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Genshin Impact
2020 action role-playing game From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Genshin Impact (/ˈɡɛn.ʃɪnˈɪm.pækt/, Chinese: 原神; pinyin: Yuán shén; lit. 'Original God') is a 2020 action role-playing game produced by miHoYo (HoYoverse).[c] The game features an anime-style open world environment and an action-based battle system using elemental magic and character-switching. A free-to-play game monetized through gacha game mechanics, Genshin Impact is updated regularly using the games as a service model; it was originally released for Android, iOS, PlayStation 4 and Windows, followed by the PlayStation 5 in 2021, with an Xbox Series X/S version in November 2024. In China, a native port for HarmonyOS NEXT was released in September 2025.
Genshin Impact takes place in the fantasy world of Teyvat, home to seven nations, each of which is tied to a different element and ruled by a different god called an "Archon." The story follows the Traveler, an interstellar adventurer who, at the start of the game, is separated from their twin sibling after the two land in Teyvat. Thereafter, the Traveler journeys across the nations of Teyvat in search of the lost sibling, accompanied by their guide, Paimon. Along the way, the two befriend myriad individuals, become involved in the affairs of its nations, and begin to unravel the mysteries of the land.
Development began in 2017 and takes inspiration from a variety of sources, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, anime, Gnosticism, and an array of cultures and world mythologies. Genshin Impact has received generally positive reviews, with critics writing approving of its combat mechanics and its immersive open world. Conversely, some criticism has been directed at its simplistic endgame and its gacha-based monetization model. The game has also been subjected to controversy over censorship of content related to Chinese politics, allegations of colorism in character design, and privacy and security concerns. Across all platforms, the game is estimated to have grossed nearly $3.8 billion by the end of 2022, representing the highest ever first-year launch revenue for any video game.[4][5]
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Gameplay
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Genshin Impact is an open-world, action role-playing game that allows the player to control one of four interchangeable characters in a party.[6] Switching between characters can be done quickly during combat, allowing the player to use several different combinations of skills and attacks.[7] Characters may have their abilities enhanced in various ways, mainly through directly leveling them up and improving the artifacts and weapons that a character can equip.[8] In addition to exploration, the player can attempt various challenges for rewards. Scattered across Teyvat are bosses and challenges that reward highly valuable resources, but claiming them uses up a currency called Original Resin, which slowly regenerates over time.[9] Completing these challenges grants the player progress towards increasing their Adventure Rank, which in turn unlocks new quests, challenges, and raises the World Level.[10] The World Level is a measure of how strong the enemies within the world are and the rarity of rewards that defeating them gives.[11]
The player can control their character and perform actions such as running, climbing, swimming, and gliding, all limited by stamina.[12][7] Some characters possess abilities that can alter the environment, such as freezing water to create an ice path that can aid the player in traversing terrain.[7] Many teleportation points exist throughout the world that players can warp to as a form of fast travel; among these are landmarks known as Statues of The Seven that can heal and revive characters, and provide benefits such as increasing player stamina.[13] Items such as food and ore may be procured from the open world, while enemies and treasure chests drop other types of resources that may be used in enhancing a character's strength. Players can obtain food from hunting animals, gathering fruit and vegetables, or purchasing them from in-game shops. Furthermore, there are special battle instances called "Domains" that reward materials which increase character and weapon strength.[14] Meals cooked from ingredients gathered in the overworld may also provide desirable effects, such as regenerating characters' health or boosting various stats.[15] Players can also procure ore that can be refined and then used to create weapons or enhance their strength.[16][17]
A multiplayer mode is available in the form of co-op. Up to four players can play together in the overworld and join Domains.[18] Player matching can either be done by requesting to connect with another player, or through an automatic search.[18][19] The game features cross-platform play, so players on any platform can play with each other.[20]
