App Store 2020

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## Chinese

1995年10月，日本动画的惊世之作《新世纪福音战士》（简称《EVA》）开播。
In October 1995, the groundbreaking Japanese anime series *Neon Genesis Evangelion* (abbreviated as "EVA") premiered.

这部关于少年、机甲与神话的作品，让整个二次元文化发生了翻天覆地的改变，在之后二十多年里影响全世界无数观众。
This work, which revolves around adolescence, mecha, and mythology, brought about a revolutionary change in the entire two-dimensional culture, influencing countless viewers worldwide over the next two decades.

刘伟也是其中的一员。他和上海交大计算机系的另外两名同学蔡浩宇、罗宇皓，都是二次元文化爱好者，《EVA》的死忠粉丝。
Liu Wei is also one of them. Along with his two classmates, Cai Haoyu and Luo Yuhao from Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Computer Science Department, he is a devoted fan of the two-dimensional culture and a die-hard fan of *Evangelion*.

2011年，刘伟和伙伴们做出了自己的第一款游戏《FlyMe2TheMoon》，正是致敬《EVA》TV 版的片尾曲。为了表现“飞到月球上”的主题，他们创造了女主角，一个飞天的白发少女，名字源自希腊神话的月之女神：琪亚娜（Kiana）。
In 2011, Liu Wei and his partners created their first game, *FlyMe2TheMoon*, paying homage to the ending theme of the TV version of *Evangelion*. To portray the theme of "flying to the moon," they created a female protagonist, a flying white-haired girl named Kiana, derived from the Greek mythological goddess of the moon.

> 这是我们做的第一个游戏角色，是我们的亲女儿。
> She was the first game character we created, our beloved daughter.
>
>

依靠《FlyMe2TheMoon》，刘伟和伙伴们在2012年拿到了第一笔投资，成立了米哈游，最初只有6个人。他们在公司LOGO下面印上了一行字：Tech Otakus Save The World（技术宅拯救世界）。
With the success of *FlyMe2TheMoon*, Liu Wei and his partners secured their first investment in 2012 and established miHoYo, initially with only six people. They added a line beneath the company logo: "Tech Otakus Save the World."

“宅”代表了专注和热爱，“技术”则是他们前进的底气和信仰。
"Otaku" represents their focus and passion, while "tech" signifies their confidence and belief in advancing technology.

在2012年，二次元文化在中国尚且处于一种羞于见人的状态，并不被主流接纳。而米哈游决定理直气壮地钻研技术，做二次元游戏。他们先后推出了2D横版射击游戏《崩坏学园》和《崩坏学园2》，收获了大量粉丝。刘伟身兼总裁、研发和客服三职，在社区回答玩家问题，成为大家喜欢的“大伟哥”——这个形象还出现在了游戏中。
In 2012, the two-dimensional culture in China was still considered taboo and not widely accepted. However, miHoYo boldly delved into technology and developed two-dimensional games. They released the 2D side-scrolling shooter games *Houkai Gakuen* and *Houkai Gakuen 2*, gaining a large number of fans. Liu Wei took on the roles of president, developer, and customer service, Brother engaging with players in the community and becoming the beloved "Big Wei Brother" — a character that even appeared in the game itself.

琪亚娜在这两部游戏中依然扮演主角，元气满满，大显身手。在2016年，琪亚娜和米哈游都迎来了新的机会：《崩坏3》。
Kiana continues to play the leading role in both of these games, brimming with energy and showcasing her skills. In 2016, both Kiana and miHoYo seized a new opportunity with *Honkai Impact 3rd*.

这款出色的 3D 动作游戏一度震惊同行与玩家。刘伟和伙伴们从零开始，利用网络上搜集的各种零散资料，钻研 3D 建模与卡通渲染，没日没夜地闭关修炼，亲手写下了第一行代码。
This outstanding 3D action game once shocked the industry and players alike. Liu Wei and his team started from scratch, utilizing various fragmented information collected online, delving into 3D modeling and cartoon rendering, and tirelessly working day and night, writing the first line of code with their own hands.

