Tag: Hoyoverse
News Genshin Impact's Already Enormous Open World Grows Even Bigger in New PS5, PS4 Update
Find time
Genshin Impact’s life-consuming campaign will add an enormous influx of content with its v5.2 update, due out on 20th November. As we’re still deep in the Natlan arc, this will add several new environments to the map, where you’ll be able to hang with new tribes and “investigate a mysterious accident” as part of the latest event...
News Gigantic Zenless Zone Zero PS5 Update Brings More Wallet-Busting Waifus, Tons of Events
Zzz not possible with these updates
In terms of content, we’ve never seen anything quite like Zenless Zone Zero. While the initial launch of Honkai: Star Rail was no slouch, developer HoYoverse is really putting in the overtime with its urban fantasy RPG, as there’s simply an insane amount of things to do in the upcoming v1.3, which will launch...
Gallery That One Time We Visited Honkai: Star Rail's Penacony
May the journey lead us starward
Forgive us readers, for the life of a Trailblazer is one full of cosmic exploration and sometimes we forget to document our adventures. Or, in other words, this year has been a bit of a rollercoaster and we’re only just getting around to writing this. But, with the new Honkai: Star Rail update taking players back...
Plus, become a band manager
The next Honkai: Star Rail update will mercifully move on from the Xianzhou Luofu, and take Trailblazers back to the more vibrant dream world, Penacony. Due out on 23rd October, v2.3 will introduce the Paperfold University, a prestigious academic academy “bustling with activity as it prepares for a new semester and its...
News Genshin Impact's Big New PS5, PS4 Story Has Been Downgraded in English
No voice acting for key characters
Those of you enjoying your adventure in Natlan, the newest region added to Genshin Impact, will have to do so without voice acting – as it’s speculated the ongoing strikes involving union SAG-AFTRA mean some of the characters in the latest story update are lacking their English dub. Chinese juggernaut HoYoverse...
News Genshin Impact's Rollerblading Waifu Will Bankrupt Whales on PS5, PS4
Update out on 9th October
Genshin Impact’s character designs are always on point, but they don’t really get much cooler than Natlan newcomer Xilonen – a musical master forger with rollerblades. Like many of her regional counterparts, there’s a big emphasis on traversal with this character, and she can use her wheeled shoes to skate up...
News Biker Babes and Minigames Front PS5 Favourite Zenless Zone Zero's New Update
The ride of your life
God, these Zenless Zone Zero updates are epic at the moment. While we’re used to the unfathomable scale of HoYoverse’s games, we’re overawed by the sheer amount of events and activities the Chinese titan is adding to its urban fantasy RPG. The latest patch, Tour de Inferno, is coming on 25th September – and honestly,...
News This May Be the Most Pointless Boxed PS5 Game Ever
A real Trailblazer
Chinese juggernaut HoYoverse will flog a boxed copy of Honkai: Star Rail – despite the game being free-to-play and updated almost weekly. The retail release will come with some collectibles for fans, including nine gilded holographic character art cards, two chibi Trailblazer keyrings, a postcard, and some in-game items. This...
Life on the Luofu
Unlike Genshin Impact, which just received its massive new sequel-sized update, Honkai: Star Rail is padding time ahead of its next important story update. That’s brought the Trailblazer back to the Xianzhou Luofu, where they’re currently dealing with a prison break involving a particularly problematic enemy. That storyline...
News Genshin Impact's Sequel-Sized Natlan Expansion Is Out Now on PS5, PS4
A whole new world
If gacha game Genshin Impact wasn’t a live service, it’d be on its fourth or fifth sequel by now. Of course, HoYoverse has instead opted for an ever-expanding open world, which is up there with the biggest you’ll find on PS5 and PS4 these days. And today it’s got even bigger, with the release of the Pyro region, Natlan...
News Fate/Stay Night's Archer Looks Like a Lock for PS5 RPG Honkai: Star Rail
Bullseye
HoYoverse has boarded the hype train early for its Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works crossover, as it’s not set to launch for another year. But this new Honkai: Star Rail trailer – largely designed to tease impending original character Feixiao – is filled with Easter eggs, suggesting that Archer will be the PS5 RPG’s first...
News Popular Free PS5 Action RPG Zenless Zone Zero Teases New Region in Trailer
Back to the Wild Wild West
The fun never stops with HoYoverse, to be honest. If you’re playing any one of its three PS5 games – regardless of whether it’s Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, or Zenless Zone Zero – there’s always something new to look forward to. And while this trailer for the studio’s urban fantasy action RPG leans...
News Genshin Impact Boss Cries on Stage Following Harsh Fan Feedback
"We're just like you"
Liu Wei, better known to HoYoverse fans as Da Wei, is a billionaire – but that hasn’t stopped him from weeping like a baby on stage at a recent fanfest in Shanghai. While most company executives quietly pull the strings from their Ivory Towers, the boss of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail is surprisingly forward-facing,...
