HoYoverse pulled off Gamescom 2026’s biggest surprise with Nodusfall — a co-op monster-hunting action game that ditches the gacha mechanics the studio is famous for. After a hands-on demo with three boss fights, the game is making sharp first impressions: fast, readable, and more forgiving than the titles it clearly draws inspiration from.
Elden Ring Meets Monster Hunter — But Faster
In Nodusfall, you play as a Weaver in a fractured world where divine authority has collapsed. Corrupted beasts called the Dreadnodi roam a mythic continent, and squads team up to bring them down. The gameplay loop is familiar: expose weak points, coordinate burst damage, and harvest materials from fallen enemies.
But where Monster Hunter is deliberate and stamina-heavy, Nodusfall is snappy. Where Elden Ring is punishing, Nodusfall is more approachable. The DNA is obvious, but HoYoverse is iterating on the genre rather than cloning it.
Built on Unreal Engine 5, the game looks the part. HoYoverse has the resources to make a live-service title shine, and the early encounters suggest a team confident in their ability to compete in a space dominated by Capcom.
No Gacha — Characters Earned Through Play
Here is the headline that should make competitors nervous: HoYoverse says characters in Nodusfall are not obtained through random draws. You unlock them through continued play. Monetisation leans on cosmetics instead of the pity-timer psychology that powers Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail.
When the biggest name in gacha experiments with a no-draw model, the entire free-to-play market takes notes. If Nodusfall retains players and still earns on cosmetics alone, it hands every rival a proof point that you can drop the slot machine and survive. If it stumbles, expect the industry to quietly conclude that gacha remains king.
A Hedge Against Regulation
Gacha mechanics are increasingly scrutinised by regulators worldwide. The EU has floated loot box restrictions, and several Asian markets have already implemented disclosure requirements. A HoYoverse title that grows without gacha is either a hedge against tightening rules or a genuine bet that goodwill converts better than compulsion.
Either way, it is a rare case where the monetisation design is as newsworthy as the gameplay — and both are pointing in a promising direction.
What Should You Do?
- Wishlist Nodusfall on its official website for future beta access
- Watch the Gamescom ONL reveal trailer for gameplay footage
- Keep an eye on HoYoverse’s social channels for closed beta dates