> 一直以来我们坚信，技术的变革能够驱动整个娱乐体验的发展。
> We have always believed that technological innovation can drive the development of the entire entertainment experience.
>
>

《崩坏3》发布之后的四年里，米哈游的队伍逐渐扩大到上千人，累积了雄厚的技术实力。
In the four years following the release of *Honkai Impact 3rd*, miHoYo's team gradually expanded to thousands of people, accumulating robust technical strength.

琪亚娜也从一个打打闹闹的乐天少女，成长为有担当和责任感的英雄。在2020年初米哈游推出的《崩坏3》动画短片《天穹流星》中，琪亚娜再一次飞向月球：为了拯救城市，她奋不顾身地将炸弹推向月亮。
Kiana, too, has grown from a cheerful and carefree girl to a responsible and heroic figure. In early 2020, miHoYo released the animated short film "Meteoric Salvation" for *Honkai Impact 3rd*, where Kiana once again flew to the moon: to save the city, she selflessly pushed the bomb towards the moon.

如今，米哈游的最新作品《原神》正式上线：超过 400 人的团队、3 年的开发时间、数以亿计的资金，这群技术宅们向新领域发起挑战，构建广阔自由、充满生机的游戏开放世界。
Now, miHoYo's latest work, *Genshin Impact*, has officially launched: a team of over 400 people, three years of development time, and billions of funds. These group of tech enthusiasts are challenging new frontiers, constructing a vast, free, and vibrant open world game.

我们和“大伟哥”聊了聊，关于他与玩家的羁绊、《原神》背后的有趣故事、“崩坏宇宙”的未来，以及米哈游想对玩家说的话。
We had a chat with "Brother Wei" about his bond with players, the interesting stories behind *Genshin Impact*, the future of the "Honkai Universe," and the message miHoYo wants to convey to players.

**当初为什么会以“大伟哥”的形象出现在游戏里？
Why did the image of "Brother Wei" appear in the game?**

刘伟：早年我们作为一个比较小的团队，很少会去做市场推广，主要的推广方式都是我本人在社区去跟玩家互动。我其实在《崩坏学园》时代，做过一年的“客服娘”。在持续的互动中，我们跟玩家之间形成非常好的友谊，所以大家也就非常亲切地叫我大伟哥。
Liu Wei: In the early years, as a relatively small team, we rarely engaged in marketing promotions. The main way of promotion was through my personal interactions with players in the community. Actually, during the *Houkai Gakuen* era, I worked as a "customer service girl" for a year. Through continuous interaction, we developed a very close friendship with the players, so everyone affectionately called me "Brother Wei."

> 我觉得那时候的玩家，和今天的玩家，都特别可爱。
> I think the players back then, as well as today's players, are all very adorable.
>
>

后来我们有一次社区活动，大家说要给我设计形象，有一个形象最后得分是最高的：脸都不知道长什么样子，一个光头，但是脸上写了一个字叫“伟”，所有人一下子就知道他是大伟哥。我们也就顺水推舟，加到了游戏里。
Later, during a community event, everyone suggested designing an image for me. One image received the highest score: a face that no one knows how it looks, a bald head, but with the character "Wei" written on the face. Everyone immediately recognized him as Brother Wei. We just went with the flow and added it to the game.

这个形象其实代表玩家对米哈游和我个人的支持和喜爱。所以我们非常感恩，无论过去还是未来，我们都是一家对玩家非常感恩的公司。
This image actually represents the players' support and love for miHoYo and me personally. So we are very grateful, both in the past and in the future. We are a company that is deeply grateful to the players.

**“大伟哥”还会出现在《原神》里吗？
Will "Brother Wei" still appear in *Genshin Impact*?**

刘伟：丘丘人是《原神》世界最基础的怪物之一，美术同学也以我的“大伟哥”形象定制了一个特殊的丘丘人，脸上会有一个“伟”字。
Liu Wei: The hilichurl is one of the basic monsters in the world of *Genshin Impact*. The art team has created a special Hilichurl with my "Brother Wei" image, featuring the character "Wei" on its face.