News Two New Waifus, Selfies, and a Ton of Events Front Zenless Zone Zero's First PS5 Update
City livin'
Zenless Zone Zero has been out for almost a month now, and while it launched with a dozen characters and three full story chapters, it’s time to learn what’s next for the free-to-play RPG. During a livestream earlier today, developer HoYoverse spilled the figurative beans on the ‘Undercover R&B’ update, which is scheduled to...
News What's Next for PS5 Smash Hit Action RPG Zenless Zone Zero?
All will be revealed this week
Those unfamiliar with the cadence of HoYoverse updates may be wondering what’s next for Zenless Zone Zero, which launched earlier in the month. Well, we’ll find out on 3rd August, as the game’s first proper post-release Special Program will get underway from 12:30PM BST. The broadcast will air on YouTube and...
News PS5 RPG Honkai: Star Rail Is Sponsoring the Paris Olympics in USA
Sign of the times
Want to know how big turnbased PS5 RPG Honkai: Star Rail is? It’s sponsoring NBC’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics. We first saw images from the American television channel earlier today featuring the game’s logo, but now an X (or Twitter) account which specialises in gacha gaming has posted the full commercial. You can...
News Urban RPG Zenless Zone Zero Is Totting Up Tons of PS5 Playtime
Breaks top ten most played in USA
The First Descendant isn’t the only free-to-play game performing extraordinarily well on PS5, because HoYoverse’s urban RPG Zenless Zone Zero is also trending incredibly well according to Circana data. For the week ending 13th July, the gacha game was the tenth most played title on PlayStation platforms in the...
News Boba, Bare Feet, and Bins Headline Honkai: Star Rail's Big PS5 Update
A return to the Xianzhou Luofu
The next major Honkai: Star Rail update is coming 31st July, and it’s taking the Trailblazer back to the Xianzhou Luofu. Yeah, we know, we didn’t like the story much there either – but there’s an opportunity to start afresh here, as the Wardance Ceremony gets underway. This storyline is set to span two full...
News Free-to-Play Phenomenon Genshin Impact Gets Its Own PS5 Console Bundle in Japan
Impact
PlayStation has a long history of bundling its consoles with blockbuster games, and it's certainly not afraid of releasing region-specific bundles that are designed to appeal directly to key markets. For example, it's partnered with EA Sports on a bunch of European packages in the past, shipping the PS4 with select FIFA titles. It's...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Zenless Zone Zero?
Zero/10
It's only a couple of weeks old, but Zenless Zone Zero can already be classed as yet another slam dunk for HoYoverse. The free-to-play action RPG is the third game that the Chinese developer has released on PlayStation, alongside Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail — and both of those titles are still attracting a huge number of players...
News Genshin Impact Fan Frustration Boils Over As Backlash Goes Viral
Voice actors chime in
Genshin Impact has once again found itself in the eye of an almighty social media storm, and this may be the most venomous backlash the uber-popular gacha has faced to date. Earlier this month, HoYoverse released the trailer for its new region Natlan, which is inspired by real-life continents like Africa and South America. You...
News Genshin Impact Reveals a Smorgasbord of New Waifus for PS5, PS4 Players to Thirst Over
Fire starter
The drip marketing for Genshin Impact’s new Natlan region is well underway, but nothing is going to quench the thirst created by this new crop of characters. Our first taste of the storyline from this fresh open world area appears to be teasing some kind of Goblet of Fire, Hunger Games-esque tournament. Also, apparently everyone is...
Review Zenless Zone Zero (PS5) - Characterful Character Action Makes for Another Gacha Great
Gotta have Phaethon
Live service may as well be a curse word among some enthusiast circles, but Chinese titan HoYoverse has the model on lock. The company’s cringey corporate motto exclaims “tech otakus save the world”; in truth, it just wants to take over the world. Indeed, with the introduction of Zenless Zone Zero, its current cadence will...
News Celebrate the Summer with Massive New Open World Map in Genshin Impact on PS5, PS4
Hot and bothered
It’s become something of a summer tradition for Genshin Impact to beat the heat with a time-limited map, and this year is no different. As part of the Summertide Scales and Tales update, due out on 17th July, developer HoYoverse will be sending Travellers to Simulanka – a new time-limited realm populated by origami animals and...
News Gacha Sensation Zenless Zone Zero Surpasses 50 Million Downloads Across All Platforms
There are free rewards for everyone
Chinese juggernaut HoYoverse has another hit on its hands: Zenless Zone Zero has surpassed 50 million downloads since launching earlier this week, on 4th July. That number is accurate across all platforms, so includes PS5 as well as PC and mobile. The game did have 40 million pre-registrations prior to launching...
