We hear that China’s MiHoYo has joined the ranks and that their next game will be powered by Unreal Engine 5.

The Chinese developer known for Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero is working on a new title that will differ significantly from their previous releases. According to the ResetEra forum, the studio is developing an open-world fantasy MMO featuring realistic graphics, PvP, an AI-driven ecosystem, large-scale boss battles, and advanced AI-controlled NPCs. These features mark a major shift in gameplay and a substantial step up from the developer’s current games.

Alongside sharing the first details about the as-yet-untitled project, MiHoYo also released a video (embedded below) that offers a very early look at the visual style they are targeting. It appears more technically advanced than anything they’ve created so far. Hopefully, the team can address the well-known performance issues that often affect games using this engine and deliver an experience that can stand alongside their previous hits.

MiHoYo’s upcoming project, together with other open-world titles such as Where Winds Meet (launching worldwide on November 14), seems to signal a radical shift in free-to-play open-world games, moving away from colorful, stylized visuals toward an experience closer to premium AAA PC and console titles. It will be interesting to see how players respond, and whether realistic graphics plus advanced AI systems can match the success of Genshin Impact.

In any case, MiHoYo is aiming high on the visual front. Still, we’ve seen projects that looked fantastic yet proved average in gameplay. A good example is The Order: 1886 on PlayStation 4, which was visually stunning but lacking in almost every other respect.

Source: WCCFTech, ResetEra