HoYoverse Confirms “Varsapura”: New Open-World UE5 Game, City of Rain, Release Date & First Gameplay Details

HoYoverse has just revealed HoYoverse Varsapura via a new X account, showcasing a very long 31-minute gameplay demo on YouTube. The game, made in Unreal Engine 5, is framed as some kind of briefing from SEAL, the Shadow Emergency Alliance, warning viewers about anomalies and giving off a dark vibe, and is full of psychological dangers and shadowy threats.

HoYoverse Varsapura

It shows some really strange rules in the world of HoYoverse Varsapura. SEAL watches over these "cognosea disruption events," things that kinda twist reality and make the city unsafe. Hollowone, the main character, goes through this weird change in appearance, her look changing for every viewer.

Then there is this thing called Mindrot that tends to spread corruption in places and people and Shadow Monsters, who hide in corners and strike. Then there's Mr. Shadow, this mysterious figure that no one fully understands, and SEAL only recruits people with sharp perception and steady minds to deal with all this supernatural strangeness.

• Mindrot is a terrible phenomenon.
• Shadow Monsters come out of dark places.
• Mr. Shadow, a character of mystery.
• SEAL selects those individuals with high perception and cognitive stability.

Hollowone is just a trainee looking to get into SEAL after some officer… well, got rid of her “former self” and left her with this umbrella that’s not just a weapon but also helps her move around. The demo shows a rainy, futuristic city full of neon lights and fancy vehicles, giving it this kinda mysterious urban feel. Right now, only the English voice-over is out, but HoYoverse is planning more languages later. They are still hiring at their Shanghai and Singapore offices, so the game’s still being made.

Gameplay Mechanics

The demo mixed a lot of tutorials, fighting, sneaking, and exploration all together. Hollowone's umbrella works both as a close-up weapon and for wide attacks; you can even glide a little with it. Dodges, parries, and combos feel smooth, and when you throw the umbrella, it just comes back on its own.

Some hand-gesture-activated burst moves give the whole game a sort of supernatural vibe. You'll be able to switch on the fly between three characters, each with their own fighting style. One of them utilizes books for magic-like ranged attacks, which shows that the party system invites players to mix things up. Boss fights take place within SEAL arenas and consist of several phases. You silently take down enemies through stealth, and if someone catches you, a stun move helps you regain control. Missions can go from sneaky infiltration tests to straight-up combat challenges.

You can also check out the Infinity Nikki 2.0 Livestream Schedule Revealed for more upcoming events from HoYoverse.

Open World and Exploration

The city area kind of shows that HoYoverse Varsapura got a big open world. You can drive vehicles to move fast, but also use parkour and Hollowone's umbrella to get around higher levels or tricky spots. Some puzzles need climbing or gliding to reach. That "City of Rain" part they showed feels really creepy, having weird distortions and stuff happening all over that make the place feel alive but kinda off.

Visuals and Technical Design

HoYoverse Varsapura departs from the studio’s cel-shaded style, using photorealistic visuals with muted colors, heavy shadows, and rainfall. Unreal Engine 5 brings dynamic lighting, reflections, and dense particle effects. The game’s aesthetic has drawn comparisons to Control, especially inside SEAL’s uncanny facilities. The demo was captured on an RTX 4090, indicating high performance demands.

For fans curious about other upcoming remakes, see the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake Leaks for some exciting details.

Gacha Speculation

The demo’s multi-character combat could suggest a gacha-style system, but there’s no confirmation. It’s also possible the game could adopt a premium or single-player model, so players will have to wait for official details. The game is still in active development, with hiring ongoing for programming, art, design, and marketing roles. Core systems appear set, but the world-building and gameplay are evolving. HoYoverse Varsapura promises a mix of psychological tension, action combat, and open-world exploration, marking one of the studio’s most ambitious and experimental projects so far.