HoYoverse, the studio behind Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero, is building a hunting action RPG that leans hard into the Monster Hunter formula. Currently going by the working name The Weavers, and earlier tied to the codename Nodusfall, the project trades the company’s usual anime cel-shading for a photorealistic look built in Unreal Engine 5. A small closed test has already surfaced, giving the first concrete look at how the game plays.
Quick answer: The Weavers is an unannounced HoYoverse hunting RPG, currently in an NDA-locked closed beta on TapTap in China. HoYoverse has not officially revealed it, and there is no confirmed release date or global platform list yet.
What The Weavers is
The core loop mirrors Capcom’s Monster Hunter. You track down and fight enormous creatures, break them down, and harvest their parts to build gear. Weapons shown so far include bows and greatswords, and characters can unlock new skills as they progress.
Three playable characters have appeared so far, each with their own attributes and abilities. The project has been described internally as “Hoyo’s Monster Hunter,” and reporting around the test points to a dynamic open world, varied ecosystems, large-scale boss fights, and co-op multiplayer.
| Detail | What’s known |
|---|---|
| Working title | The Weavers (earlier codename Nodusfall; also linked to “Origin Bound”) |
| Developer | HoYoverse (formerly miHoYo), Shanghai |
| Genre | Monster Hunter-style hunting action RPG |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Art style | Photorealistic fantasy (not anime cel-shading) |
| Playable characters | Three shown so far |
| Weapons | Bows, greatswords |
| Modes | Co-op multiplayer, PvP deathmatch (reported) |
| Gacha | None present in the current test |
| Release date | Not confirmed |
A gear system that echoes Genshin’s artifacts
Beyond the hunts themselves, the game includes a gearing system where each piece of equipment carries its own set of stats. That structure works much like the artifact system in Genshin Impact, where the numbers on your gear shape how a character performs. Combined with unlockable skills, that gives characters room to grow between fights.
A PvP deathmatch mode has also been described, which would set it apart from Monster Hunter’s mostly cooperative structure. Treat this as unconfirmed until HoYoverse says otherwise.
The visual shift away from anime
The biggest surprise is the look. HoYoverse made its name on bright, stylized anime worlds, but The Weavers moves toward realistic textures and detailed environments. Promotional material describes it as a “realistic fantasy pre-research project” built on Unreal Engine 5, which lines up with an earlier UE5 teaser the studio floated for a more grounded fantasy game.
The connection traces back further. HoYoverse hinted at a more grounded open-world fantasy title through its official recruitment site in 2025, and the leaked menu art and launcher backgrounds line up with that project.
How the closed beta works
A limited test is running on TapTap in China, listed there as a next-generation action game with a 16+ age rating. Access is tightly restricted, and joining requires meeting strict conditions.
- A Chinese phone number
- Residency in China
- A signed non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
Because of the NDA, official gameplay footage and screenshots have not been released. The images circulating online come from testers rather than from HoYoverse. Pre-registration lives on the game’s TapTap listing, though the regional and NDA restrictions apply.
Platforms and monetization
Platforms are still unconfirmed. A Nintendo Switch 2 release has been reported, but nothing official backs it yet. There is also no confirmed release window, so any “coming soon” framing is premature.
On money, the current test does not include gacha mechanics. That is notable for a HoYoverse game, and it could change before launch. A hunting loop tends to clash with heavy stamina gates or locked equipment blueprints, so how the studio handles monetization will matter for how the game lands with Monster Hunter players.
Note: Everything here comes from a closed, NDA-restricted test, not an official reveal. Details like the final name, character roster, modes, and platforms can shift before HoYoverse formally announces the game.
For now, The Weavers stands as HoYoverse’s most dramatic genre departure yet, a photorealistic monster-hunting RPG with real gear depth and a co-op backbone. The pieces look promising on paper, but until the studio shows extended gameplay or makes an official announcement, the specifics remain subject to change.
