Mihoyo's New Game Gameplay: Team Up to Beat 'Qiongqi' from the Classic of Mountains and Seas

Summary

An overseas outlet has released a new gameplay demonstration for Mihoyo's upcoming title, *Yuanchu Zhi Jie* (Source of the Origin Knot), featuring a four-player cooperative battle against the mythical beast Qiongqi from the Chinese classic *Classic of Mountains and Seas*. The footage reveals a significant departure from Mihoyo's signature anime-inspired cel-shading style, embracing a dark, realistic fantasy aesthetic built with Unreal Engine 5. Set in a brutal world where gods have fallen silent and order has collapsed, players take on the role of "Weavers" who team up to fight mythological monsters from various cultures. The showcased boss, Qiongqi, is one of the Four Fiends in ancient Chinese mythology—a winged, tiger-like creature that devours humans. This marks the first time Mihoyo has presented an eastern ancient beast in a realistic style. This gameplay reveal matters for several reasons. It demonstrates Mihoyo's ambition to diversify beyond its usual anime-style titles, venturing into a more hardcore, action-oriented cooperative genre. The focus on four-player co-op against massive bosses also signals a new design direction for the studio. For players, this could offer a completely different experience from previous Mihoyo games. For the industry, Mihoyo's entry into the dark fantasy and mythology-inspired segment may intensify competition and encourage more innovation…