Genshin Impact creator MiHoYo announces Zenless Zone Zero

Chinese video game developer MiHoYo is announcing a brand new game, and it looks like another banger. Titled Zenless Zone Zero, the upcoming PC and mobile title is styling itself as an “urban fantasy action RPG.”

From the description it’s probably safe to liken it to Genshin Impact, at least in terms of gameplay. Players are called a Proxy, and will build a team of characters to adventure through Hollows — weird pocket dimensions — to fight monsters called Ethereals.

Where this really captures the imagination, for me at least, is the setting. Zenless Zone Zero sets itself in New Eridu, the last bastion of humanity. It’s a post apocalyptic setting; weird portals into pocket dimensions (the Hollows) filled with monsters pop up all over and basically ruin everyone’s day. Civilization fights back, develops technology to exploit the portals for resources and that seems to be where the game picks up.

It’s a premise I’ve seen explored in a lot of works of fiction, but it’s relatively fresh in the video game scene. It also happens to be right near the top of my favorite genres. The announcement has me excited in a way that Genshin Impact didn’t manage to do.

Look. I enjoyed Genshin Impact for a hot minute. A lot of people continue to like that particular game. The combination of cute anime characters, smooth gameplay and a neat fantasy setting is basically a recipe to print money.

But I can only play a fantasy game that isn’t Final Fantasy XIV for so long before my attention drifts. An urban fantasy game, though? I’m always in for one of those, and MiHoYo’s got enough credit built up with me for me to jump in with both feet.

Zenless Zone Zero is currently accepting sign-ups for a closed beta test. An official release date is still pending.