Nodusfall: When HoYoverse Steps Into Elden Ring's Territory — The Truth Lies in the Fine Print

Busan, South Korea — When the first trailer of Nodusfall appeared on screen, the gaming community needed no more than three seconds to deliver its verdict. A winged character immediately reminded viewers of Malenia. A white-haired woman was compared to Melina. The word "rip-off" flooded forums. But I have been covering the gaming industry for over two decades, and I have learned one thing: audiences want to watch trailers. I want to see the contracts before the trailer is released. The context here is clear. Elden Ring, released in 2026, not only won Game of the Year but also set a new standard for the entire action RPG genre. Its influence is undeniable — numerous new projects are adopting similar combat styles, world design, and atmosphere. HoYoverse, the Chinese giant known for anime-style gacha titles like Genshin Impact, suddenly announced it was abandoning its familiar style to pivot to dark fantasy with realistic graphics. This is a major strategic shift — and a major gamble. But let's pause here. I read financial reports slower than others, because I read them twice. And when I read the Nodusfall trailer carefully, I noticed a detail that most of the community is overlooking: the gameplay mechanics. Nodusfall is not a simple soulslike game. It focuses on cooperative boss hunting with up to four players. This brings it closer to Monster Hunter — a completely different franchise — rather than Elden Ring, which is primarily a single-player experience. Visual similarity does not necessarily mean mechanical similarity. The truth lies in the smallest fine print that few bother to zoom in on. In this case, that fine print is: no gameplay footage has been released. The entire controversy is based on static images from a trailer — extremely flimsy evidence to convict a game of plagiarism. I have witnessed too many cases in my career — from inflated sponsorship contracts to doping control procedural loopholes — and I know that when a community rushes to judgment based on emotion, they often miss the bigger picture. Look at the interest structure here. HoYoverse is one of the most profitable game companies in the world — Genshin Impact alone generates billions annually. Their financial resources far exceed FromSoftware's. This means they can afford to hire talent, iterate, and polish Nodusfall to the highest standard. Capital advantage can partially offset the design-pedigree gap — but it cannot erase it entirely. The real question is not "Is Nodusfall copying Elden Ring?" but "Does HoYoverse have the design capability to execute a genre they have never attempted?" Legally, the risk here is low. Copyright law generally does not protect game mechanics — those can be legally copied. Only specific expressive elements such as character designs, art assets, and names can be considered infringing. The similarities described — a winged character "reminding" players of Malenia, a white-haired woman "compared to" Melina — are archetypal rather than direct copies. HoYoverse's legal team has almost certainly conducted an internal review before releasing the trailer. The fact that the trailer went out as-is suggests the company believes it is legally defensible — even if community sentiment disagrees. But the reputational risk is real. And in the court of public opinion, "inspired by" versus "ripped off" is decided by community sentiment, not legal standards. The most dangerous scenario is not the current trailer backlash but a "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 validated in their initial accusations. However, there is a contrarian angle that most analyses are missing. This controversy, though unwanted, is generating massive free publicity for Nodusfall. If HoYoverse can prove its own identity — especially through the four-player co-op mechanic — then the current controversy can become motivation to attract more attention. This is a familiar pattern in the industry: negative attention still generates awareness, and if the game delivers quality, the backlash can be converted into marketing momentum. The community has already begun comparing Nodusfall to a combination of Elden Ring and Monster Hunter. This is actually a useful framing — it shows the community recognizes the co-op differentiator even while accusing the game of copying. This creates an opening for HoYoverse to pivot the narrative favorably: instead of defending, they can attack by highlighting what makes Nodusfall different. Every season ends, but the records do not. And in this case, Nodusfall's record is still being written. The current controversy is just the first page of a long story. Can HoYoverse turn a controversial start into a convincing victory? Or will they become the next cautionary tale about daring to step into a giant's territory? The answer will not come from static trailer images — it will come from actual gameplay, from how HoYoverse handles the media crisis, and from whether they can turn the "rip-off" accusation into an opportunity to assert their own identity. I will follow this record to the end.