By completing certain quests or by participating in select limited-time events, the player can unlock additional playable characters.[21] Most characters, however, are obtained through the character banners of the game's gacha system, called "Wishes".[22][23] An ingame currency called "Primogems" is required, obtainable through in-app purchases or as gameplay rewards, it is required to pull on the game's banners.[24] A pity system guarantees that the player will receive rare items after a set number of pulls.[25]
Elemental combat
Playable characters have control over one of seven natural elements: Anemo (air), Geo (earth), Pyro (fire), Hydro (water), Cryo (ice), Electro (electricity), and Dendro (plants).[26] When these elements react with one another, they produce various effects. For instance, if a Hydro attack hits a target, the enemy will be inflicted with the "Wet" status effect, and if they are hit with a subsequent Cryo attack, these two status effects combine to freeze the opponent, temporarily preventing them from performing any actions.[26]
Each character also has two unique combat abilities: an "Elemental Skill" and an "Elemental Burst". Elemental Skills are attacks with a set cooldown that can be used at any time, while Elemental Bursts are ultimate attacks with an energy cost.[27] These require the player to amass sufficient elemental energy in order to use them.[28][26] Manipulating the game's elements through the Skills and Bursts of a given party's four characters to produce various reactions is a core feature of its gameplay.[29] Certain elemental abilities are also required to solve puzzles within the overworld.[7]
Genius Invokation TCG
A tabletop-based collectible card game called Genius Invokation TCG was released in the game's Version 3.3 update in December 2022 as an additional optional gamemode.[30][31] The game uses turn-based battles. Equipped with a deck of three characters and 30 supporting cards, players win by knocking down all the opponent's competing character cards. Each round requires a dice roll that forces the player to use their cards within the limitations of their roll.[32] Similar to the main game, elemental reactions are included as a mechanic of the gamemode.[33] Players are able to challenge NPCs, playable characters, and other real players in co-op mode.[34] In-game rewards are granted for participating in Genius Invokation TCG.
Miliastra Wonderland
A sandbox and game creation gameplay system called Miliastra Wonderland will be released in the game's Luna II update in October 2025. The system will let players create and share their work using an array of assets, terrain, and enemies already within Genshin Impact.[35]
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Story
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Setting and characters
Genshin Impact takes place in the world of Teyvat, composed of seven major nations, each of which is ruled by a god called an "Archon" and tied to a different element and ideal.[36] Additionally, the floating island of Celestia hangs above Teyvat, allegedly home to the gods, as well as mortals who have ascended to godhood.[37] Underground lies the ruins of Khaenri'ah, a mysterious nation which was destroyed by Celestia 500 years before the main events of the game.[38][39]
Regardless of which nation they hail from, individuals who have great ambitions may be granted a Vision, a magical gemstone that allows them to control a specific element and gives them the potential to ascend to godhood and reside in Celestia.[40][41] Others may achieve elemental manipulation through Delusions, artificial Visions made from the remains of powerful gods which allow their bearers to control elements by feeding off their vitality,[42] or Moon Wheels, Vision-like objects exclusive to Nod-Krai that were created by the Three Moons. Archons, on the other hand, possess a Gnosis, which is a device similar to a Vision that affirms their authority as an Archon and allows them to "resonate" with Celestia.[43]
The protagonists are the Traveler and Paimon, the Traveler's guide and companion. The Traveler and their twin sibling travel across worlds in the universe before being separated in Teyvat, forcing the Traveler to go on a journey to find them.[44] The player may choose to play as either Aether (the brother) or Lumine (the sister), though their account username is used throughout most of the game.
The primary antagonists are the Abyss Order, a legion of monsters made up of corrupted Khaenri'ahns who seek to overthrow the rule of the Archons,[45][46] and the Fatui, a military force and delegation of diplomats from Snezhnaya who pursue an aggressive foreign policy throughout Teyvat.[47][48] The Traveler's twin is the leader of the Abyss Order,[49] while the Fatui are led by the Eleven Harbingers, the powerful lieutenants of the Tsaritsa who have been given special authority to carry out her will.[50]
Plot
The following table gives a synopsis of each major act in the game, referred to as "Archon Quests". Other quests, including character stories and interludes, are excluded.
