miHoYo is a Chinese game developer currently operating free desktop app 'BSide: Olivia Lin' on Steam Early Access, with an offline version set for August 27, 2026, and Steam distribution closing August 31. The company is also facing a lawsuit in China over teen gaming addiction and is exploring new genres through R&D job listings.
miHoYo's recent coverage centers on two divergent tracks. The first is 'BSide: Olivia Lin', a free desktop 'chill software' app launched on Steam Early Access on July 13, 2026. The app features a fictional Shanghai university student, Olivia Lin, who performs piano pieces, accepts MIDI uploads to generate music videos, and replies to user letters via AI text generation. Early reception was positive, with over 450 Steam user reviews and an 85% positive rating. But the service was short-lived: on August 12, miHoYo announced the end of online services, citing a pivot to a permanent offline form. The offline version releases August 27, with online functions like letter-writing and MIDI uploading stopping that day, and Steam distribution and servers closing August 31.
Alongside this, miHoYo is expanding its public profile in other directions. The company appeared in a Chinese lawsuit filed by a man seeking 10 yuan in damages over teen gaming addiction, a symbolic claim aimed at pressuring game companies. R&D job listings published on May 28, 2026, hint at new genres: a 'UE5 realistic shooter' described as military sci-fi and hardcore, and a 'life MMO' focused on social and sandbox content. Neither project guarantees a commercial release. miHoYo's character IP also surfaced at the itasha event ARCChampionship, with customized vehicles themed after Kafka from Honkai: Star Rail and Arlecchino from Genshin Impact. The team's alumni are also in demand, as former members appear on the Kickstarter-funded anime racing game Project GT.
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Game Spark's weekly ranking for August 7-13, 2026, places the Ghost Recon 25th Anniversary Showcase at number one. The showcase included a free update for Ghost Recon Wildlands and announced a new game. Other top articles covered Core Keeper's roadmap completion, a Dreamcast-era adventure game retrospective, and a Super Robot Wars Z column.
miHoYo announced the termination of online services for the Steam Early Access desktop chill software 'BSide: Olivia Lin' about one month after launch. An offline version releases August 27, with online functions like writing letters and uploading MIDI stopping that day. Steam distribution and servers close August 31. Users must download the offline version and back up data by then.
A man in Henan province, China, has filed a lawsuit against Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo, and 37 Interactive Entertainment, claiming his 18-year-old son's gaming addiction led to a drug overdose. He seeks only 10 yuan (about 230 yen) in damages, stating the suit is not about money but about demanding stronger addiction prevention measures from game companies.
miHoYo launched early access for its PC desktop app 'BSide: Olivia Lin' on Steam on July 13, 2026. The free software is a music and letter interaction tool centered on a fictional character, Olivia Lin, a Shanghai university student majoring in piano and minoring in psychology. Users can listen to her performances of classical pieces and Genshin Impact tracks, upload MIDI files to generate music videos, and write letters to Olivia, who responds via AI-generated text. As of the article date, over 450 Steam user reviews have been submitted, with 85% rating the app positively, earning a 'Very Positive' overall score. The early access period is scheduled to run until the end of 2026, during which the developer plans to improve music playback, video generation, and letter functions based on user feedback. The app is currently not available for download in Japan, and no future release plans for the region have been announced.
The itasha event ARCChampionship was held at Okuibuki Motor Park in Shiga Prefecture on May 24, 2026. Notable vehicles included a Nissan Skyline customized to Kafka from Honkai: Star Rail and a Honda Monkey customized to Arlecchino from Genshin Impact. The event featured cars and bikes decorated with characters from miHoYo titles.
MiHoYo has published the Steam store page for 'BSide: Olivia Lin', a free desktop application described as a 'chill software' that centers on interacting with a realistic computer-generated character named Lin Li (Olivia Lin). Lin is a Shanghai university student majoring in piano and minoring in psychology, conducting personal research on the theme of 'music and memory'. Users can listen to her piano performances, upload their own MIDI files to generate music videos, and write letters to her, which she replies to using AI text generation. The app also includes a live wallpaper feature that displays Lin on the desktop and allows starting a performance without launching the full app. The early access period is planned to run until the end of 2026, during which the developer will collect user feedback for improvements. The store page is currently inaccessible from Japan, though it can be viewed via workarounds. The app does not currently support Japanese display.
The anime-style racing game Project GT, featuring Car Girls inspired by real cars and blending ARPG combat with racing, has surpassed its $2,000 Kickstarter goal, raising over $5,100 as of writing. The team includes former members from miHoYo, NetEase, and other studios. Early access is planned for Q2 2027, with a full release on mobile, PC, and console in Q4 2027.
MiHoYo has posted multiple research and development job listings that suggest the company is exploring new genres beyond its established action RPGs. The listings, published on May 28, 2026, include positions for a "UE5 realistic shooter" tagged as "military sci-fi" and "hardcore shooter." One role, a Senior IP Narrative Planner (Military Direction), requires understanding of military themes and the military fan base. Another listing seeks expertise in PvP shooters, AI NPCs, and sandbox survival shooters. The technical requirements mention Unreal Engine 5, ultra-realistic rendering at high frame rates, and technologies like procedural generation, MassAI, and AI Workflow. Separately, a "life MMO" project is described as focusing on social elements, large-scale multiplayer, and sandbox content. All listings are for R&D and do not guarantee a commercial release. The company continues to recruit for previously announced titles Honkai: Nexus Anima, Petit Planet, and Varsapura.