Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact is a 2020 action role-playing game produced by MiHoYo/HoYoverse. 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 PlayStation 5 in 2021, with an Xbox Series X/S version in November 2024.
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 (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.
Its 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.
Genshin Impact is an open-world, action role-playing game that allows the player to control one of four interchangeable characters in a party. Switching between characters can be done quickly during combat, allowing the player to use several different combinations of skills and attacks. 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. 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. Completing these challenges grants the player progress towards increasing their Adventure Rank, which in turn unlocks new quests, challenges, and raises the World Level. The World Level is a measure of how strong the enemies within the world are and the rarity of rewards that defeating them gives.
The player can control their character and perform actions such as running, climbing, swimming, and gliding, all limited by stamina. 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. 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. 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. Meals cooked from ingredients gathered in the overworld may also provide desirable effects, such as regenerating characters' health or boosting various stats. Players can also procure ore that can be refined and then used to create weapons or enhance their strength.
A multiplayer mode is available in the form of co-op. Up to four players can play together in the overworld and join Domains. Player matching can either be done by requesting to connect with another player, or through an automatic search. The game features cross-platform play, so players on any platform can play with each other.
By completing certain quests or by participating in select limited-time events, the player can unlock additional playable characters. Most characters, however, are obtained through the character banners of the game's gacha system, called "Wishes". 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. A pity system guarantees that the player will receive rare items after a set number of pulls.
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). 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.
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. These require the player to amass sufficient elemental energy in order to use them. 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. Certain elemental abilities are also required to solve puzzles within the overworld.
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. 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. Similar to the main game, elemental reactions are included as a mechanic of the gamemode. Players are able to challenge NPCs, playable characters, and other real players in co-op mode. In-game rewards are granted for participating in Genius Invokation TCG.
After the launch of Genius Invokation TCG, it received positive comments from many critics. Many commentators compared the non standalone card games with Hearthstone, from World of Warcraft, and Gwent from The Witcher 3 and believed that Genius Invokation TCG could help increase Genshin's playerbase. Commentators also mentioned that Genius Invokation TCG can help improve the later experience of the game. Siliconera critic Stephanie Liu said that Genius Invokation TCG rekindled her excitement in the early days of the game. 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. 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".
Genshin Impact takes place in the world of Teyvat, composed of seven major nations, each of which is ruled by a different god called an "Archon", tied to a different element and ideal, and governed by a specific faction. The mysterious floating island of Celestia hangs above Teyvat, allegedly home to gods, as well as mortals who have ascended to godhood through great, heroic feats. Underground lie the ruins of Khaenri'ah, a mysterious nation which was destroyed by Celestia 500 years before the main events of the game. Unlike the seven nations, Khaenri'ah was not ruled over by a god, and sought to create a civilization led solely by humans.
Irrespective 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. 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. 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. The former are based on characters from The Lesser Key of Solomon.
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. 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 in the game are the Abyss Order, a legion of monsters made up of corrupted Khaenri'ahns who seek to overthrow the rule of the Archons, and the Fatui, a military force and delegation of diplomats from Snezhnaya who pursue an aggressive foreign policy throughout Teyvat. The Traveler's lost twin is respected as the leader of the Abyss Order, 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, resulting in some of them pursue very aggressive actions like La Signora and Dottore, and some pursue peaceful or moderate diplomacy like Arlecchino and Capitano. The Harbingers are based on characters from the commedia dell'arte.
Aether and Lumine, a pair of twins who travel across different worlds, land in Teyvat. Witnessing the destruction of Khaenri'ah upon their arrival, the two attempt to flee, but they soon find their path blocked by a mysterious god who calls herself the "Sustainer of Heavenly Principles". She separates the twins, sealing the playable character away for five hundred years. When the sealed sibling, now called "The Traveler", wakes up, they meet a small fairy-like being named Paimon, who becomes their companion and travel guide. The two set off on a journey across Teyvat to gather information about their lost twin from each nation's ruling Archon.