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Development
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Genshin Impact began development as early as late January 2017, with an initial team of 120 people, which grew to 400 by the end of that year, and reached 700 by February 2021.[52][53] miHoYo revealed the game in June 2019 at E3 2019.[54][55] The game was developed using the Unity Engine.[56] The game had a development and marketing budget of around $100 million, making it one of the most expensive video games to develop.[57] Between the announcement and release closed beta tests were held, allowing invited players to explore and interact with the open world.[58][59] The game includes voice-overs in four languages, and 15 different languages for text.[60][61][62][m]
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is held in high regard by the development team, and is cited as one of the main inspirations for Genshin Impact.[63] Development was aimed at making the game different and fun from other MMORPGs in terms of its quest and combat systems as well as its random events and mode of exploration.[64] The game was designed to be cross-platform as developing the game for PC and console allowed the developers to raise graphical fidelity for the game, such as rendering realistic shadows.[63]
The overall artistic vision of the game was intended to combine an anime style with elements from real-world cultures,[65] and each nation is based on a region of the world.
The game's overarching mythological basis is Gnosticism, particularly the way it understands relationships between humans and their world, and how gods may influence this relationship.[66] The name given to Teyvat's gods, "Archon", is inspired by the lower gods of Gnostic cosmology. Although each Archon has a personal name for their "vessel", or human form, and is referred to with a specific title by the citizens of their nation, most gods in the game's story – even those who are not Archons – take the names of demons from the Ars Goetia, the first volume of The Lesser Key of Solomon.[67]
Nations
Mondstadt
Known as the "Nation of the Wind", Mondstadt is guarded by the wind god Barbatos,[68][69][70] with freedom as its core belief. Mondstadt's terrain is relatively flat, said to have been shaped by the winds of Barbatos,[71] and consists mainly of plains and forests.[72] Mondstadt is divided into five main regions: Starfell Valley, Galesong Hill, Windwail Highland, Brightcrown Mountains, and Dragonspine.[73] The central city of Mondstadt, located in Starfell Valley and surrounded by Cider Lake, serves as the region's main hub.[74] To the northeast lies Cape Oath, a historical site, while the Thousand Winds Temple, a ruined shrine to an ancient wind god, lies to the east.[73] Galesong Hill includes the areas of Wolvendom, Dawn Winery and Springvale,[75] with Dawn Winery being renowned throughout Teyvat for its wines.[73] The Windwail Highland, in the southeast, are known for the great oak tree at Windrise, symbolising the Lionfang Knight, and extend to the coast, where Cape Oath and Musk Reef are located. To the north is the Eagle's Gate region, a bay flanked by the coastlines of Eagle's Gate and Cape Oath.[73] The Brightcrown Mountains, to the northwest, consist of Brightcrown Canyon and Stormterror's Lair, which was once a city built by King Decarabian and now serves as the lair of the dragon Dvalin. Players gain access to this area by unlocking "Prologue, Act III" of the main story.[68][76] The southernmost region, Dragonspine, is known for its extreme cold, and players exposed to its Sheer Cold effect will continually lose health unless they find sources of heat to mitigate the effect.[77]
According to the production team, Dragonspine was inspired by the Matterhorn in the Alps.[78][79] They noted that the overall saturation of the snow-covered region is lowered, creating a cooler light source, and the snow itself was inspired by the gradient seen in clouds. The story of Dragonspine is presented from the perspectives of an ancient kingdom, modern NPCs, and the player.[78]
Terry Bass of The AXO pointed out that Mondstadt’s design draws on German and Swiss cultural influences, in particular Bern, Switzerland.[80] He suggested that Mondstadt’s cathedral was modeled after Regensburg Cathedral in Germany.[80]
Liyue
Liyue represents the China-inspired region in Genshin Impact. The Geo-elemental nation is located in the eastern part of Teyvat and is the oldest established nation on the continent.[81]
According to the lore, about 3,700 years ago, Rex Lapis founded Liyue. The goddess Guizhong guarded Mt. Tianheng and built the Guizhong Ballista.[82] She led the original miners to migrate north of Mt. Tianheng to develop agriculture. Two thousand years ago, the Archon War broke out, leading to the desolation of Guili Plains and Guizhong's death. The God of Salt, who led the refugees to establish a sanctuary in Sal Terrae, was killed by the Lord of Geo. Consequently, Rex Lapis led the people to migrate south of Mt. Tianheng. The final battleground of the Archon War moved to the Guyun Stone Forest, where Rex Lapis killed a demon god and freed the enslaved Five Yakshas, making a contract with them.