而在未来的版本里，我将作为“大伟哥”转生成丘丘人，来到提瓦特大陆。至于我是怎么穿越转生的，大家可以关注我们和B站UP主联合制作的短片。
In future versions, I will transform into a hilichurl as "Brother Wei" and arrive in the land of Teyvat. As for how I undergo this transformation and reincarnation, you can follow us and the collaboration with Bilibili content creators to watch the short film we are producing.

**在《原神》开发过程中，有什么印象特别深刻的故事？
Do you have any particularly memorable stories from the development of *Genshin Impact*?**

刘伟：在研发《原神》的过程中，我们经历过一段压力特别巨大的时期。但是我看到一个玩家的留言，最近我每次想起来都会眼角稍微有那么一点酸，非常触动。
Liu Wei: During the development of *Genshin Impact*, we went through a period of immense pressure. However, there was a comment from a player that has left a deep impression on me. Every time I think about it, my eyes well up a little, and it truly touches me.

那句话大概是这样说的：“《崩坏3》虽然不是我玩的时间最长的游戏，但绝对是我最有感情的游戏。现在米哈游要推出《原神》，我想借姬子老师的话改编一下：米哈游，抬起头，继续前进吧！把这个不完美的游戏变成大家所期望的样子！”
The comment went something like this: "Although *Honkai Impact 3rd* is not the game I've played for the longest time, it is definitely the game I have the strongest emotional connection with. Now, miHoYo is about to release *Genshin Impact*, and I'd like to adapt a quote from Himeko-sensei: miHoYo, lift your head up and keep moving forward! Turn this imperfect game into what everyone expects!"

这是玩家对我们的一种信任，我们能走到今天也真的有非常多的粉丝在支持我们。这句话给了我们很大的动力。
This comment represents the trust players have in us, and we truly have a lot of fans supporting us to this day. It has given us great motivation.

**《原神》做了一个非常大的开放世界，你觉得这个世界里有什么特别想要让大家去的地方吗？
*Genshin Impact* features a vast open world. Is there any particular place in this world that you would like to recommend for players to explore?**

刘伟：我很推荐中式风格的璃月。我们在规划设计之初就决定，七大城邦其中一个会以中式风格为主。相对于欧式风格的蒙德，璃月地区的设计难度更高。
Liu Wei: I highly recommend the Liyue region, which showcases a Chinese-style aesthetic. When we were planning and designing the game, we decided that one of the seven major cities would have a Chinese-inspired theme. Compared to the European-style city of Mondstadt, the design complexity of Liyue was higher.

我们结合了来自苏式松竹园林、徽式水乡还有黄龙的奇绝景象，以及古装电影中常出现的一种意象——芦苇荡，使其兼具戏剧性与自然美。璃月的场景、人文和生态，也取材自张家界、桂林和黄龙三个真实的景区。
We combined elements from classical Suzhou gardens, Huizhou water towns, and the breathtaking landscapes of Huanglong, as well as the imagery of reed marshes often seen in period Chinese films. This combination gives Liyue a blend of dramatic and natural beauty. The scenery, culture, and ecology of Liyue were also inspired by real-world locations such as Zhangjiajie, Guilin, and Huanglong.

最近我们也与三个景区达成了线上线下的合作，一方面通过纪录片将璃月创作过程分享给关心我们的玩家，另一方面也鼓励大家带着《原神》，去探访祖国的壮丽山河，来一场现实世界的旅行。
Recently, we have partnered with these three scenic spots for online and offline collaborations. On one hand, we share the creative process of Liyue with our players through documentaries, and on the other hand, we encourage everyone to embark on a real-world journey with *Genshin Impact* to explore the magnificent mountains and rivers of our motherland.

