HoYoverse's Animal Crossing-like Petit Planet Has 'Striking Similarities' to Early Access VR Game Little Planet, Dev Alleges

VR developer VRWOOD is "exploring each imaginable options" to support its IP aft claiming that HoYoverse's upcoming Animal Crossing-like game, Petit Planet, bears "striking similarities" to its ain game, Little Planet.

Little Planet launched connected Meta Quest conscionable past week, aft releasing successful aboriginal entree backmost successful November of 2023. The crippled is an Animal Crossing-like VR beingness sim sandbox wherever players tin trade customizable decorations and customize...well, a small planet, marque friends with talking carnal neighbors, formal up, play games, fish, and interact online with different players via a multiplayer satellite known arsenic the StarNexus.. While developer VRWOOD has acknowledged the game's similarities to Animal Crossing, he's said the existent inspiration for it was the 1943 French communicative The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Which is benignant of interesting, VRWOOD pointed retired to us, due to the fact that The Little Prince was precisely what we thought of erstwhile we previewed Petit Planet past week, having ne'er heard of Little Planet prior. Like Little Planet, Petit Planet is besides a beingness sim sandbox crippled that takes spot connected a tiny planet, features Animal Crossing-like gameplay, carnal residents, crafting and customization, and adjacent online features letting you trade and play alongside friends, likewise taking spot connected a abstracted multiplayer satellite known arsenic the Galactic Bazaar. The biggest quality seems to beryllium a higher fund and Little Planet being a VR game, but VRWOOD told america that it has plans for PC, console, and adjacent mobile releases down the line. Petit Planet is presently announced for PC and mobile. Both games are free-to-play

Most critical, though, is Little Planet's assertion that it got present first. Little Planet entered aboriginal entree successful November of 2023 and officially launched conscionable past week, portion Petit Planet's trademark was registered successful October of 2024, the crippled itself wasn't announced until this past September, and it isn't yet out. What's more, adjacent though it's retired successful beta form, it sounds similar it whitethorn inactive request immoderate improvement time, fixed the reports that the beta inactive includes AI-generated text.

"We are disheartened to find that, lone days aft the merchandise of Little Planet, a large steadfast and developer has announced a crippled with striking similarities ranging from the name, setting, and features to adjacent the stated inspiration," said Frank Zhaung, CEO of VRWOOD and Little Planet originative director. "Little Planet has been disposable successful aboriginal entree since November 15, 2023, astir a afloat twelvemonth anterior to HoYoverse filing a trademark exertion connected October 31, 2024. We are exploring each imaginable options to support our intelligence spot and aboriginal plans, which see releases connected mobile devices, arsenic good arsenic PC and console."

IGN has reached retired to HoYoverse for comment.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. You tin find her posting connected BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].