Genshin Impact's Criticism Leaves Developers Devastated

HoYoverse's president, Liu Wei, recently shared the impact of negative player feedback on the Genshin Impact development team. His comments shed light on a challenging year for the game and its creators.

Genshin Impact Developers Overwhelmed by Negative Fan Reaction

Team Committed to Improvement and Community Engagement

(c) SentientBamboo Liu Wei described the "anxiety and confusion" experienced by the Genshin Impact team due to intense criticism over the past year, particularly following the Lunar New Year 2024 updates. In a speech (translated by SentientBamboo on YouTube), he revealed the team felt "useless" amidst the overwhelmingly negative response.

This statement follows a series of controversies surrounding recent updates, including the 4.4 Lantern Rite event's underwhelming rewards (three intertwined fates) and the 4.5 Chronicled Banner's unpopular gacha mechanics. Comparisons to other HoYoverse titles like Honkai: Star Rail and Kuro Games' Wuthering Waves further fueled player dissatisfaction, with concerns raised about update frequency, gameplay mechanics, and character representation. Some players criticized the perceived "whitewashing" of characters inspired by real-world cultures.

While visibly emotional, Wei acknowledged player concerns, addressing accusations of arrogance. He emphasized the team's shared gamer identity and the need to filter constructive feedback from overwhelming negativity.

Despite the challenges, Wei expressed optimism, reaffirming the team's dedication to improvement and community engagement. He hopes for a collaborative future, moving past past difficulties to create a better player experience.

In other news, a preview for the Natlan region was recently released, with its official launch scheduled for August 28th.