**游戏在iPhone和iPad上呈现了非常出色的画面，你们有什么诀窍吗？
The game presents stunning visuals on iPhone and iPad. Do you have any tricks up your sleeve?**

刘伟：我们和Apple的开发者关系团队合作非常紧密。关于如何更好地使用Metal 2 技术，他们提供了很多建议，得益于此，游戏有着极强的画面表现力。iPhone和iPad不仅性能强劲，软硬件结合也做得非常好，《原神》在这些设备上的运行表现非常让人满意。
Liu Wei: We have a very close collaboration with Apple's developer relations team. They provided us with a lot of guidance on how to better utilize Metal 2 technology, which has greatly enhanced the visual performance of the game. iPhones and iPads not only have powerful performance but also excel in the integration of software and hardware. *Genshin Impact* runs exceptionally well on these devices, and the results are highly satisfying.

**很多玩家注意到《原神》开场的时候出现了和琪亚娜很相似的角色，这里面有什么联系吗？
Many players have noticed the resemblance between the character in the opening of *Genshin Impact* and Kiana. Is there any connection between them?**

刘伟：感谢大家对琪亚娜的关注和喜爱，《原神》的剧情中确实隐藏着很多线索。至于大家的猜测是否准确……我们可以一起期待《原神》后续剧情的发展。
Liu Wei: Thank you all for your attention and love for Kiana. There are indeed many clues hidden in the storyline of *Genshin Impact*. As for whether your speculations are accurate... Let's look forward to the development of the subsequent storyline of *Genshin Impact* together.

> 从目前的剧情及人物对白里，大家应该可以找到一些关于未来城邦的伏笔。而后续的城邦推出计划，也就还请大家继续保持期待啦！
> From the current plot and character dialogues, you should be able to find some foreshadowing about future cities. As for the plans for future city releases, I kindly ask everyone to continue to look forward to it!
>
>

**未来“崩坏宇宙”有什么样的发展和规划？
What are the future development and plans for the "Honkai Universe"?**

刘伟：2020年7月初我们发布了一个短片《罪人挽歌》，其实发展到这里的时候，整个故事就算讲完一半了。我们预计《崩坏3》发生在地球上的这段故事，全部讲完大概还有三年的时间。
Liu Wei: In early July 2020, we released a short film called "Lament of the Fallen." By the time we reached this point in the development, we had only told about half of the story. We estimate that it will take approximately three more years to complete the story of *Honkai Impact 3rd* on Earth.

在这之后我们会开启《崩坏》系列的全新篇章，未来《崩坏》系列的角色能够在不同外星文明之间旅行，看到各种奇形怪状的外星生物，延续她们的故事。
After that, we will embark on a new chapter of the *Honkai* series. In the future, the characters of the *Honkai* series will be able to travel between different extraterrestrial civilizations, encountering various bizarre alien creatures, and continuing their stories.

**《原神》已经上线，有什么话想送给我们的玩家呢？
Now that *Genshin Impact* has been released, is there anything you would like to say to the players?**

刘伟：我还是要衷心地感谢所有玩家在这一路上对《原神》及米哈游的陪伴。
Liu Wei: I would like to sincerely thank all the players for accompanying us on this journey with *Genshin Impact* and miHoYo.

《原神》能走到今天，都是因为玩家的支持，所以非常感谢大家，希望有机会跟所有人在提瓦特相见。我们也会一直继续努力，让《原神》更接近大家所期待的样子。
The fact that *Genshin Impact* has come this far is all thanks to the support of the players, so I am truly grateful to everyone. I hope to have the opportunity to meet everyone in Teyvat. We will continue to work hard to make *Genshin Impact* closer to everyone's expectations.

## Japanese

1995年10月、アニメ「新世紀エヴァンゲリオン」が日本で放送されました。

14歳の少年を主人公とする、ロボットや聖書をモチーフにしたこのシリーズは世界中を驚かせました。アニメやマンガ、ゲームの世界に革命を起こし、放送以来、多くのファンに影響を与えています。

ゲームデベロッパ、miHoYoのCEOであるLiu Weiさんと、上海交通大学コンピュータ科学専攻でLiuさんのクラスメートだったCai Haoyuさん、Luo Yuhaoさんも、そんなファンの一人でした。「新世紀エヴァンゲリオン」を始めとする、アニメ、マンガ、ゲームへの愛が、この3人を結びつけたのです。

