COMMENT: HoYo Fest 2023's big crowds and long lines are proof just how big HoYoverse games are in SEA

HoYo Fest 2023, the annual global celebration for fans of the games made by Chinese developer HoYoverse, graced the Philippines from 21 to 29 October at SM Megamall's Building A Event Center, and will be set to take place at Anime Festival Asia 2023 in Singapore.

This year's HoYo Fest broke away from the cafe and restaurant collaborations of previous years and instead had an open event area for fans to come together and partake in activities, game demos, and more

HoYo Fest: the good, the great, and the bad

It's no secret that HoYoverse games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail have legions of dedicated fans in Southeast Asia, and most definitely in the Philippines.

But even then, I don't think anyone expected HoYo Fest day one to have a massive volume of guests lining up even before SM Megamall opened?

We were astounded by the stories we saw on social media about the fans' experiences attending HoYo Fest. Fans ended up having to line the whole day — with the queues occupying multiple floors in SM Megamall — just to get into the venue or to buy merch. And even then the merch seemed to just dissipate into smoke with how fast things began to sold out.

But although a lot of complaints floated all around X (formerly Twitter) about line mismanagement and sold out merchandise, the high volume of guests interested in the event is a clear sign of just how successful and beloved HoYoverse is to their Filipino playerbase.

I was a bit sceptical at first to undergo the gruelling task of playing Line Impact when I arrived for the second day, but I was blessed by a weekday when the crowd had thinned out considerably. With that said, the crowd was still bigger than what I would expect to be present on a Monday afternoon.

If this is how it was in the Philippines, I can only imagine how the other HoYo Fest events in Southeast Asia looked like, given the crowds that grace Anime Festival Asia.

Anyway, the event area, which is not as big compared to SM Megamall's other event halls, was strategically placed near restaurants and the foodcourt for a bit of comfort for those who would need a bit of rest from standing.

Each of the HoYoverse titles — Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3rd, Tears of Themis, and even the upcoming ARPG Zenless Zone Zero — is featured in its own booth where players could demo the game and participate in minigames to get freebies.

What was in the demo zone

I enjoyed playing Zenless Zone Zero's demo, with its combat greatly reminiscent of Honkai Impact 3rd but definitely more forgiving.

Then I watched Travelers trying their luck with their TCG dice at Genshin Impact's booth before fulfilling my need for gacha pulls with the unlimited crystal supply as I played Honkai Impact 3rd's demo.

Sadly, I did not get my beloved Herrscher of Ego. Even in the demo, Elysia slips away from my fingertips...

I also unashamedly fangirled over Artem's handsome standee and lamented that I could't just take him away from the Tears of Themis booth and bring him home.

I mean, I could but that would get me kicked out of the venue and even lose my job.

And, finally, I watched Trailblazers try out Honkai: Star Rail's turn-based combat demo.

As someone who has played all those HoYoverse titles, it was quite the experience immersing myself in the games and their respective communities. It was something I felt that was missing in past HoYo Fests, where each title was featured in separate schedules.

There were also mini-games which attendees were welcome to participate in.

The Xiao pilgrimage that was not meant to be

However, I opted not to sit in when I saw just how ungodly long the merch line was becoming.

At that moment, I deeply regretted not wearing my comfiest pair of shoes, as the line had reached the stairwell going to the first floor. At the time, I saw many fans still in school uniforms and office clothes, which had me wondering just how many of them skipped out on school or work just to attend...

I'll spare you the details of my two-hour pilgrimage to the cashier, but the disappointment I felt was immeasurable as almost every Xiao merch I wanted to get (because I am a very stereotypical Xiao main) was already sold out... on the second day!

It seems that unlike the first two versions of HoYo Fest, where people were limited to only getting 10 items of their choosing, this year's event had no limit.

And paired with the high influx of visitors on the first day, a lot of the most prized merchandise like plushies were already gone.

More good things to come?

But regardless of that earth-shattering heartbreak (joking), I really enjoyed this year's Hoyo Fest! Besides the fun activities, I got to see a lot of amazing cosplayers, the greatest one being a cute dog wearing a Klee costume, suppressed the urge to bodyslam embrace the adorable Pom-Pom mascot, and even caught a glimpse of just how amazing Zenless Zone Zero is going to be.

Although I did miss the yummy food from Moon Rabbit, where the first two HoYo Fests took place, it makes a whole lot of sense for HoYoverse to try out a different format to celebrate their games with us.

Sure, there were hiccups (at least it's not as bad as CONQuest 2023), but we're pretty sure that HoYoverse has now fully felt how much we Southeast Asians enjoy the games they make.

Hopefully next year's event will be even bigger, grander, and much more ready for us, because you sure know Filipino fans — and I'm sure I can say the same for fans in other Southeast Asian countries as well — are going to show up full force just like in opening day.

Singaporean fans of HoYoverse games can catch HoYo Fest 2023 from 24 to 26 November during the Anime Festival Asia at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Yan Ku is a full-time dog parent, part-time (gacha) gamer, and part-time writer.

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