Poll Are You Playing Zenless Zone Zero?
Zzz or ZZZ?
Yet another gacha-based craze is currently sweeping PlayStation in the form of Zenless Zone Zero — an action RPG with a quirky futuristic setting. This is the latest release from ridiculously prolific developer HoYoverse, and we'd bet on it making the company a whole lotta money. HoYoverse is the Chinese outfit behind fellow...
News Free PS5 Urban Fantasy RPG Zenless Zone Zero Is Playable Now
Hollow victory
Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail developer HoYoverse’s next big thing, the uber-stylish urban fantasy RPG Zenless Zone Zero, is playable for free on PS5 right now. The game, which weighs in at a little under 50GB, sees you assume the role of a so-called Proxy, as you deploy a colourful cast of collectible Agents into Hollows to...
News Zenless Zone Zero PS5 Will Get You Started with 100 Free Gacha Pulls
Pulling power
After a long, public development cycle – influenced by several closed beta tests – Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail developer HoYoverse will launch its latest title Zenless Zone Zero this week, on 4th July. And those looking to dive in to the urban fantasy RPG on day one will be rewarded with a whopping 100 free pulls. Pulls,...
News PS5 Gacha Zenless Zone Zero's Big Pre-Release Livestream Scheduled for Next Week
Find your zen zone
If you play any of HoYoverse’s existing gacha games, like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, you’ll be familiar with their cycles. Every six or so weeks, the Chinese titan hosts a livestream, which includes information on everything coming in the next update. Zenless Zone Zero obviously launches on 4th July, and so the...
News Honkai: Star Rail's Next PS5 Update May Be One of Its Most Important Yet
Simulated Universe upgraded
Honkai: Star Rail grows unprecedentedly with each update cycle, but v2.3 may be its most important yet. While it’s not necessarily introducing a new planet, like Penacony previously, it’s adding a new thread of the roguelike mode Simulated Universe, which looks to significantly speed up the grind related to important...
News HoYoverse's Bid for World Domination Could Include Anime Crossing on PS5
New project allegedly leaks
HoYoverse’s may as well take up residence inside your bank account at this point, because between Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and the upcoming Zenless Zone Zero, it’s got the income of millions of PS5 players on lock. But it’s not done yet! Rumours have been swirling for quite some time that it’s working on...
News HoYoverse's Next Huge Gacha Zenless Zone Zero Launches 4th July on PS5
Not-so sleepy Hollows
Zenless Zone Zero, the urban fantasy gacha game from Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail developer HoYoverse, will officially deploy day-and-date on PS5, from 4th July. In addition to Sony’s new-gen system, the vibrant title will also be available on PC and mobile, and there’ll be cross-save between all systems. Crucially,...
News Genshin Impact PS5, PS4 Gives Its First Glimpse of New Nation Natlan
Gotta catch 'em all
Genshin Impact’s big 4.7 livestream earlier today had a huge moment for long-time fans of the franchise: a first look at upcoming nation Natlan. This all-new region will be added to the already expansive Teyvat later in the year, and judging by the trailer, it may have some Pokémon vibes to it. Certainly in the brief clip we...
News Genshin Impact PS5, PS4 Promises Huge Improvement as Battle with Wuthering Waves Looms
Ready, fight
Apparently all it took was the mere sniff of a rival to prompt HoYoverse into action, as it’s announced a pretty seismic change for Genshin Impact on the eve of Wuthering Waves’ release. The Chinese developer has announced that alongside the launch of v4.7 next month, it’ll increase the game’s daily Resin allowance up to 200,...
News Zenless Zone Zero Release Date Potentially Leaked via Apple Store
Update: Pre-registration campaign is underway
Update: Just as we published this article, HoYoverse has announced that pre-registration for the game is available now. As is common for the developer, it'll be tracking the total number of players who sign up, and will be promising bountiful in-game rewards if it reaches its ambitious 40 million players...
News Upcoming Gacha Sensation Zenless Zone Zero Plotting PS5 Technical Test
Sign up for a chance to participate
Good news, gacha fans: Zenless Zone Zero, the upcoming urban fantasy gacha from juggernaut developer HoYoverse, will receive a Technical Test on the PS5 in the very near future. This is important because it marks the first time the title will be playable on Sony’s new-gen system, suggesting it may launch...
News Here's More Proof We Need a Honkai: Star Rail Anime
Dance of dark memories
HoYoverse, with its absurd gacha-fuelled riches, has taken to releasing more and more animated shorts to promote its game’s updates. This latest five-minute Honkai: Star Rail clip delves a little deeper into the relationship between Black Swan and Acheron, the latter of whom will headline the v2.1 update which is launching...
