After 4 years, Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail dev's mystery game seemingly revealed to be the open-world game Varsapura, in a trailer that screams Control so loud I'd bet Remedy heard it in Finland

1. Games

After 4 years, Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail dev's mystery game seemingly revealed to be the open-world game Varsapura, in a trailer that screams Control so loud I'd bet Remedy heard it in Finland News By Austin Wood published 21 November 2025

Varsapura looks to be the AAA open-world action-adventure game teased years ago

Comments (0) ()

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: HoYoverse)

When HoYoverse, then MiHoyo, first released Genshin Impact and launched itself into a big pit of covid-era gacha money that's snowballed into multiple lucrative games and many more projects in the works, much discussion was dominated by one sentiment: hey, this looks a lot like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. HoYo confirmed that it did want to capture some of that Nintendo magic, and Genshin has since evolved into a more distinct flavor of open-world action RPG that I still enjoy today.

HoYoverse just announced yet another new game, on the heels of the cozy Animal Crossing-like Petit Planet and some unknown fantasy MMO, and my higher brain has failed to keep the following sentence contained: hey, this looks a lot like Control.

Varsapura is an open-world sci-fi action game set in a mysterious, psychic-tinted world where our collective human consciousness may manifest as bizarre breaks in reality and even fester into a hungry, corrupting Mindrot that can seemingly infect or even devour anyone or anything it touches. Psycho Pass, Persona 5, Scarlet Nexus, and Psychonauts come to mind, but the vibe is overwhelmingly of the third-person paranormal adventure Control, arguably developer Remedy Entertainment's finest work.

You may like

• Genshin Impact dev seemingly ditching anime art to take on the MMO money pit with a new game called Genesis packing an open world, PvP, and a whole load of AI
• Ananta isn't just a free anime take on GTA, but folds in Spider-Man style swinging and Uncharted levels of action that I've enjoyed playing
• After an open-world RPG, a turn-based JRPG, and multiple action RPGs, Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail dev announces new life sim Petit Planet, which looks like Animal Crossing except your town is a whole galaxy

The impact of Control is everywhere in Varsapura's 31-minute gameplay demo, like fingerprints on glass. It's in SEAL, the secretive organization mitigating these psychological phenomena. It's in the flurry of paperwork that embellishes the attacks of one playable character, a SEAL office lady. It's in the ink-black humanoid being sporting a trilby hat, black umbrella, and black cat.

Starchy suits and crisp office cubicles bleed into liminal and non-euclidean spaces. Our playable agents float and fly and flutter around, dispatching shambling oddities. It's an intersection of espionage fashion and a brain folded inside-out. This is Control: HoYo Edition, and you know what, I'm not against the idea.

Varsapura - 31 Minutes Gameplay Demo | HoYoverse - YouTube Watch On

Varsapura, played here on PC (apparently one with an RTX 4090 GPU), looks superficially similar to Genshin Impact in that it seems you've got a party of three characters, each with normal attacks, a skill, an ultimate ability, and what looks to my eye like a special attack that triggers when you change your on-field character.

The apparent protagonist, a SEAL rookie looking to meet and hopefully live up to the agent who once saved her life, stealth kills enemies from behind, and less stealthily hovers and hacks away with a spectral umbrella. The aforementioned office lady swings and summons huge binders of files. Toward the end of the demo, a pink-haired girl with a massive flail manipulates gravity and triggers cascading explosions.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

After squad-based action games like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, this is all pretty HoYo-standard stuff. Varsapura stands out more outside of combat, not just in its aesthetic – still very anime, but smoother and more subdued, and grounded in a modern cityscape – but also in its gameplay. The world looks big and open as we cruise around it in a not-Volkswagen car, the demo player making a point to crash into destructible scenery and linger on flashy reflection tech in a really long driving segment.

(Image credit: HoYoverse)

It sure looks like an open-world action game. The main character can jump great heights, potentially enabling some exploration and platforming, and there's obviously a sizable space to explore on foot or in cars. Still, Varsapura seems more focused than the sprawling chaos of Ananta, better known as anime GTA.

Varsapura also seems to be the "paranormal" shooter first teased in HoYo job listings in 2021, then described as a "a brand new AAA open-world action-adventure game." That hiring wave was for HoYo's Montreal office, but that team would work with the company's global staff. Meanwhile, new Varsapura job listings on LinkedIn are for Shanghai, Singapore, and Los Angeles.

