You've heard the news by now, miHoYo launched a new brand, HoYoverse, grouping all of its games and content like Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd, and while it might seem like the birth of a big story line like the MCU, things could be very different.
miHoYo announced on February 13 the creation of HoYoverse in a press release. With this move, miHoYo aims to keep expanding worldwide, striving to go even higher not only in the gaming industry but also in other forms of content such as virtual actress Lumi and the N0va Desktop.
Unofficially, just like the creation of Cognosphere, this is also in order relocate outside China and avoid censorship from the Chinese government.
For most fans of Genshin and Honkai Impact, this is another hint showing how both games are linked in some way. But the way I see it, HoYoverse is in fact a new reason to believe Genshin and Honkai are actually independent.
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HoYoverse lore theory: Why Honkai Impact and Genshin aren't actual parallel universes
Now hear me out, everyone nowadays when hearing "-verse" think of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: overarching series and parallel universes all connected together. However, everyone at miHoYo is a huge otaku, people who live by Japanese pop culture. And when you think about the name HoYoverse from a Japanese standpoint, you'll think of Japanese stories such as the Leijiverse.
The Leijiverse and its lack of a true canon timeline is one of miHoYo's inspirations
The Leijiverse is how fans call most of the space opera stories by Leiji Matsumoto, encompassing Captain Harlock, Queen Emeraldas, Galaxy Express 999, and some of the other sci-fi works Matsumoto penned after writing for over 60 years now.
The peculiarity of the works in the Leijiverse is how they reuse characters from one series to another like stereotypes. If you try to draft up a timeline gathering all the Leijiverse, you'll find many inconsistencies. With characters from one work to another living or dying in different ways. It's a typically Japanese writing concept, slightly different than parallel universes. Ultimately, I believe this is exactly what miHoYo will do with Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact.
A popular example is The Legend of Zelda, as Nintendo confirmed the series has a flexible and constantly changing timeline. Meaning there will never be a canon timeline set in stone. Another popular example, this time in anime and manga, is Angel Heart by Tsukasa Hojo, which reuses the same characters from City Hunter but is not a sequel to it. They're completely unrelated universes.
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Yes, I know that you know
Honkai Impact must have its own in-universe version of the world of Genshin Impact
it's a fact that there have been several hints of a connection to Genshin in Honkai's story until now. However, I believe that ultimately, the Genshin Impact universe that was hinted at in Honkai Impact's story will be a separate Genshin Impact universe than the one we know.
Another way to put it is that Yae Miko in Genshin Impact is not a parallel universe version of Yae Sakura in Honkai Impact, but is a reused character stereotype.
Honkai Star Rail, which is by the way a direct reference to Galaxy Express 999 (and Night on the Galactic Railroad) is unlikely to go the same route however, seeing it also shares the name Honkai. In other world, Honkai Star Rail will be a parallel world to Honkai impact, while Genshin Impact isn't.
What are your thoughts on the HoYoverse name and my theories? What are your own theories on Honkai Impact and Genshin? Tell me in the comments below!