The following table only gives a synopsis of each major act in the game's current narrative. Summaries of other story content, such as characters' personal quests or limited-time events, are excluded. The major acts of the story were foreshadowed in a trailer posted to the game's YouTube channel on the day of its release:
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. miHoYo revealed the game in June 2019 at E3 2019. The game was developed using the Unity Engine. The game had a development and marketing budget of around $100 million, making it one of the most expensive video games to develop. Between the announcement and release closed beta tests were held, allowing invited players to explore and interact with the open world. The game includes voice-overs in four languages, and 15 different languages for text.
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. 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. 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.
The overall artistic vision of the game was intended to combine an anime style with more key elements from real-world cultures, and each nation is based on a region of the world:
The game's primary mythological basis is Gnosticism, particularly the way it understands relationships between humans and their world, and how gods may influence this relationship. The name given to Teyvat's gods, "Archon", is inspired by the related deities from the Gnostic tradition. 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.
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. The approach to creating the soundtrack is to immerse players within the game, and provide emotional and beautiful melodies. Chen composes the score based on the cultural influences of different regions. For example, in Mondstadt, Chen used woodwind instruments to reflect Mondstadt's association with wind and freedom. 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. The Divine Damsel of Devastation uses the singing style of Chinese opera. In contrast, the battle themes use polyphony and other composing techniques, as well as mimicking orchestration elements from composers such as Beethoven. Several soundtrack albums featuring music about characters and regions of the game have been released periodically.
For his work on the soundtrack Chen was awarded the "Outstanding Artist—Newcomer/Breakthrough" at the 2020 Annual Game Music Awards. In an interview published in April 2021 Chen expressed interest in releasing the soundtracks on CD, as well as hosting concerts in the future. The first concert was held virtually on October 3, 2021, titled "Melodies of an Endless Journey" and featured multiple bands and an orchestra performing various soundtracks from the game. A second virtual concert was held on February 4, 2022, titled "Reflections of Spring" featuring the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra performing soundtracks from the Liyue region.
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.
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. The game was made available on PlayStation 5 through backwards compatibility on November 11. On April 28, 2021, the PlayStation 5 version of the game was released, featuring enhanced visuals, improved loading times, and DualSense controller support. A Nintendo Switch version has been in development since January 2020. As of January 2025, no updates have been provided on the status of the Switch port leading some to come to the conclusion that it was quietly cancelled.
Prior to its release the game had over 10 million registrations, with over half of that from outside China. According to some, the game was the biggest international release of any Chinese video game. In the lead up to release, the game won the Tokyo Game Show Media Awards 2020 public poll, ranking first among 14 other games.
Shortly after the game's launch, miHoYo announced a schedule for content updates over the following months. As a long-term project, much of the game remains to be finished. On release, only two of the seven major regions intended for the game were released, and miHoYo anticipates it will take several years for the game's story to be completed. In a presentation given in February 2021, miHoYo former president Cai Haoyu estimated that ongoing development for the game would cost $200 million per year.
Updates are implemented into the game every six weeks and add more characters, events and new areas of Teyvat; each update comes with character banners which last around three weeks until the next update. Character banners buff the chance of getting a character, but still with the chance of getting a standard character, also known as a 50/50; if a 50/50 is lost, during the next banner, the buffed character will be guaranteed. Major updates ("Versions"), adding new major regions, are implemented annually. As of version 5.2 (November 2024), five major versions with an additional 32 updates have been released. Each update includes compensation in the form of 60 primogems – the currency used for the game's gacha system – for each hour the server is offline.
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. Zelda fans at the convention showed explicit gestures towards the Sony booth, with one individual destroying their PlayStation 4 console in protest. 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.
Genshin Impact receives "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic. 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". 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". Game Informer characterized the game as an incredible experience, noting that "[t]he gameplay loop of collection, upgrading, and customization is captivating and compelling". 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. NPR remarked that the game had an abundance of content despite being free to play. 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". 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".
