Genshin Impact Developer Reveals New Open World Game Varsapura With Clear Influences From Remedy’s Control
miHoYo has officially lifted the curtain on its next major open world project, Varsapura, debuting an extended thirty one minute gameplay showcase that provides an early but compelling look at the studio’s next flagship release. While the developers have not yet shared formal feature breakdowns or a release window, the lengthy footage offers a detailed view of the tone, world building, and gameplay systems driving this new title.
Varsapura is set in a surreal near future metropolis where reality is being corroded by Mind Rot, a parapsychological phenomenon that distorts environments, bends perception, and manifests hostile entities. This creeping metaphysical contamination threatens both the physical world and human consciousness, establishing a narrative foundation that feels reminiscent of the shifting, bureaucratic supernatural fiction seen in Remedy’s Control. The world blends institutional structures such as the Shadow Emergency Alliance, commonly referred to as SEAL, with psychic dangers, enigmatic anomalies, and a persistent sense of uneasy mystery.
The demo begins with the player undergoing the SEAL initiation process, including mind verification procedures, interviews, and psychological evaluations. Once accepted as a SEAL officer, the gameplay transitions into field operations where the core combat system is revealed. Early encounters showcase fast and reactive third person action where the protagonist uses a multipurpose umbrella as the primary weapon, enabling both close quarters strikes and ranged attacks.
Certain missions appear to integrate environmental hazards and puzzle mechanics that require players to avoid Mind Rot contamination, navigate unstable spaces, and leverage character abilities to manipulate the environment. In contrast to the solitary approach seen in Control, Varsapura incorporates AI squadmates who assist the player during operations, aligning the combat structure more closely with miHoYo’s established design philosophies.
The game’s open world also features vehicle traversal, allowing players to move across the city at greater speed. Dialogue interactions adopt an RPG style branching structure, with the footage showing options tied to attributes such as Empathy, Persuasion, and Deception. While the full extent of narrative consequence remains unclear, this suggests a broader role for player agency than in prior miHoYo titles.
Development on Varsapura is still in its early stages. miHoYo is actively expanding the project’s team across multiple global studios, including its Shanghai location along with offices in Singapore and Los Angeles. The game is being built on Unreal Engine 5, further signaling miHoYo’s intent to push visual fidelity and systemic depth beyond its current portfolio. Varsapura represents an ambitious evolution for the studio, blending action combat, paranormal world building, and open world exploration with stronger narrative and systemic elements. With development ramping up, more information is expected in future showcases.
What are your first impressions of Varsapura, and do you think miHoYo’s new direction will resonate with players beyond its existing fanbase? Let us know in the comments.