2011年、Liuさんたちは初めてのゲーム作品となる「FlyMe2theMoon」をリリースしました。「新世紀エヴァンゲリオン」へ捧げたこのゲームでは、タイトルの通り、月の女神にちなんで名付けられた、白髪の少女キアナが月へと旅立ちます。

> キアナは私たちが初めて作ったゲームのキャラクターで、まるで我が子のように大切な存在です
>
>

「FlyMe2theMoon」が評判となり投資家たちの注目を集めた彼らは、2012年にわずか6人でmiHoYoを創設しました。会社のロゴには「Tech Otakus Save the World（テクノロジーオタクが世界を救う）」と記されています。

そこには、テクノロジーが未来を作るという強い信念と、“オタク”としての飽くなき情熱が込められています。miHoYoのテクノロジーオタクたちはアニメ愛にあふれるゲームと、テクノロジーへの探究心を武器に、ゲームの世界に飛び込みました。

2012年と2014年には、miHoYoは2D横スクロールアクションゲーム「Zombiegal Kawaii」と「崩壊学園」をそれぞれリリースし、サブカルチャーを愛する多くのファンを獲得しました。LiuさんはCEOだけでなく、研究開発や顧客サービス部門の責任者も兼任しています。ソーシャルネットワーク上でプレイヤーの質問に気さくに答えている姿から、Brother Weiの愛称で呼ばれ、なんと顔に「Wei」と描かれたキャラクターとしてゲームへの出演も果たしています。

キアナは「Zombiegal Kawaii」と「崩壊学園」の両作で再び主役を演じました。そして2016年、キアナとmiHoYoは 「崩壊3rd」を発表し、より大きな舞台へと足を踏み入れます。

3Dアクションゲーム「崩壊3rd」は、磨き上げられた技術により、ゲーム業界の人々のみならず、プレイヤーたちも驚かせました。とはいえ、その道のりはとても険しいものでした。Liuさんたちは3Dモデリングやアニメーションレンダリングの技術をネットで調べて学びながら、一からゲームを作り上げたのです。ゲームの最初のコードが書かれたのは、朝から晩まで何日も苦しみ抜いた後のことでした。

> 革新的なテクノロジーがエンターテインメントを進化させると、ずっと信じていました
>
>

「崩壊3rd」の大ヒットによって、miHoYoも大きく成長を遂げました。「崩壊3rd」リリース後の4年間で、6人で始まったチームは1,000人以上の規模になり、圧倒的な技術力を身につけていました。

元気あふれる若きスターだったキアナもまた、大きな責務を背負ったヒロインへと成長を遂げました。短編アニメーションの「Meteoric Salvation」で、キアナは再び月へと向かいます。しかし、それは夢の旅行ではなく、爆弾を月へと飛ばして、街を救うためでした。

そして、miHoYoの新作「原神」が正式にリリースされました。400人以上のオタクたちが3年の歳月をかけて命を吹き込んだこのゲームは、どこまでも自由で野心に満ちた、今までのゲームに挑戦するオープンワールドアドベンチャーです。

そこで今回はBrother Weiさんに、プレイヤーとの絆や「原神」の開発秘話、「崩壊」シリーズの今後、そしてファンへの思いなどを聞きました。

**Weiさんが、“Brother Wei”としてゲームに登場するようになったのはなぜですか。**

miHoYoを立ち上げて最初の数年間はチームも少人数で、ちゃんとしたマーケティングもできませんでした。そのためプレイヤーのみなさんと交流することが、一番の宣伝方法だったのです。また、「Zombiegal Kawaii」では、私がカスタマーサービスの代表だったので、ファンのみなさんと直接交流をしているうちに、“Brother Wei”と呼ばれるようになりました。

> プレイヤーを大切にする気持ちは、昔も今もまったく変わっていません
>
>

その後、コミュニティイベントを開いた時、多くの人たちにBrother Weiのアイコンを作るべきだと言われました。そこで一番人気だったのが、誰が見てもわかりやすい、のっぺらぼうの顔に「Wei」とだけ書かれた坊主のキャラでした。それでこのアイコンに決定し、ゲームにも登場させることにしました。