Before the end of the Archon War, the adeptus Cloud Retainer broke her antlers to support the damaged Mt. Tianheng, turning her blood into a river that formed Bishui Plain, submerging the ruins of Sal Terrae. The war ended a thousand years ago, with Rex Lapis subduing the remaining demon gods at Guyun Stone Forest. The yakshas and adepti cleansed the evil spirits left behind. At this time, only Xiao, the Golden-Winged Yaksha, remained among the Five Yakshas. Liyue's people turned to commerce, with the Liyue Qixing, representing seven commercial forces, governing the nation.[83] The Millelith, an army of brave mortals under Rex Lapis, were formed. The adepti retreated to Jueyun Karst, and Rex Lapis oversaw Liyue's economy, establishing the Rite of Descension. Liyue Harbor began to take shape.Inazuma
Inazuma is the only maritime archipelago nation among the seven nations of Teyvat.[84] It is located in the southeastern region of the map and consists of six islands. The local environment is deeply influenced by Electro.[85] The southern part of Narukami Island houses the nation's capital, Inazuma City, while the northern mountaintops hold the Grand Narukami Shrine.[86] Within the shrine stands the Sacred Sakura tree, a symbol of the Raiden Shogun's protection over Inazuma. Its roots spread throughout the land, and all Thunder Sakura trees across the region are considered its offshoots.[84]
The Raiden Shogun is the deity who rules over Inazuma. She resides in Inazuma City, and she established the Shogunate to govern the region.[86] Administrative affairs of Inazuma are handled by the Shogunate's subordinate agencies known as the Tri-Commission, which consists of sub-commissions responsible for military, financial, and cultural and religious matters.[84]Sumeru
Sumeru is located in the central and western parts of the continent of Teyvat and is known as the "Nation of Wisdom."[87] Sumeru consists of two main regions: the rainforest and desert. The capital, Sumeru City, is built atop a giant tree in the rainforest, while its largest port is Port Ormos.[88] At the junction between the desert and the rainforest, there is a sandstorm barrier whose purpose is to stop the rainforest from desertification. The desert lies to the west of the rainforest, with the Mausoleum of King Deshret at its center, along with numerous ruins from King Deshret's time. The largest desert settlement is Aaru Village, which also serves as a place of exile for the scholars of the Akademiya.
Fontaine
Fontaine is located in the north-central part of Teyvat, with many rivers and lakes.[89] Its main city is called the Court of Fontaine (in league with the nation's ideal of justice), which has landmarks such as an opera house where trials are held. Fontaine has technological products such as the aforementioned clockwork meka and waterbuses. Culturally, Fontaine has public activities such as trials and magic shows.[90] Fontaine is at a higher elevation level than other areas, and has formed gigantic waterfalls.[91] Fontaine also has a unique natural landscape, including plants such as umbrella pines, cedar trees and sunflowers as well as various species known in-game as "xenochromatic creatures".[91][92]
Genshin Impact also introduced creatures called Melusines to Fontaine, furry anthropomorphic humanoid creatures who help play the roles of police and security guards around the Court of Fontaine. Melusines are seen to get along quite well with humans in Fontaine, although this was not always the case. They share the same name as the mythic water sprite on whom they are based.[93]Natlan
Natlan is structured as a confederation of six tribes.[94] Humans and Saurians have lived alongside each other since ancient times. The tribes trade and form close bonds for survival, yet also test their strength in frequent contests. They are united under the Pyro Archon, Mavuika, whose guidance has fostered a warrior-driven society. Central to this culture is the Pilgrimage of the Sacred Flame, a major tournament held in the capital's central arena. Representatives from each of the six tribes, known as Ancient Name bearers, battle to crown Natlan's strongest warrior. This ritual serves not only to uphold martial honor or as a source of entertainment for the Natlanese, but also to prepare Natlan to resist threats from the Abyss (a mysterious malevolent force being led by the Traveler's sibling).
