what system protects him. With games, do not ask how similar Nodusfall looks to Elden Ring in a trailer; ask whether the boss-hunting system is strong enough to forge its own identity when players actually hold the controller. I do not deny that HoYoverse is taking a risky gamble. Shifting from anime to realistic dark fantasy is not just changing jerseys; it touches the reputation of a studio that has been defined by a deliberate visual style. But the criticism that “HoYoverse is ripping off Elden Ring” is currently only the opinion of a part of the community, not an official conclusion, and certainly not a legal verdict. Copyright law typically does not protect gameplay mechanics; only specific expressive elements such as character designs, names, or artistic assets can be infringing. Descriptions of a winged warrior or a silver-haired woman are likely to fall within common motifs rather than direct copies. The legal risk is low, but the reputational risk is real. The interesting part is that the harsh reaction is creating something HoYoverse might actually need: attention. A new game from a company known only for anime titles could easily be ignored, but a “suspected ripoff” cannot. The controversy will force HoYoverse to release gameplay earlier, to explain clearly its design decisions, and if they are smart enough, they can turn this storm into an opportunity to assert difference. The best system does not create superstars; it creates the perfect role. Right now, Nodusfall has only been judged on a role lasting a few minutes, while the real script has not yet been shown. Instead of rushing to condemn, let us wait for the first gameplay footage. Only then will we have enough data to know whether this is careless borrowing or an interesting experiment being misunderstood. When the wave of outrage recedes, what remains on the shore will not be comparison images, but a four-player boss-hunting mechanic — the only thing truly worth dissecting.