Genshin Impact developer HoYoverse aims to build a massive virtual world that's "more real than reality" by 2030. That's according to some newly leaked company materials in which HoYoverse insists 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 of Genshin Impact, a gacha open-world RPG that made over $6 billion in lifetime revenue on mobile platforms alone. Since launching Genshin Impact in 2020, the Shanghai-based company released two more live-service games—Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero.
A new Genshin Impact leak hints that Version 5.7 will bring exciting developments for fans of the popular Pyro nation, Natlan.
As for what's next for HoYoverse, the company has apparently set its sights on more than just games. Bloomberg reports 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 the development of a metaverse—potentially one rooted in virtual reality.
The likelihood that...
