Honkai: Star Rail, the popular game developed by HoYoVerse, has come under fire for alleged plagiarism in its latest Sunday trailer, released as part of Version 3.0. The accusations originate from NetEase, developers of Onmyoji, who took to their official Weibo account to indirectly call out HoYoVerse.

Onmyoji’s Allegations Against HoYoVerse

In a Weibo post, NetEase implied that the Sunday trailer bears striking similarities to a trailer for Onmyoji: Jinkougyou. Without naming HoYoVerse directly, the post used two characters from the Chinese name of Honkai: Star Rail and featured Tsukiyomi, a character from Onmyoji, warning against “rash actions.”

NetEase claims specific scenes in the Sunday trailer closely resemble those in the Jinkougyou trailer. For instance:

• Light Scene Comparison: The ascending lights in the Sunday trailer mirror the composition of descending lights in Jinkougyou’s trailer.
• CG and Piano Shots: Certain visuals echo elements from Onmyoji’s game design and even scenes from NetEase’s Identity V COA 7 trailer.

Some netizens, however, have countered these allegations, suggesting the scenes are references to iconic works like Neon Genesis Evangelion rather than direct copies. You can check the 2 videos down below:

HoYoVerse’s Previous Plagiarism Accusations

This isn’t the first plagiarism controversy surrounding HoYoVerse. In February 2024, the Sparkle trailer for Honkai: Star Rail was criticized for resembling the music video for LeaF’s “marenol.” LeaF later stated it was more of an homage than a direct imitation.

NetEase’s History of Defending Onmyoji

NetEase has been vocal about defending its intellectual property. Earlier this year, the company engaged in a dispute with Tencent over alleged similarities between Tencent’s Honor of Kings and Onmyoji.

Honkai: Star Rail and Version 3.0 Release

The Sunday trailer was part of Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.0, which launched on December 4, 2024. The game remains available on PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices, continuing to draw attention—both for its gameplay and controversies.