HoYoverse life simulator gameplay leaks: here's what we know

We heard about it several times in 2023 and early 2024: leaks revealed that HoYoverse, the studio behind Geshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, was working on the development of a life simulator in the style of Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley. The news may well be confirmed, as an alpha version gameplay video has leaked on X. Ever dreamt of planting parsnips in the world of Teyvat? Here's what we know!

HoYoverse life sim gameplay video shows the game in its alpha version

The video posted on X by a leaker specialising in HoYoverse games only lasts a minute, yet it reveals quite a lot about the game's possible features.

If you've played Animal Crossing once in your life, then the images released on X will certainly remind you of Nintendo's licence. From the harvesting of materials, to the management of stuff, the crafting system and the environments, there's no doubt that the game will be largely inspired by it. Of course, it's hard not to mention Stardew Valley when talking about a life simulator!

In addition to the video, some of the game's potential features have also been mentioned. We learn that there could be a multiplayer mode and that the game would be a free gacha, available on PC, Android and PS5. As in Tom Nook's game, there will be neighbours, numerous storage systems, and the best feature of all life simulators: fishing!

The game will also be punctuated by various events. Remember that this is a leak, and not official information announced by HoYoverse.

Leaks in June 2023 and a new trademark in February 2024

In June last year, the news caused quite a stir. The leaker known as UBatcha on X announced that HoYoverse was working on "a casual simulation game".

To confirm this, streamer SipSipStefen had released images of the upcoming HoYoverse simulation game. This post has since been deleted for copyright reasons.

Another piece of information revealed by the Reddit community could confirm the existence of this life simulator: At the beginning of 2024, the studio behind Genshin Impact also registered a new trademark with the Chinese government, XinBoX.XinBuGuDi (星布谷地), which translates as 'Star Cuckoo Valley', 'Star Cloth Valley' or 'Starbud Valley'. We told you all about it on JeuMobi!

To date, HoYoverse has yet to confirm or deny the existence of this game. This would mark a 180-degree turn for the studio, which is best known for its open-world RPGs and characters with elaborate charadesigns. While we wait for confirmation of its life simulator, remember that HoYoverse is releasing Zenless Zone Zero on 4 July!