Honkai: Star Rail Sunday Trailer Allegations of Plagiarism Emerged

The Controversy Surrounding HoYoVerse’s Honkai: Star Rail Trailer

The official Weibo account for the popular game Onmyoji has made allegations of plagiarism against HoYoVerse regarding their recent trailer for Honkai: Star Rail. The claims arise from notable similarities between the Sunday trailer and the Onmyoji trailer for Jinkougyou. This situation reveals ongoing tensions between the two gaming franchises.

Trailer Similarities Highlighted

While the Weibo post stops short of naming HoYoVerse explicitly, it cleverly incorporates two characters from the Chinese title of Honkai: Star Rail. Accompanying this message is a striking image of Tsukiyomi, serving as a warning to HoYoVerse to reconsider their actions. This is not unprecedented — earlier this year, NetEase, the company behind Onmyoji, engaged in a similar dispute with Tencent over potential similarities between their titles, specifically Honor of Kings and Onmyoji.

Visual Comparisons Between Trailers

Critics have pointed out several striking visual parallels between the two trailers. For instance, both trailers feature remarkable scenes with lights, where the ascending lights in the Honkai trailer bear a close resemblance to the descending lights in the Jinkougyou trailer. Some netizens even noted that particular scenes appear to mirror CG imagery from the games themselves rather than trailer shots. Despite these observations, many fans have defended these visual elements as references to classic works, such as Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The piano scene in Honkai: Star Rail’s trailer sparked comparisons to the COA 7 trailer from another NetEase title, Identity V.
Some supporters argue that these commonalities reflect broader trends in game design rather than direct copying.

Previous Allegations Against HoYoVerse

This isn’t the first instance where HoYoVerse has faced accusations of plagiarism. Earlier in February 2024, many observers highlighted that the Sparkle trailer for Honkai: Star Rail bore similarities to a music video for “marenol.”At that time, director LeaF stated that the historical inspirations rendered the visuals more an homage than a direct copy. However, the latest remarks from NetEase suggest a diminished tolerance for borrowing ideas among gaming companies.

What’s Next for Honkai: Star Rail?

Honkai: Star Rail is currently accessible on platforms such as PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. The character Sunday will be introduced in Version 3.0, scheduled for release on December 4, 2024. The implications of the ongoing dispute between Onmyoji and Honkai: Star Rail could affect the reputation and future collaborations of both franchises moving forward.

For those interested, you can view the trailers here: