Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is a 2020 action role-playing game produced by miHoYo. 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 are 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 real-world cultures and world mythologies. Genshin Impact has received generally positive reviews, with critics 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, and privacy and security concerns.
Gameplay
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 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, in which up to four players can play together. 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", obtainable through in-app purchases or as gameplay rewards, 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.
Elemental combat
have control over one of seven natural elements: Anemo, Geo, Pyro, Hydro, Cryo, Electro, and Dendro. 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, 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 increases the party's combat capabilities. Certain elemental abilities are also required to solve puzzles within the overworld.
''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. 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.''Miliastra Wonderland''
A sandbox and game creation gameplay system called Miliastra Wonderland was released in the game's "Luna II" update in October 2025. The system lets players create and share their work using an array of assets, terrain, and enemies already within Genshin Impact, navigated by the Wonderland Manekin, a new customizable character obtained by unlocking Miliastra Wonderland. GamesRadar+ called it a user-generated content mode, comparing it to Roblox and The Sims.Story
Setting and characters
| Nation | Element | Capital City | Archon | Designation | Vessel | Ideal | Governing Faction |
| Mondstadt | Anemo | Mondstadt City | Barbatos | Lord Barbatos | Venti | Freedom | Knights of Favonius |
| Liyue | Geo | Liyue Harbor | Morax | Rex Lapis | Zhongli | Contracts | Liyue Qixing |
| Inazuma | Electro | Inazuma City | Beelzebul | Raiden Shogun | Raiden Ei | Eternity | Inazuma Shogunate |
| Sumeru | Dendro | Sumeru City | Buer | Lesser Lord Kusanali | Nahida | Wisdom | Sumeru Akademiya |
| Fontaine | Hydro | Court of Fontaine | Focalors | Regina of All Waters, Kindreds, Peoples, and Laws | Furina de Fontaine | Justice | Palais Mermonia |
| Natlan | Pyro | Stadium of the Sacred Flame | Haborym | Kiongozi | Mavuika | War | Speaker's Chamber |
| Nod-Krai | Nasha Town | Voynich Guild | |||||
| Snezhnaya | Cryo | Snezhnograd | Tsaritsa | Anastasya | |||
| Khaenri'ah |
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. Additionally, the floating island of Celestia hangs above Teyvat, which is described as home to the gods, as well as mortals who have ascended to godhood. Underground lies the ruins of Khaenri'ah, a mysterious nation which was destroyed by Celestia 500 years before the main events of the game.
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. 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 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 or Lumine, 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 existing world order, and the Fatui, a delegation of diplomats from Snezhnaya who pursue an aggressive foreign policy throughout Teyvat and who also seek to overthrow the Heavenly Principles. The Heavenly Principles is the divine ruler of Teyvat. The Traveler's twin is 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. Both factions seek to overthrow the Heavenly Principles.
Plot
A pair of interworld-traveling twins, Aether and Lumine, are in Teyvat just as Khaenri'ah collapses. A mysterious god calling herself the "Sustainer of Heavenly Principles" attacks, separates them, and seals the playable twin for five centuries. When the Traveler awakens, they rescue Paimon, who becomes their guide as they begin searching for their lost sibling.Their journey begins in the city of Mondstadt, where the corrupted dragon Stormterror threatens the city. With the Knights of Favonius and the bard Venti — secretly the Anemo Archon Barbatos — the Traveler purifies the dragon, only for La Signora of the Fatui to steal Venti's Gnosis. Following his advice, they travel to Liyue to witness Geo Archon Rex Lapis's annual rite, but he instead appears to have been assassinated. With the help of Zhongli and Tartaglia, the Traveler uncovers a Fatui scheme: Tartaglia provokes chaos to seize the Geo Gnosis, even summoning the ancient god Osial. After the crisis, Zhongli reveals he was Rex Lapis all along and has retired after exchanging his Gnosis with the Tsaritsa.
Back in Mondstadt, the Traveler meets a man named Dainsleif and discovers their twin now leads the Abyss Order. Refusing to reunite, the twin disappears, leaving only more questions. The Traveler then journeys to Inazuma, a nation locked down under the Raiden Shogun's Sakoku Decree. They face the Shogun, join the resistance, and ultimately confront Signora and Raiden Ei herself, which resulted in the death of Signora, the end of the oppressive decree, and the learning of deeper Fatui involvement.
Sumeru reveals another coup: the governing Akademiya, aided by the Fatui Harbinger Il Dottore, attempts to turn Scaramouche into a god. With Nahida's help, the Traveler stops the plot, enters the world tree Irminsul, and witnesses the erasure of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's existence from Teyvat. Dottore later bargains away the Dendro and Electro Gnoses, leaving the Traveler with unsettling truths about Celestia and their sibling.
In Fontaine, they unravel a prophecy foretelling the nation's demise via a flood, expose the truth behind Furina and Focalors' divided existence, and witness Neuvillette reclaim his power as Hydro Sovereign. He directs them toward Natlan, where a looming Abyss threat, ancient warriors, and the Traveler’s evolving connection to their sibling push events toward a new conflict — one tied to the origins of Teyvat, the fate of the Sinner Lords, and the Traveler’s own arrival in Teyvat.
In Nod-Krai, the Traveler's group pursues the Moon Marrow and learns about the Wild Hunt, an Abyssal monster group that is controlled by Rerir, a dangerous Sinner from Khaenri'ah trying to regain form after being split into pieces. After battles, illusions, and alliances with Columbina, Arlecchino, and Varka, they outmaneuver Rerir, trap him through memory manipulation, and finally banish him from Teyvat. However, Dottore ambushes and steals the two Moon Marrows from Columbina after a festival and creates an artificial Moon Marrow to become a god. The Traveler and their allies manage to stop Dottore, retrieving the two Moon Marrows and presumably killing him in the process.
Development
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 first revealed the game in June 2019 at E3 2019. The game was developed using the Unity Engine with a development and marketing budget of around. Between the announcement and release closed beta tests were held, allowing invited players to explore and interact with the open world.File:1 tianzishan wulingyuan zhangjiajie 2012.jpg|thumb|right|miHoYo took inspirations from real life locations, such as Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in the Hunan province of China, whilst developing the world of Teyvat.
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.
The overall artistic vision of the game was intended to combine an anime style with elements from real-world cultures.
During the initial stages of design for the game's characters, the production team frequently exchanged ideas, and after production began, they engaged in long-term drawing and adjustments. The most challenging part for them was incorporating the ideas and settings of all involved parties into the game and expressing the details of the characters' backgrounds through character design. The combat system was also designed based on the characters. The production team first created animation drafts based on factors such as the characters' appearances and personalities. The plot and game mechanics frequently changed or required adjustments, which meant that the combat system also needed partial modifications, extending the time required for completion of the project. The elemental reaction system was inspired by real-world chemical reactions.
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. The approach to creating the soundtrack is to immerse players within the game, and provide what Chen describes as 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. In contrast, the battle themes use polyphony and other composing techniques, as well as mimicking orchestration elements from composers such as Beethoven.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.
Release
Closed beta testing for the game began on June 21, 2020. In August, miHoYo announced at ChinaJoy that Genshin Impact would be released on the PlayStation 4 in 2020. On January 4, 2020, miHoYo officially announced a Nintendo Switch version, but did not provide a release date for it. They launched a second closed beta test for players using iOS, Android and PC on March 19, 2020. 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. On August 20, 2024, the first day of Gamescom, miHoYo announced a November 20 release date for the game on the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles.Shortly after the game's release, miHoYo announced a schedule of content updates for the next few months. These content updates were scheduled to be implemented in the game every six weeks. Future additional patches would add more events and new areas for players to explore. As a long-term project, much of the game's content has yet to be completed. At the time of release, only two of the game's seven main areas had been released, and miHoYo anticipated that the game's story would take several years to complete.
In August 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.
Reception
Pre-release
When the game was first unveiled at the ChinaJoy convention in 2019, it was 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 Impacts unique identity and features.Post-release
Genshin Impact received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic. The open world of Teyvat drew praise; IGN Travis Northup described Teyvat as "a world that is absolutely bursting at the seams with possibilities", and Hardcore Gamer Jordan Helm described it as "one big environmental puzzle". Liyue in particular was picked out by Kotaku 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 "he gameplay loop of collection, upgrading, and customization is captivating and compelling". The execution of gameplay impressed Pocket Gamer, and Destructoid 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". Across all platforms, the game is estimated to have grossed nearly by the end of 2022, representing the highest ever first-year launch revenue for any video game.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. Youxiputao editors Guopu and Grey Pigeon 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.
In 2025, the Federal Trade Commission announced that miHoYo had agreed to a settlement of as a result of its loot boxes and misleading players about their odds of winning limited-time prizes such as characters and weapons. According to the Bureau of Consumer Protection director Samuel Levine, players spent "hundreds of dollars on prizes they stood little chance of winning," and according to The Verge writers Makena Kelly and Wes Davis, loot boxes have been compared to a form of legal gambling. The complaint also accused the developers of marketing itself to children using approaches such as social media posts and collecting their personal information in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The settlement would require miHoYo to delete data for children under age 15 unless their parents have consented to their data being collected and to "disclose exchange rates for multi-tiered virtual currency", and they would also be banned from selling loot boxes to teens under 16 without parental consent. miHoYo stated in response to the settlement that they agreed to it because they value the trust placed in them by their fans and that they would "increase in-game disclosures around virtual currency and rewards for players in the U.S. in the coming months." The company followed through on their promise in early May for Genshin Impact and late May for its other games Honkai: Star Rail and Tears of Themis, and in late June for Honkai Impact 3rd and Zenless Zone Zero.
Commercial performance
On mobile platforms, Genshin Impact saw 23 million downloads and grossed approximately within a week after its release. Within two weeks, that figure rose to over, recouping its development and marketing budget. Its strong performance continued through October 2020 as the game was the highest-grossing game worldwide in 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 two months after release and over 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. It became the world's third highest-grossing mobile game of 2021, with grossed that year.
Across all platforms, the game is estimated to have grossed nearly 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 among iOS users in China alone. The mobile version grossed a further between January and March 2022, adding up to more than grossed as of 2022.
The game's commercial success has been attributed to its visual design and use of Chinese cultural references.
Collaborations
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. 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", which began operating domestic and international routes for Juneyao Airlines on November 8.
Outside Mainland China, on July 29, 2021, Japan's Sweets Paradise announced that starting from September 1, all twelve 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.
In December 2025, language learning app Duolingo announced a partnership with Genshin Impact whereby learners in select regions who completed a 3-day streak would receive a code to redeem in-game.
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. In addition, animated videos teasing its story, characters and combat are regularly released on Genshin Impacts 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.
In fall 2025, an official Genshin Impact cookbook by Thibaud Villanova, titled Genshin Impact Official Cookbook: Culinary Journeys Across Teyvat, was published, containing recipes for in-game dishes from the nations of Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, and Sumeru.
Controversies
Account security concerns
The game has been criticized for initially lacking security features common 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 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.
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. 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. 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 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.