Hoyoverse, the international arm of Genshin Impact maker Mihoyo, has released a 31-minute gameplay demo for its next title, Varsapura.
The footage presents an open-world roleplaying game that builds on mechanics familiar to followers of the studio’s work, with fluid combat and character swapping systems, while shifting toward a more contemporary and grounded visual style.
Varsapura is being developed on Unreal Engine 5, marking a departure from Hoyoverse’s previous reliance on the Unity engine. The studio has not disclosed platforms, a monetization model, or any beta or launch timelines, indicating that players may need to wait before getting hands-on time with the game.
The name “Varsapura” roughly translates to “rain city” in Sanskrit, a point frequently raised in online communities responding to the demo. Observers have also noted the game’s connection to “Singapura,” the old name for Singapore. That parallel is reinforced by the demo’s setting, which appears heavily inspired by the city. Several in-game structures resemble real-world landmarks, including the Lazada One office and Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, though these similarities remain unconfirmed by the studio.
Varsapura follows the narrative of a protagonist known so far only as Hollowone, who seeks to join the Shadow Emergency Alliance, or SEAL for short, in order to track down a mysterious figure tied to her past. Along the way, the demo introduces Sayuki, a SEAL officer who first oversees Hollowone’s entrance interview before later teaming up with her on missions, and Mr Shadow, an enigmatic figure depicted as a shadow-formed figure in a suit, often appearing with a black cat at his side.
Combat hews closely to Hoyoverse’s trademark style: fast, fluid encounters built around character swapping and chained abilities against a variety of shadowy foes. One notable motif is the recurring symbolism of the umbrella, structured by the game as a multitoll used as both weapon and narrative marker. In a cutscene between Hollowone and Mr Shadow in the demo, the former discloses that the person she’s looking for within SEAL carries a snake-scale umbrella.
The game’s central threat, mindrot, ties the story to themes of mental health. Mindrot appears as a tar-like substance that leaks from objects and manifests into monsters. SEAL is introduced as the body responsible for containing these incidents and preventing further spread, as advanced forms of mindrot give rise to fully fledged shadow creatures. A brief explanation in the demo describes humanity’s collective consciousness as the “rain of thought,” and suggests that when this system is improperly drained, rot forms, becoming mindrot.
Varsapura leans further into the paranormal with scenes showing distortions of reality. In one sequence, Hollowone enters an alternate dimension as part of her SEAL evaluation, where a set of camera-like devices collectively opens a gateway. Operatives appear capable of manipulating the environment inside, a skill that becomes urgent when mindrot suddenly begins seeping into the space and Hollowone and Sayuki attempt to escape.
The title adds to Hoyoverse’s lineup of announced projects, which includes Petit Planet and Honkai: Nexus Anima. Whether familiar mechanics, at least as presented so far, will support or complicate the company’s expansion remains unclear. Hoyoverse’s earlier hits, including Genshin Impact and entries in the Honkai series, have long relied on recurring events and activities to maintain engagement. That formula has been broadly effective, but its time-consuming nature may test players’ willingness to adopt new titles with similar systems at the same time.