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". GameSpot echoed this criticism, noting that the game is "hampered a bit by the restrictions its free-to-play model imposes". PC Gamer said that playing the endgame becomes "a slog", and that the resin system "feels so unnecessary". 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.
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. Siliconera critic Stephanie Liu said that the minigame rekindled her excitement in the early days of the game. 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. 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". Prior to launch, fans had already made a Genius Invokation TCG mod on Tabletop Simulator.
On mobile platforms, Genshin Impact saw 23 million downloads and grossed approximately $60 million within a week after its release. Within two weeks, that figure rose to over $100 million, recouping its development and marketing budget. Its strong performance continued through October 2020 as the game was the highest-grossing game worldwide during that month. 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. In the United States, its release was the largest launch of a role-playing game on mobile in history.
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. By October 2021, the game had grossed $2 billion. It became the world's third highest-grossing mobile game of 2021, with $1.9 billion grossed that year. 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. 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. 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.
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. In that same month, the Raiden Shogun's debut banner earned $33,020,905 among iOS users in China alone. The mobile version grossed a further $567 million between January and March 2022, adding up to more than $4.267 billion grossed as of March 2022.
The game's commercial success has often been attributed to its visual design and use of Chinese cultural references.
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, including partnerships with Alipay, Heytea, Pizza Hut, Mengniu Suibian, Amap, Redmi, Nippon Paint, KFC, OnePlus, and others. In March 2021, Genshin Impact partnered with KFC in Mainland China for a cross-promotional event. On March 6, miHoYo officially announced the collaboration with KFC, launching Genshin Impact-themed stores and offering themed postcards and badges with meals. The event was wildly popular, with many fans cosplaying as game characters while visiting themed stores. 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. 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. 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.
On September 20, 2023, to commemorate the third anniversary of Genshin Impact, QQ Music and WeSing held a celebratory event for Genshin Impact players. 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.
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. 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.
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. It is translated into various different languages though only 13 of its 16 chapters were officially released in certain languages. Various other artwork and short comics are also released on Genshin Impact's official X accounts.
Animated videos teasing its story and characters are regularly released on Genshin Impact's official YouTube channels.
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.
Other future plans include a line of comics, toys, and a possible movie.
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. 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. In May 2021, two-factor authentication was added whenever the player signs in on a new device.
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. Shortly after release, players discovered that the game's kernel-based anti-cheat system would remain active after the game was closed or uninstalled, which raised concerns that the game had installed spyware. Some Japanese players using iOS devices also observed that the game read the contents of players' clipboards while starting up. miHoYo announced that both issues were the result of coding errors and have been addressed and fixed.
On October 6, 2020, journalist and Twitch streamer Kazuma Hashimoto published a video on social media site Twitter (currently X) demonstrating how political terms controversial in China such as "Hong Kong" and "Taiwan" are censored within the in-game chat. As the developer of the game, miHoYo, is based in China, which 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 or via chat. Other terms not related to Chinese politics are banned as well, such as "Putin", "Hitler", and "Stalin". Extending outside of purely political wordage, innocuous terms such as "enemies" and "words" were also being censored.
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." In a 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. In early 2022, HoYoverse released an update that provided new outfits for many playable characters that were more modest than the original designs. These alternate outfits were implemented as an additional option for global servers, but were mandatory in China. In response, some media outlets discussed whether this was an instance of the game of censoring its content.
In January 2025, HoYoverse issued a $20 million settlement to the Federal Trade Commission for selling loot boxes to children and collecting their personal data without parental consent. The complaint alleges that HoYoverse “deceived children and other users about the real costs of in-game transactions and odds of obtaining rare prizes" and that it collected the personal information of children in violation of the COPPA act. The settlement also prohibits HoYoverse from selling loot boxes to children, requires the company to disclose the loot box odds, and requires them to delete the personal information of all users under 13.