このアイコンには、miHoYoのゲームに対するファンのサポートや愛情が詰まっています。私自身への愛も感じるほどで、本当にありがたいことだと思います。miHoYoは昔からファンを大切にする会社でしたが、それはこれからも変わりません。

**Brother Weiは「原神」に登場しますか。**

「原神」には丘々人という敵が登場しますが、その顔に「Wei」と書いた特別バージョンを作ってあります。

丘々人となったBrother Weiは、今後のバージョンでテイワットの地に現れるかもしれません。私がどうして丘々人になるのかは、動画共有サイトbilibiliで活躍するトップコンテンツクリエイターたちと共同で制作中の短編ビデオの公開をお待ちください。

**「原神」の開発中に印象的な出来事はありましたか。**

ゲームの開発中、重圧に押しつぶされそうな時期がありました。その時にあるプレイヤーのコメントを読んで、とても感動しました。あの時のことを考えると、今でも胸が一杯になってしまいます。

それはこういうコメントでした。「『崩壊3rd』は私が一番遊んだゲームではありませんが、間違いなく、一番思い入れのあるゲームです。miHoYoは今『原神』を開発しているところですが、『崩壊3rd』に登場する無量塔姫子ならきっと、『顔を上げて、進み続けなさい！』と言うでしょう。今はまだ未完成かもしれませんが、ファンの期待に応えたゲームになることを信じています」

ファンは私たちを信じていました。今日のmiHoYoがあるのは、ファンの支えがあったからこそです。このコメントを読んで、最高のゲームを作らなくては、とより一層元気付けられました。

**「原神」の舞台は広大なオープンワールドですが、プレイヤーに行ってみてほしい場所はありますか。**

中国をイメージした港町の璃月にはぜひとも訪れてほしいです。ゲーム内の7つの都市のうちの1つは、中国の文化や建築を反映したものにしたいと初めから決めていました。ヨーロッパ的な街並みが特徴のモンドに比べて、璃月という地域のデザインは本当に苦労しました。

璃月には、蘇州にあるような松や竹の庭、恵州の運河の雰囲気や建築物、黄龍の絶景に、中国の歴史ドラマでおなじみ葦の沼地など、現実世界の要素を盛り込んでいます。その結果、大自然の美しさを感じられる、ドラマチックな地域になったと思います。璃月の町の景観や建物は、張家界や

**「原神」はiPhoneやiPadで驚異的なグラフィックを実現しましたが、その秘密はなんでしょうか。**

Appleのデベロッパ担当チームとはゲームの開発中ずっと、密に連絡を取り合ってきました。Apple独自のグラフィックスAPI「Metal 2」が使えたのも、素晴らしいグラフィックを実現する上で大いに助けられました。iPhoneとiPadは強力なハードウェアであるばかりか、理想的なソフトウェアとの統合も実現しています。これらのデバイス上での「原神」のパフォーマンスには、とても満足しています。

**「原神」の冒頭でキアナにそっくりのキャラクターが登場したことがプレイヤーの間で話題になっています。本作とキアナには何らかの繋がりがあるのでしょうか？**

キアナのことをずっと気にかけ、愛してくれているみなさんには感謝の気持ちしかありません。「原神」には多くの謎が隠されています。その真相については、今後のストーリー展開にご注目ください、とだけ言っておきましょう。

> 今後登場するテイワットの町のヒントが、ゲームのストーリーや会話の中に散りばめられています。新しいエリアに向かえるようになるまで、続報を楽しみにお待ちください
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**「崩壊」シリーズの今後の展開はどうなりますか。**

2020年7月の初めに「Lament of the Fallen」という短編アニメを公開しましたが、その時点では物語の完結へ向けて、約半分を過ぎたあたりです。「崩壊3rd」の地球でのストーリーを語り尽くすには、あと3年はかかるでしょう。