News Honkai: Star Rail's Next Enormous PS5 Update Brings Huge Rewards and the Unmissable Acheron
Penacony's plot continues
Honkai: Star Rail’s gigantic v2.1 update will arrive on 27th March, and will celebrate the release’s first anniversary with 20 free Star Rail Passes and a further 1,600 in-game currency Stellar Jade – an announcement
News Anticipated Gacha Zenless Zone Zero Is Getting Another Beta, But Not on PS5
Warm-up necessary
We now officially know Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail developer HoYoverse’s upcoming urban gacha Zenless Zone Zero is coming to PS5, but the title’s third – and, presumably, final – closed beta test will not be available on Sony’s system. Announced earlier today, sign-ups for the sampler are available for PC and...
News Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail Fans Are at War
An unintended event
There’s been drama brewing in the HoYoverse fandom for some time, but it may have reached boiling point following the announcement of Honkai: Star Rail’s latest update, Into the Yawning Chasm. As the game celebrates its first anniversary, the gacha game developer announced rewards of up to 1,600 Stellar Jade and up to 20
News HoYoverse's First Honkai Hit Scores Massive Update, But There Are No Plans for PS5
Brace for Impact
As gacha game developer HoYoverse continues its pursuit of world domination, the developer has effectively rebooted its first gacha giga hit, Honkai Impact 3rd. Already over six years old, this wasn’t the first entry in the Honkai franchise, but it was the one that blew up and catapulted the Chinese company into the mainstream...
News Genshin Impact Adds an Alchemy Tycoon Sim, Cat Café in Next PS5, PS4 Update
Fashion designer Chiori also arrives
Genshin Impact’s next major update, due out on 13th March, will be a bit breezier than recent incarnations, and will focus on a new event in Monstadt involving an alchemy shop you’re tasked with running. The business management sim will put you in charge of every stage of production, as you cultivate...
News Okay, Now We Need a Full-Length Honkai: Star Rail Anime
Here's how it could look
With the Lunar New Year upon us, Honkai: Star Rail is celebrating with an animated short centring on Guinaifen and Sushang from the Xianzhou Luofu. While this is, for all intents and purposes, a very short clip – it’s left us hungering for a full-length anime. Seeing the environments from the game brought to life, along...
Hands On Honkai: Star Rail's Huge PS5 Update Brings Big BioShock Vibes
The city that always sleeps
The advantage of single player live service games like Honkai: Star Rail, for all the criticism they receive from enthusiasts, is that the action never ends. That makes updates like the enormous v2.0, which takes the Trailblazer to a new planet named Penacony, possible – and this is Chinese developer HoYoverse at its...
News Honkai: Star Rail's Humongous PS5 Update Is Out Now
Penacony is open to all
Honkai: Star Rail, the superb space fantasy RPG from Chinese developer HoYoverse, has been updated to v2.0 on PS5 today – bringing with it an absolute avalanche of new content. The expansion continues the core plot of the turnbased title, taking the Trailblazer and his/her crew to an all-new planet featuring an art deco...
News Zenless Zone Zero Will Be Empowered by PS5's Cutting Edge Capabilities
Urban gacha officially announced for Sony's system
Zenless Zone Zero, the next big thing from gacha gods HoYoverse, is officially in development for PS5. While there’s no release date just yet, the Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail maker had previously only confirmed the title would come to consoles. We’d heard on the grapevine that the...
News Honkai: Star Rail's Humongous PS5 Update Adds an Entire Planet
The plot thickens on Penacony
HoYoverse’s hit space-faring RPG Honkai: Star Rail is all about the Trailblazer, an intergalactic explorer who travels from planet-to-planet solving problems and kicking ass. With the release of update v2.0, the ever-industrious developer will add an entire new location to the game, named Penacony. This former...
News Genshin Impact Will Soon Look Better Than Ever Before on PS5, PS4
New tech dramatically improves presentation
Genshin Impact’s drop-dead gorgeous world will get even more stunning when update 4.4 arrives on 31st January, adding annual Lunar New Year content to the Chinese-inspired region of Liyue. Debuting in the update on PS5 and PS4 is new tech named Global Far Fog and Gradient Tint Rock, which will add depth...
Soapbox Hear Me Out! Honkai: Star Rail Is One of PS5's Better Roguelites
The scintillating Simulated Universe
Roguelites are so universally popular these days that you’re beginning to see the genre bolted on to cinematic action games, like God of War Ragnarok’s recent Valhalla expansion or the upcoming No Return mode being added to The Last of Us: Part 2 Remastered. While both great examples of the formula, I want to...
Huge update coming after Christmas
HoYoverse has hosted the next major livestream for Honkai: Star Rail’s upcoming v1.6 update, named Crown of the Mundane and Divine, which is scheduled to release on 27th December. Another colossal update for the uber-popular gacha, the content will include three new playable characters, fresh story content, and a...
