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NetEase Is Considering Legal Action Against HoYoVerse For Copyright Infringement

NetEase commented on the official Onmyoji page that it is considering taking legal action against HoYoVerse due to the alleged copyright infringement in the Sunday trailer. It has handed the necessary evidence to the authorities, who will investigate, and if there is a case, it will fight HoYoVerse in court.

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The post appeared on December 4, 2024 in the comment section of yet another post talking about the design in Onmyoji. NetEase stated that it puts a lot of work into crafting a touching story, and creating lovable and well-designed characters is part of pulling players into their world. It concludes the note with an announcement that between December 11 and 17, 2024, players can receive a free Tsukiyomi skin, as well as trials for SSR Tsukiyomi and Jinkougyou. This announcement is likely why NetEase mentioned it taking legal action in the comment section instead.

Shortly after HoYoVerse posted the “Soloist” trailer for Sunday, the newest character in Honkai: Star Rail, many fans pointed out similarities between it and a trailer for Jinkougyou of Onmyoji. There’s a similar shot of lights ascending (or descending) into the air, as well as a shot that’s similar to a CG from Onmyoji. Other fans have pointed out some similarities between the Sunday trailer and the COA 7 trailer of Identity V, which is also a NetEase property. The developers for Identity V have not posted anything in regards to this.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. As for Onmyoji, you can play it on Windows PC and mobile devices. As this is an ongoing investigation, time will tell if NetEase can sue HoYoVerse for copyright infringement.


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Stephanie Liu
Stephanie is a senior writer who has been writing for games journalism and translating since 2020. After graduating with a BA in English and a Certificate in Creative Writing, she spent a few years teaching English and history before fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a writer. In terms of games, she loves RPGs, action-adventure, and visual novels. Aside from writing for Siliconera and Crunchyroll, she translates light novels, manga, and video games.