Distinct from the rest of Teyvat, Natlan is deeply connected to the Night Kingdom, an underground realm of the dead and their memories. When Natlanese die, their souls enter this domain and gradually dissolve into a vast "sea of souls," losing individuality over time. The Night Kingdom acts both as an afterlife and as a ley line archive, governing memory, death, and resurrection. Natlanese warriors can draw upon the power of Nightsouls to enhance their strength in combat, enabling mechanics such as Nightsoul's Blessing, Nightsoul Transmission, and Nightsoul Bursts.[95][96][97] The Ode of Resurrection, a ritual tied to the Night Kingdom, allows fallen Ancient Name bearers to be revived, provided their comrades have triumphed against the Abyss. If an Ancient Name bearer falls in battle and is not resurrected, their Ancient Name is lost forever. However, those who die from other causes eventually reincarnate in Natlan in a new form. Because the Night Kingdom operates differently from ley lines elsewhere in Teyvat, its memories are largely incompatible with those from beyond Natlan. This distinction is made clear when Xilonen attempts to forge an Ancient Name for the Traveler, explaining that feats performed outside Natlan cannot be recorded within the Night Kingdom's memory. Souls of non-native inhabitants are generally rejected as well, with only rare exceptions.
During the Natlan main storyline, players witness several playable characters compete in the Pilgrimage while they watch from the stands. Later, the Traveler enters the Night Kingdom directly when the Ode of Resurrection fails to bring back Kachina, a warrior they had befriended shortly after arriving in Natlan.Music
The music team headed by Yu-Peng Chen from HOYO-MiX composed the game's original score, which was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.[98][99][100] The approach to creating the soundtrack is to immerse players within the game, and provide emotional and beautiful melodies.[101] Chen composes the score based on the cultural influences of different regions.[102] For example, in Mondstadt, Chen used woodwind instruments to reflect Mondstadt's association with wind and freedom.[101] In Liyue, Chen used elements of Chinese folk music—traditional instruments, the pentatonic scale, and ancient tonal melodies—with Western romantic harmonies and orchestral arrangements.[103][104] In contrast, the battle themes use polyphony and other composing techniques, as well as mimicking orchestration elements from composers such as Beethoven.[101]
On September 12, 2023, Yu-Peng Chen announced on Bilibili that he was leaving miHoYo and the HOYO-MiX team, and was no longer working on the soundtrack.[105][106]
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Release
The worldwide release, September 28, 2020, was announced on August 17 for PC and mobile platforms, and on August 28, it was revealed that the PlayStation 4 version was released on the same date.[107][108] The game was made available on PlayStation 5 through backwards compatibility on November 11.[109][1] On April 28, 2021, the PlayStation 5 version of the game was released.[110] A Nintendo Switch version was announced in January 2020, with the last update being posted in May 2022.[111][112] No further updates have been posted since then, leading some to speculate that the port had either been cancelled or moved to the Nintendo Switch 2.