そのあとで「崩壊」シリーズの新章をお披露目したいと考えています。そのストーリーは、未来のキャラクターたちが惑星から惑星へと渡り歩き、多くの奇妙なエイリアンたちと出会うものになりそうです。

**「原神」がリリースされた今、プレイヤーに向けて伝えたいことはありますか。**

「原神」の開発というこの長旅を、miHoYoと一緒に歩んできてくださったプレイヤーのみなさんにはあらためて、心からお礼を申し上げます。

「原神」がこうして正式なリリースを迎えられたのも、ファンのみなさんの支えがあったからです。本当に感謝しています。そしてテイワットの世界で、みなさんにお目にかかれる時を楽しみにしています。もちろん、今後も「原神」をみなさんが待ち望んだようなゲームにすべく、全力でクオリティを磨き上げていきます。

## English

In October 1995, the Japanese anime *Neon Genesis Evangelion* aired for the first time.|vertical=1}}

This series about a teenage boy, mechas and mythology amazed the world and revolutionised the entire anime, comic and games (ACG) culture, and inspired countless viewers over the past two decades.

Among them were Liu Wei and his Shanghai Jiao Tong University Computer Science Department classmates, Cai Haoyu and Luo Yuhao. The trio were brought together by their shared passion for ACG culture and *Neon Genesis Evangelion*.

In 2011, Liu and his partners produced their first game, *FlyMe2theMoon*, a tribute epilogue to the *Neon Genesis Evangelion* TV series. As the name suggests, players undertake a journey to Earth’s natural satellite, playing as Kiana, a white-haired girl named after the Roman goddess of the moon.

> This is the first game character we created, so she is like our very own child.
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*FlyMe2theMoon* helped the team attract their first investors and in 2012 they founded miHoYo, a company initially of six. Their logo features the phrase, “Tech Otakus Save the World”.

The team believe strongly in creating a future with tech while “otaku” (meaning “geek” in Japanese) reflects their ultra-focused passion. The tech otakus of miHoYo entered the industry determined to step to the forefront with anime-inspired games and technological research.

In 2012 and 2014, miHoYo released the 2D side-scrolling shooter games *Zombiegal Kawaii* and *Guns GirlZ*, respectively, bringing the company a large fan base within ACG culture. Liu is not only CEO, he’s also responsible for R&D and customer service and has earned the nickname Brother Wei for often answering players’ questions in social media communities. This alter ego even appears in-game!

Kiana returns to star in both *Zombiegal Kawaii* and *Guns GirlZ*. Then in 2016, Kiana and miHoYo stepped onto a bigger stage with *Honkai Impact 3rd*.

This outstanding 3D action game surprised industry competitors and players alike with its refined quality for the mobile platform. But this acclaim was hard-earned. Liu and his partners built the game from scratch, digging through online resources to research 3D modelling and animation rendering techniques. It took countless painstaking days and nights until they finally wrote the first line of code.

> We have always firmly believed that technological revolutions drive the development of the entire entertainment experience.
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The game flourished from there, as did miHoYo. In the four years since *Honkai Impact 3rd* was released, the team has grown to over 1,000 employees and garnered an impressive amount of technological capability.

Mirroring miHoYo’s development, the playful young star Kiana has also grown into a heroine shouldering immense responsibilities. In the animated short Meteoric Salvation, Kiana once again found herself flying to the moon. But no longer on a flight of dreams, she was now risking her life to save a city by pushing a bomb towards the moon.

Now, miHoYo’s new title *Genshin Impact* is officially released. Over 400 otakus and three years of development have brought this game to life: an open-world adventure bursting with freedom and boldness that challenges the entire industry.

We had a chat with Brother Wei about his connection with players, the behind-the-scenes stories of *Genshin Impact*, the future of the *Honkai* universe and miHoYo’s message to players.

**Why did you decide to put the Brother Wei figure into the games?**

Our team was quite small in miHoYo’s early years. We didn’t do much formal marketing, so our main method of promotion was me interacting with the player community. Actually, for *Zombiegal Kawaii* I was also a customer service rep. Over time, I developed a friendly relationship with the players and they started to call me “Brother Wei”.