If Varsapura is indeed that mystery project, there's a lot less shooting involved than what I would've expected. Perhaps other unlockable characters are more gun-focused, or the development focus shifted toward melee given HoYo's strengths. That, or we are still waiting for that project to be confirmed, and HoYo is somehow making two separate paranormal open-world action games with vehicles and destruction systems. Surely not.

There are a lot of unknowns here – platforms, release date, a probable beta. My naive hope is that HoYo one day uses its bottomless gacha money to make non-gacha games that can just exist and breathe without live service baggage, but I've learned not to hold my breath on companies turning down potential profits. For now, we can only wait to learn more about how Varsapura is structured and monetized. That, and replay Control.

Genshin Impact takes a shot at Roblox with its own game creator: Miliastra Wonderland is a new permanent UGC mode with PvP and the first fully customizable character.

CATEGORIES PC Gaming Platforms Austin WoodSocial Links NavigationSenior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Genshin Impact dev seemingly ditching anime art to take on the MMO money pit with a new game called Genesis packing an open world, PvP, and a whole load of AI    Ananta isn't just a free anime take on GTA, but folds in Spider-Man style swinging and Uncharted levels of action that I've enjoyed playing    After an open-world RPG, a turn-based JRPG, and multiple action RPGs, Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail dev announces new life sim Petit Planet, which looks like Animal Crossing except your town is a whole galaxy    Dev looks at every hit open-world game from the past 10 years and decides to do all of them at once, creating anime GTA where you're Spider-Man and also it's Yakuza with a bunny girl    A gacha RPG is cutting all the gacha garbage so it can just be a better game: "We're completely removing all character and weapon banners"    TGS players try Ananta, the game that looks like an anime GTA, Spider-Man, and Yakuza hybrid, and shockingly report that it feels like an anime GTA, Spider-Man, and Yakuza hybrid    Latest in Games Stellar Blade Eve actor Rebecca Hanssen says she was "totally wowed" by the game's success: "When I was recording it, I had no idea how big it was going to become"    FC 26 FC Pro Live Tracker and linked pros list    Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 actor is "optimistic" about "opportunities" in generative AI acting: "My hope is that that power will come to the creator"    Ubisoft makes a big bet on "generative AI-driven gameplay" leading to "more interactive and engaging games," CEO says "this work reflects the direction we want to take"    The Sims 4 legend behind piracy tool rendering nearly $1,500 of DLC totally free quits town and takes his loot with 'em, players pay tribute as copycats immediately try to charge for alternatives    Best Black Ops 7 M15 Mod 0 build and loadout    Latest in News After 4 years, Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail dev's mystery game seemingly revealed to be the open-world game Varsapura, in a trailer that screams Control so loud I'd bet Remedy heard it in Finland    It sounds like Stranger Things will avoid a Game of Thrones style finale disaster, as one star says she's "extremely happy with where they took the characters at the end"    Wednesday creators are reteaming with Netflix for animated series based on supernatural horror comic    Stranger Things season 5 has the "most violent death" yet, so get ready to have your heart ripped out of your chest    The First Omen director might have just found her eagerly anticipated next project, and it's an A24 horror movie eyeing up Five Nights at Freddy's, Fear the Walking Dead, and Weapons stars    GTA 6 joins Cyberpunk 2077 in winning the Most Wanted Golden Joysticks award two years running, in what's not a worrying coincidence whatsoever    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Constance review: "If Hollow Knight: Silksong seems too daunting, this wonderful paint powered adventure should do nicely"
2. 2This enthralling team board game is perfect for playing with family this Thanksgiving
3. 3Kirby Air Riders review: "This racer is also equal parts fighting game, minigame collection, and roguelike – and I'm shocked at how well that works"
4. 4Demonschool review: "This Persona-inspired RPG is full of fun, flair, and ready to chomp away at your free time"
5. 5Morsels review: "The Binding of Isaac style roguelike shooting gets somehow grosser, but struggles to set itself apart"

1. 1Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
2. 2The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
3. 3Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
4. 4Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
5. 5Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"

1. 1Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
2. 2The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
3. 3IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
4. 4Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
5. 5Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"