On August 6, 2025, HoYoverse announced the cessation of support for the PlayStation 4 on April 8, 2026, citing hardware performance limitations and application size. Game download was removed on September 10, 2025, and in-game purchases will be removed on February 25, 2026 beforehand.[113]
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Reception
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Reception
Pre-release
When the game was first unveiled at the ChinaJoy convention in 2019, it was immediately and initially met with criticisms claiming that the game had similarities to Breath of the Wild.[125] Zelda fans at the convention showed explicit gestures towards the Sony booth, with one individual destroying their PlayStation 4 console in protest.[126] Kamui Ye of IGN China highlighted similarities between the two games such as the overworld, art style and game mechanics while also emphasizing Genshin Impact's unique identity and features.[127]
Post-release
Genshin Impact received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic.[115][116] The open world of Teyvat drew praise; IGN's Travis Northup described Teyvat as "a world that is absolutely bursting at the seams with possibilities", and Hardcore Gamer's Jordan Helm described it as "one big environmental puzzle".[29][121] Liyue in particular was picked out by Kotaku's Sisi Jiang for being "one of the most exciting regions that I've visited in a video game in years", before continuing on to discuss how the region "shows an idealized portrayal of Chinese social relations that exists in localized pockets".[128] Game Informer characterized the game as an incredible experience, noting that "[t]he gameplay loop of collection, upgrading, and customization is captivating and compelling".[120] The execution of gameplay impressed Pocket Gamer, and Destructoid's Chris Carter called the combat system "one of the most interesting things" about the game.[7][124] NPR remarked that the game had an abundance of content despite being free to play.[129] Gene Park of The Washington Post lauded the game as revolutionary for the genre, having players "imagine a mobile gaming world with titles with quality that matches the industry's top-tier experiences".[130] Polygon also praised the game for differentiating itself from its peers, heralding its arrival as mobile games become more mainstream and appealing to "an audience outside the typical mobile gaming demographic" and "new players without the hardware to play more conventional and resource-hogging RPGs".[131]
Conversely, Genshin Impact has been criticized for its endgame content, its gacha monetization system, and its self-limitations. Ari Nortis of Kotaku, for instance, wrote that although the game provides a solid experience it also has "some of the typical bullshit that comes along with a zero-dollar price tag" and that the gacha system can lead to a "cycle that belongs more in Reno, Nevada, than a magical fantasy land of gods and wizards".[132] GameSpot echoed this criticism, noting that the game is "hampered a bit by the restrictions its free-to-play model imposes".[12] PC Gamer said that playing the endgame becomes "a slog", and that the resin system "feels so unnecessary".[133] Warning players about how predatory the monetization is, The Washington Post added that such a well-designed game from an aesthetic standpoint can lead some to gamble with the game's gacha system.[23]
When the Genius Invokation TCG minigame launched, it received positive comments from critics. CBR compared the non standalone card games with Hearthstone from World of Warcraft and Gwent from The Witcher 3, and believed that it could expand the game's audience.[134][135] Siliconera critic Stephanie Liu said that the minigame rekindled her excitement in the early days of the game.[136] Gamersky editor Youming Xingkong said that the Genius Invokation TCG is an attempt to keep players fresh in Genshin Impact and solve the burnout that will occur in long-term operation games.[137] The Youxiputao editor also pointed out that Genius Invokation TCG can "make up for the shortcomings of the game's long-term experience" and "strengthen the relationship between players".[138] Prior to launch, fans had already made a Genius Invokation TCG mod on Tabletop Simulator.[139][140]
Commercial performance
On mobile platforms, Genshin Impact saw 23 million downloads and grossed approximately $60 million within a week after its release.[131][141] Within two weeks, that figure rose to over $100 million, recouping its development and marketing budget.[142] Its strong performance continued through October 2020 as the game was the highest-grossing game worldwide during that month.[143] Its largest revenue came from China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States, with 69 percent of mobile revenue coming from outside China itself during this time period specifically.[144][145] In the United States, its release was the largest launch of a role-playing game on mobile in history.[145]
On mobile platforms, Genshin Impact had grossed over $393 million within two months after release and over $1 billion by the end of March 2021, the third highest revenue from a mobile game during that time frame after Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile, making it one of the highest grossing mobile games of all time and the fastest game to reach that milestone on Google Play and the App Store.[146] By October 2021, the game had grossed $2 billion.[147][148] It became the world's third highest-grossing mobile game of 2021,[149] with $1.9 billion grossed that year.[150] By December 2021, the game had grossed $3 billion on iOS and Android devices worldwide. The game's largest mobile market is China with 30% of revenue, followed by Japan with 23% and then the United States with 20% of revenue.[151] Based on a December 16, 2023 survey conducted by Nikkei Entertainment, the fanbase of Genshin Impact within Japan has an average age of 27 years, and a male-to-female ratio that skews 60:40.[152] But according to another December 2023 survey, Japan and other Asian countries have a relatively more male skew in their player base compared to the West and it actually has a 55:45 male to female ratio globally.[153][154]
Across all platforms (including mobile, console and computer platforms), the game is estimated to have grossed nearly $3.7 billion in its first year by September 2021, the highest ever first-year launch revenue for any video game.[155] In that same month, the Raiden Shogun's debut banner earned $33,020,905 among iOS users in China alone.[156][better source needed] The mobile version grossed a further $567 million between January and March 2022,[157] adding up to more than $4.267 billion grossed as of March 2022[update].
