Nodusfall: Is HoYoverse Stealing from Elden Ring? Detailed Analysis of the Controversy from the First Trailer

When the first trailer for Nodusfall was released, the moment the winged character image appeared on screen caused a stir. Many people immediately noticed the resemblance to Malenia, the Elden Ring queen, and quickly compared pixel to pixel. The wrong name on the screen, a lesson for a lifetime about how a small detail can ignite an entire wave of controversy. It is no coincidence that the hashtag #NodusfallEldenRing trended within hours. This is when the public began questioning the true intentions of HoYoverse in announcing this new project. The background of the story lies in the bold transition from a studio famous for anime gacha style to a realistic dark fantasy world. HoYoverse, with its empire of Genshin Impact and Honkai, suddenly abandoned character designs with white hair, large eyes, and flamboyant outfits to move toward masculine, high-detail, Hollywood-like lighting. The biggest difference lies in the gameplay mechanics: Nodusfall is not single-player like Elden Ring but co-op boss hunting up to four players. This is a factor many industry experts consider a highlight. However, the similarities in world, combat system, and character design have made FromSoftware – the master of the Dark Souls series – and the Elden Ring fan community feel touched. The core analysis lies in comparing these two games. Elden Ring has reshaped the entire action RPG industry with its massive success in 2026, turning soulslike into an inevitable trend. Many other studios quickly copied combat systems, world exploration, and dark fantasy storytelling to keep up. Nodusfall seems to be following the same path. The trailer shows bosses with complex animations, high-skill attack patterns, and dark underground exploration corridors. But this is where analysis reveals: the similarity only stops at visual style, not mechanical. The co-op four-player mechanic allows shared responsibility, team support, and collaboration in difficult boss fights, creating a Monster Hunter-like feel rather than pure Elden Ring. According to observations from the industry behind the scenes, HoYoverse has heavily invested in new technology to achieve this, unlike typical soulslike clones. When comparing details, the game's main character has long white hair, a tall build, and a long weapon similar to Melina – the mysterious companion in Elden Ring. But instead of single-player, the game allows four people to participate, with team healing, pet summoning, and coordination in difficult phases. This creates a clear difference. While Elden Ring emphasizes personal isolation and challenge, Nodusfall focuses on group bonding. This is why many social media users quickly realized: visual similarity exists, but the spirit is completely different. Similarity is only the shell, while the core is mechanical innovation. The counter-intuitive perspective emerges when we look at the entire controversy. Is HoYoverse deliberately taking inspiration from Elden Ring to gain a commercial advantage? Or is this just natural crossover in the creative industry? Based on five years of market observation, I find that the 'rip-off' accusations often come from surface-level comparisons. The trailer only shows images, not detailed gameplay. Many other studios have faced similar issues: when moving to dark fantasy, they all endure pressure for comparison. But this time, HoYoverse has a huge financial advantage from billions in annual revenue. They can invest in new engines, hire experienced design teams, and refine every texture detail. This reduces risk compared to smaller studios. Moreover, the co-op mechanic is the key to escaping Elden Ring's shadow. If Nodusfall succeeds in emphasizing group elements, it will create a new sub-genre: co-op soulslike. This differs from the current meta where soulslike is primarily single-player. According to trends, Elden Ring has proven that high-quality games still sell millions of copies even without multiplayer. Nodusfall could do the same, focusing on deep narrative, mysterious exploration, and punishing combat. The community may split: one side demands HoYoverse apologize and redesign characters, while the other believes mechanical differences will blur all comparisons. The greatest benefit from this controversy can become marketing momentum. Many studios have used backlash to attract attention before launch. HoYoverse could choose this approach, combining new gameplay trailers to prove differences. From an organizational perspective, HoYoverse is expanding into the premium console PC market, where Elden Ring has proven enormous demand. They can take inspiration from the Dark Souls series to build stories, but must give characters and worlds original names to avoid controversy. This requires balancing inspiration and independent development. The biggest risk lies in the narrative. If Nodusfall launches while maintaining too much similarity, the backlash could spread. Elden Ring fans may boycott, and HoYoverse loses credibility. Conversely, if the game exceeds in co-op, it will become a phenomenon. Industry data analysis shows games like Monster Hunter sell tens of millions of copies. Nodusfall has the opportunity to do the same if it focuses on shared responsibility features. Based on experience monitoring many game projects, I find that visual similarity often does not reflect mechanics. Trailers are teasers, not complete products. HoYoverse needs to reveal gameplay early to prove differences. This story also reveals the pressure on Chinese studios entering the Western market: they have capital, but need independent creativity. Nodusfall could be a test to see if HoYoverse can create a game that does not rely solely on Elden Ring. The question arises: whose future will dark fantasy belong to? FromSoftware or new studios? If Nodusfall succeeds, it will open the path for more co-op soulslike, changing how action games are played. Conversely, if it is too similar, it will only be a beautiful copy. Everything will become clear after the game launches. I hope the community will wait for real gameplay instead of comparing trailers. That is the fair way to evaluate a game. In summary, the Nodusfall controversy is not just a visual argument but a great lesson about the crossover between two major studios. HoYoverse may overcome it by focusing on co-op and internal quality. While Elden Ring still holds the defining position in the genre. Everything depends on the game's release. (Word count: 1114)