The company and developer behind Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail just dropped one of the biggest announcements in gaming this year. It's about the HoYoverse AI development. And if what they're planning actually works, the way you experience games could look very different in just a few years.

HoYoverse AI Investment Is an Insane Number

On May 15, 2026, HoYoverse co-founder Liu Wei held a private tech and recruitment session in Beijing. That's where he revealed that the company has a plan to invest up to 100 billion yuan, which is roughly $14.6 billion, into artificial intelligence over the next three years.

That number alone is making my jaw drop. But what makes this announcement interesting is not just about the money. It's actually the reason behind it.

HoYoverse Plans to Build AI From the Ground Up

Most companies using AI today rely on tools made by other companies, like OpenAI or Google. But HoYoverse doesn't want to do that. Liu Wei made it clear that the goal is full-stack in-house development. That means, they want to build everything themselves, from the infrastructure, the training systems, even the GPU clusters. HoYoverse wants full control over every step.

A major part of this plan is something called “AI for AI, model with model,” where AI systems can study their own weaknesses and improve themselves over time. In simple terms, HoYoverse wants to create AI that can help train and improve other AI, which is much more advanced than what most gaming companies are trying to do right now.

HoYoverse AI

Liu Wei also described it as "a thousand people, a thousand faces". Meaning no two players would have the same game experience. The AI would generate content and events in real time based on how you specifically play.

I experienced something similar while playing Petit Planet, where some NPCs already showed small signs of this kind of "adaptive" behaviour. The real question is whether this technology can keep that feeling interesting across long hours of RPG without becoming repetitive.

Is This Actually Going to Work?

Honestly, it's pretty hard to say. HoYoverse is a private company, so you won't be seeing reports on how this is going. Even Liu Wei acknowledged the risk, saying if the project fails, it'll just be like "setting off a big firework."

What he said may sound casual, but it actually reveals a lot. Unlike public companies, HoYoverse does not have to worry about shareholders or stock prices every time it tries something new. Because of that, the company has more freedom to take big risks and work on huge ideas like this AI project.

HoYoverse is also not starting from scratch. Back in 2024, the company introduced its own AI language model called Glossa. It has already been used for things like NPC dialogue, voiceovers, and other content inside the company. This new investment shows that HoYoverse now wants to expand those AI plans even further.

The Backlash Is Already Here

It's worth remembering that HoYoverse is not the only gaming company moving toward AI. Recently, their competitor, Neverness to Everness, received heavy criticism after players noticed AI-generated assets in some background environments, forcing the studio to respond publicly and change them.

At the same time, as we covered before, NTE isn't the only one doing this. Big companies like Sony, Epic Games, and Capcom have already confirmed they use AI in parts of game development. The big difference is that HoYoverse is being much more open about it by investing billions into AI technology instead of quietly using it in the background. Whether players will respect that honesty or criticise it even more is something only time will tell.

The gaming community has been very cautious about generative AI, and many players are worried that it could hurt creativity or replace real developers and artists. Because of that, HoYoverse will need to prove that AI is being used to improve games, not make them feel cheaper or less creative.

At the same time, if the company succeeds with its idea of more interactive and personalised game worlds, it could change how future games are made. Either way, HoYoverse’s next few projects will be interesting to watch.