The game's commercial success has been attributed to its visual design and use of Chinese cultural references.[158]: 261
Accolades
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Collaborations
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According to Mobile Games Insider, within two years of its launch, Genshin Impact had collaborated with food and beverage brands 12 times and with tourist destinations 11 times,[183] including partnerships with Alipay, Heytea, Pizza Hut, Mengniu Suibian, Amap, Redmi, Nippon Paint, KFC, OnePlus, and others.[184] In March 2021, Genshin Impact partnered with KFC in Mainland China for a cross-promotional event.[185][186] On March 6, miHoYo officially announced the collaboration with KFC, launching Genshin Impact-themed stores and offering themed postcards and badges with meals.[187][188][189] The event was wildly popular, with many fans cosplaying as game characters while visiting themed stores.[190] However, on March 13, KFC announced on Sina Weibo that due to overcrowding in themed stores in Shanghai and Hangzhou, violating pandemic regulations, the events in those cities would be canceled.[191] The event’s slogan, "Meet in another world, enjoy the delicacies," became a new Internet meme, and discussions of the collaboration spread beyond ACG fans to include Reddit users, as well as both gaming and non-gaming media.[192][193] Additionally, according to incomplete statistics from Xinmin Evening News, Genshin Impact partnered with at least 14 brands, including Lawson, Alipay, and Amap in the second half of 2022.[194]
On September 20, 2023, to commemorate the third anniversary of Genshin Impact, QQ Music and WeSing held a celebratory event for Genshin Impact players.[195] On November 3, 2023, Genshin Impact announced a renewed collaboration with Juneyao Airlines, unveiling the world’s first Genshin Impact-themed livery on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, called "Genshin" (registration number B-209R), which began operating domestic and international routes for Juneyao Airlines on November 8. According to the partnership plan, the livery will remain for at least one year, and Genshin Impact merchandise such as a 1:150 scale model of the "Genshin" Boeing 787, a third-anniversary blanket, and passport covers will be available for purchase.[196][197]
Outside Mainland China, on July 29, 2021, Japan's Sweets Paradise announced that starting from September 1, all of its cafes in Japan would become Genshin Impact collaboration cafes for one month. In addition to offering food-themed around Mondstadt from the game, they also released exclusive pre-order merchandise.[198] From December 3 to 14, 2021, miHoYo hosted the HOYO-FEST event in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. During the event, local partner restaurants offered Genshin Impact-themed meals and merchandise.[199]
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Other media
Prior to the release of the game, miHoYo released a manga on their websites detailing the background of its characters and the fictional world of Teyvat.[200] It is translated into various different languages though only 13[201][202] of its 16[200] chapters were officially released in certain languages. Various other artwork and short comics are also released on Genshin Impact's official X accounts.[203]
Animated videos teasing its story and characters[204][205] are regularly released on Genshin Impact's official YouTube channels.[206]
In September 2022, miHoYo announced a partnership with Japanese animation studio Ufotable to develop a speculated anime adaptation based on the game, accompanied by a concept trailer.[207][208] Other future plans include a line of comics, toys, and a possible movie.[209][210]
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Controversies
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Security concerns
The game has been criticized for initially lacking security features ubiquitous on other sites, like two-factor authentication. On October 19, 2020, a vulnerable security flaw was discovered that exposed the phone number linked to a player's account during the password recovery attempt on the miHoYo website. However, the issue was not rectified until November 9, 2020.[211] miHoYo issued notices following the wake of security exposures, informing players to be careful about sharing account details and to bind their account to their email address and phone number.[212][213] In May 2021, two-factor authentication was added whenever the player signs in on a new device.[214][215]