> I adored our players back then, as I do our players now.
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Later we had a community event and everyone said that we should design an image for Brother Wei. The most popular was a bald, featureless head with just the word “Wei” written on the face, so people would immediately know it was Brother Wei. We went with that and added it to the game.

This image symbolised the support and love players had for our game, and even for myself. We are very thankful for that. Both in the past and in the future, we have been and always will be a company that deeply appreciates our players.

**Will Brother Wei make a cameo in *Genshin Impact*?**

The most basic monsters you’ll encounter in *Genshin Impact* are hilichurls. The art team designed a special Brother Wei hilichurl that has the word “Wei” on its face.

In future versions, Brother Wei will be turned into a hilichurl for a visit to the land of Teyvat.

**Are there any especially memorable stories to tell about the development of *Genshin Impact?***

There was a period during the game development where we were under tremendous pressure. At that time I saw a comment from a player that really touched me — I get emotional thinking about it even now!

The comment essentially said, “*Honkai Impact 3rd* isn’t the game I have played the most, but it’s certainly the game I have the most feeling for. Now miHoYo is making *Genshin Impact*... As Murata Himeko [from *Honkai Impact 3rd*] would put it: ‘Keep your head up and continue on, miHoYo! The game may not be perfect now, but make it into the one everyone hopes it will be!’”

Players believed in us. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our fans, and this comment really motivated me to make the best game we could.

**You have created a massive open world in *Genshin Impact*. Is there any specific place you encourage players to check out in the game?**

Definitely explore the Chinese–style land of Liyue. We decided early on that one of the seven city-states in the game would be inspired by Chinese culture and architecture. Compared with the European–themed setting of Mondstadt, designing the region of Liyue was much more challenging.

We’ve integrated real-world elements of the pine and bamboo gardens of Suzhou, the canal town architecture of Huizhou, the breathtaking scenery of Huanglong and the reed marshes common in historical Chinese dramas. All of this imbues the game with a dramatic quality and natural beauty. The scenery, architecture and environment of Liyue are designed after the real-life scenic areas in Zhangjiajie, Guilin and Huanglong.

***Genshin Impact* boasts incredible graphics on the iPhone and iPad. How were you able to accomplish this?**

We have worked very closely with the Apple Developer Relations team throughout the game’s development. They gave us a lot of suggestions on how to use Metal 2 API, which really helped us achieve excellent graphics performance. The iPhone and iPad possess not just powerful hardware, but also provide optimal software integration. We are very satisfied with how well *Genshin Impact* runs on these devices.

**Many players have noticed that a character very similar to Kiana appears at the beginning of *Genshin Impact*. Is there any relation between the two?**

I would like to thank everyone for their continued attention to and adoration for Kiana! There are certainly many hidden clues to uncover in *Genshin Impact*. As to whether all the hypotheses are correct... we will just have to wait and see how the rest of the story unfolds.

> Players can find foreshadowing of later Teyvat city-states within the game’s story and dialogue. As for exactly when the game will take players to these new areas, that’s something to look forward to!
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**What kind of plans are there for the future development of the *Honkai* universe?**

In early July, we released the animated short Lament of the Fallen. At this point, we are actually about halfway through the full story. It will probably take three more years or so to finish telling the story of *Honkai Impact 3rd* on Earth.

After that, we will introduce a whole new chapter in the *Honkai* series. Future characters will be able to travel across planets and encounter all sorts of strange alien lifeforms as they continue the story.

**Now that *Genshin Impact* has been released, is there anything you would like to share with the players?**

Again, I’d like to sincerely thank all of our players for accompanying miHoYo on this entire journey over the development of *Genshin Impact*.

*Genshin Impact* wouldn’t be the game it is today without the support of our players. Thank you all so much, and I hope to have the opportunity to meet each and every one of you in the land of Teyvat! Of course, we’ll continue working hard to improve *Genshin Impact*, making it the game everyone hopes it will be.