MANILA -- Pinoy gacha game fans welcomed the first open-space HoYoFEST in the Philippines with long lines of people anticipating what's in store for the week-long event at SM Megamall.

The event, which marks the culmination of HoYoverse's gaming titles such as Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, and Honkai Impact 3rd, was greeted with throngs of fans waiting to get event-exclusive freebies, with some even wearing costumes.

Perhaps one of the headlines of the event is the early access to its upcoming game, Zenless Zone Zero, which HoYoverse Southeast Asia public relations manager Amos Yeo said was an exclusive to fans visiting the week-long fair.

HoYoFEST 2023 is the first time HoYoverse conducted the event in an open space, after doing conducting it last year at a cafe in San Juan City for three separate events dispersed across a month.

"This year we have five titles on show, adding Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero to the list. With more games to showcase, we decided to do it at an open space mall, especially one that is in a more central area for Filipino fans," Yeo told ABS-CBN News.

Honkai Star Rail was released early this year, while Zenless Zone Zero has no release date yet.

Zenless Zone Zero situates in an urban open-world setting, with a battle style unique from its predecessors.

Meanwhile, Honkai Star Rail is an offshoot from Honkai Impact 3rd, adapting some of the other characters' characteristics while keeping a separate storyline.

There are also merch for fans across all titles.

Yeo said they are brewing projects for the Philippine market in the future, after the support HoYoFest received.

"We are continuously exploring what we can do here in the Philippines as we know that the fans here are among the most enthusiastic in the world," he said.

The event runs until October 29.