Similar to other online games, the game uses an anti-cheat system implemented by a kernel driver. The driver is used to prevent other programs from performing code injection, memory inspection, and other process manipulation.[216][217] Shortly after release, players discovered that the game's kernel-based anti-cheat system would remain active after the game was closed or uninstalled,[218] which raised concerns that the game had installed spyware.[217] Some Japanese players using iOS devices also observed that the game read the contents of players' clipboards while starting up.[219] miHoYo announced that both issues were the result of coding errors and have been addressed and fixed.[220]
Censorship of words and designs
On October 6, 2020, journalist and Twitch streamer Kazuma Hashimoto published a video on Twitter demonstrating how political terms controversial in China such as "Hong Kong" and "Taiwan" are censored within the in-game chat.[221] As miHoYo is based in China, they are subject to China's censorship policy, which includes complying with a relatively large list of banned words that cannot be used in game.[221][222] Extending outside of purely political wordage, innocuous terms such as "enemies" and "words" were also being censored.[223]
In 2021, the Chinese government stated that video game companies should avoid "obscene and violent content and those breeding unhealthy tendencies, such as money-worship and effeminacy."[158]: 261 In September 2021, over 200 Chinese video game companies signed a self-censorship pact, agreeing to remove content that would promote the "wrong set of values" and fall foul of Chinese government regulations on gaming.[224] In early 2022, HoYoverse released an update that provided new outfits for many playable characters that were more modest than the original designs.[158]: 260–261 These alternate outfits were implemented as an additional option for global servers, but were mandatory in China.[158]: 261 In response, some media outlets discussed whether this was an instance of the game of censoring its content.[225][226][227][228]
SAG-AFTRA strike controversies
Although HoYoverse wasn't listed as one of the companies targeted in the SAG-AFTRA strike, multiple English voice actors in support of the strike stopped voicing their assigned characters as part of an independent strike separate from the main strike.[229] HoYoverse responded by switching from Formosa Interactive, a struck studio in the strike, to SIDE Global, which was not struck,[230] as well as replacing various striking voice actors.
In March 2025, HoYoverse announced the replacement of the English voice actor for Kinich, John Patneaude, with Jacob Takanashi as a result of Patneaude withholding his work to support the strike.[231] Shortly after announcing his new role, Takanashi received heavy backlash from other English voice actors, including Kayli Mills and Corina Boettger, with most accusing him of being a scab.[232] Public opinion was initially divided on this issue, with some supporting the voice actors' push for AI protections, and some criticizing the perceived lack of professionalism displayed by the voice actors.[233]
Following the main strike's suspension, Sean Chiplock stated that despite the main strike reaching a tentative agreement, some voice actors are still striking against HoYoverse independently due to the company's non-union status.[234] As a result, HoYoverse has continued to recast multiple voice actors, including Corina Boettger, Kayli Mills, and Valeria Rodriguez.[235][236]
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Notes
- Published in China by miHoYo, in Vietnam by Funtap, and in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan by Nijigen Games
- Until April 8, 2026.
- During the Liyue Archon Quests, Morax faked his death as a way to both retire as the Geo Archon and to test whether Liyue can survive without him.
- Part of Snezhnaya, but treated as an autonomous region
- Although it is known that the Fatui serve the Tsaritsa and that they possess military and diplomatic might, it is currently unclear if the organization itself is Snezhnaya's governing body or just a part of it.
- Not part of the continent of Teyvat.
- Never ruled by any archon
- Despite being categorized as a World Quest, the quest is treated like part of the Archon Quest story line and follows up on the Chapter I of the Archon Quests, as well as being structured and styled like a Character Story Quest.
- Voiceover languages include Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean. Text languages include Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
References
External links
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