Nodusfall may look like developer miHoYo has slapped an Elden Ring-colored paint job onto Monster Hunter, but there's some signature HoYo innovation to find in between all those beastly battles and dark fantasy landscapes in its reveal trailer.While there aren't an awful lot of specifics about the game right now, I've scraped together every gameplay clip and interview available to help explain what HoYo's breakup with anime girls is all about. From betas, to gacha, to gameplay and story, here's everything we know about Nodusfall so far.Nodusfall release date speculation(Image credit: HoYoverse)Nodusfall release date details and speculationNodusfall doesn't have a solid release date yet—it doesn't even have a release year. That's typical for a HoYo game, though. It doesn't tend to announce release dates until a game's final round of beta testing is coming up.Even though there's no release window HoYo's ever-reliable pattern of three open betas before release lets us predict that Nodusfall will launch sometime in 2028. Especially as its next game, Petit Planet, is out this winter, and Honkai: Nexus Anima seems set for a 2027 release, having just finished its second open beta.The only thing that might throw a spanner in the works is that Nodusfall isn't your typical character/critter collector that HoYo is known for. So it might not be so typical when it comes to beta testing either.Nodusfall beta and pre-registrationSpeaking of betas, you can visit the official Nodusfall site and do a two-for-one combo by pre-registering and then answering a questionnaire for possible beta selection right after. The site mentions that this is for future betas, not for one ongoing right now. So you won't be fighting those Nodusfall bosses just yet no matter how furiously fast you refresh your inbox.Nodusfall trailersIf you want a refresh on its gorgeous dark fantasy visuals and otherworldly boss designs that'd make Elden Ring and Diablo blush, here's the reveal trailer above. There's not much gameplay here, but what there is definitely throws up inevitable comparisons to co-op combat seen in the Monster Hunter series.Nodusfall story and setting(Image credit: HoYoverse)The story of Nodusfall unfolds across a dark fantasy "mythic continent" teeming with corrupted legendary creatures, whose designs take inspiration from both Eastern and Western mythology. Like manticores, dragons, and giant bears. You take on the role of a "Weaver," a being "enlightened by the divine" and entrusted with sacred missions to restore order to the continent corrupted by the "Dreadnodi". So basically, you're a big important badass with divine magic powers and chunky weapons whose mission is to blast scary monsters to get new gear save the world.On your way to annihilating ethereal beasts and untold horrors, you'll journey through distinct regions with landscapes and cultures that take equal inspiration from various real-life cultures and mythologies, with more regions set to launch post-release. My fellow Genshin Impact players will be familiar with this formula.Thanks to its reveal trailer, we know that some of Nodusfall's landscapes include golden hills, fiery skies, dreary moors, misty forests, dusty deserts, and gargantuan canyons. So far so Elden Ring, but it sounds like there's more variety in the works.What I'm most interested in seeing is just how dark Nodusfall ends up being. The reveal trailer suggested a mature story, which isn't a first for HoYo—Genshin has dropped its fair share of dark lore and ran—but not shifting to a wisecrack or bonkers anime moment right after would be new.Nodusfall gameplayBreaking from the single-player teambuilding mold that HoYo is known for, Nodusfall is actually a free-to-play co-op action game that pits you and your squad against mythical creatures. Pick a character, build a loadout, and work with up to three other players to defeat difficult bosses and get the resources needed to unlock new skills and forge new weapons.Why yes, it is eyebrow-raisingly similar to Monster Hunter, but there are some key differences. Such as:Powerful "Divine Skills" collected from bossesThis might be how you transform into other forms mid-combat, as seen in the reveal trailerFinishing blow cinematics when an enemy's weakness is revealedBoth solo and co-op finishersEmphasis on squad variety required to defeat hard bosses, like an MMOPvP mode, where you can take control of a boss, or fight a player controlling a boss(Image credit: HoYoverse)And although not expanded on, Nodusfall's official site claims that you can "switch roles and loadouts at will". Which presumably means you're not locked to playing just one character or build per account.In practice, judging from hands-on impressions and what little gameplay there is right now, Nodusfall looks like it's actually a mix of Elden Ring, an MMO, and Monster Hunter—not just a Monster Hunter wannabe. Yeah, this may just sound like even more games that Nodusfall is riffing on, but if there's one thing I've learned about playing HoYo games over the years it's that you should never doubt its ability to innovate on the familiar and create one heck of a satisfying combat loop.We played NodusfallPC Gamer's Fraser Brown played Nodusfall right after its reveal and was pretty impressed, even as a HoYo skeptic. "First of all: Nodusfall is not remotely a soulslike," Fraser says in his Nodusfall preview. "Monster Hunter is a closer relative. Solo adventurers and groups can select contracts, and then go out into the world to hunt down big beasties. These are lengthy, elaborate fights with multiple phases, taking place in spacious outdoor areas.""I became rather fond of the clash mechanic, where you charge up a strong attack, and release it right as the monster is about to hit you, countering the attack. It helps that I looked stylish doing it, with my already massive sword growing, transforming into a magical, glowing WMD."(Image credit: HoYoverse)Is Nodusfall gacha?There is no character gacha in Nodusfall, which means you'll never have to rely on luck (or piles of cash) to get new characters—they're all obtained by simply playing the story. No official line on if anything else will be linked to gacha systems, but HoYo has stated that cosmetic monetization is "an important avenue" that it'll be considering for Nodusfall.So no, Nodusfall is not a gacha game in the traditional sense, but it may end up incorporating some RNG pulls elsewhere. Maybe for exclusive cosmetics similar to Where Winds Meet, or maybe even some special type of gear. Or maybe we'll get the biggest win of all and Nodusfall will be entirely gacha-free! (Please let me dream.)