Preview: Genshin Impact Dev Takes on Animal Crossing with New Cozy Game
HoYoverse, the developer behind Genshin Impact, has revealed Petit Planet, a new cozy game designed to compete with Nintendo’s Animal Crossing. The studio showcased the title to press, positioning it as its most accessible game to date.
Petit Planet features a LittleBigPlanet-inspired universe populated with animal-inspired companions. Notably, the game eschews the complex monetization systems and design philosophies that typically characterize HoYoverse’s major releases. The developer emphasized accessibility and simplicity as core design principles, removing complications that often define its live-service titles.
The game is confirmed for PC and mobile platforms, with beta versions tested on iPad. HoYoverse indicated that additional platforms are in development, though specifics remain unannounced. No release date has been provided.
The announcement marks HoYoverse’s entry into the cozy game genre, a space historically dominated by Animal Crossing. If successful, Petit Planet could establish HoYoverse as a competitor in relaxing, narrative-focused games rather than just high-intensity action RPGs. The simplified approach to both design and monetization represents a significant departure from the studio’s established formula.