Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is a 2020 action role-playing game produced by miHoYo (HoYoverse).
The game features an anime-style open world and an action-based battle system using elemental magic and character-switching. It is free-to-play, monetized through gacha mechanics, and updated regularly. It was released on multiple platforms including Android, iOS, PlayStation, Windows, and Xbox.
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.
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 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.
Elemental combat
Playable characters control one of seven natural elements: Anemo (air), Geo (earth), Pyro (fire), Hydro (water), Cryo (ice), Electro (electricity), or Dendro (plants). Elemental interactions produce various effects.
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 has two combat abilities: an “Elemental Skill” and an “Elemental Burst”. Elemental Skills have a cooldown and can be used anytime, while Elemental Bursts are ultimate attacks that require sufficient elemental energy. Using Skills and Bursts to trigger elemental reactions is central to gameplay, and some abilities are needed to solve overworld puzzles.
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 optional game mode. The game uses turn-based battles. With a deck of three characters and 30 supporting cards, players win by knocking down all the opponent’s 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 game mode. Players can challenge NPCs, playable characters, and other real players in co-op mode. 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.
Commercial performance
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 mal
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | TapTap Game Awards | Game of the Year | Won | [159] |
| Golden Joystick Awards | Ultimate Game of the Year | Nominated | [160] | |
| App Store Best of 2020 | iPhone Game of the Year | Won | [161] | |
| Google Play Awards | Best Game | Won | [162] | |
| Google Play Users’ Choice Awards | Best Game | Nominated | [163] | |
| The Game Awards 2020 | Best Mobile Game | Nominated | [164] | |
| Best Role Playing Game | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Apple Design Awards | Visual and Graphics | Won | [165] |
| Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards | People’s Choice | Nominated | [166] | |
| Best Audio / Visual Accomplishment | Won | |||
| Game of the Year | Won | |||
| Golden Joystick Awards | Still Playing Award | Nominated | [167] | |
| PlayStation Partner Awards | Grand Award | Won | [168] | |
| The Game Awards 2021 | Best Mobile Game | Won | [169] | |
| Best Ongoing Game | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Golden Joystick Awards | Still Playing Award | Won | [170] |
| Google Play Awards | Best Ongoing | Won | [171] | |
| PlayStation Partner Awards | Grand Award | Won | [172] | |
| The Game Awards 2022 | Best Ongoing Game | Nominated | [173] | |
| Best Mobile Game | Nominated | |||
| Players’ Voice | Won | |||
| 2023 | Golden Joystick Awards | Still Playing Award | Nominated | [174] |
| PlayStation Partner Awards | Grand Award | Won | [175] | |
| The Game Awards 2023 | Best Ongoing Game | Nominated | [176] | |
| Players’ Voice | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | 20th British Academy Games Awards | Evolving Game | Nominated | [177] |
| Gamescom Awards | Best Mobile Game | Won | [178] | |
| PlayStation Partner Awards | Excellence Award | Won | [179] | |
| The Game Awards 2024 | Players’ Voice | Nominated | [180] | |
| 2025 | Gamingonphone Awards 2025 | Best Ongoing Game | Nominated | [181] |
| Best Mobile Game | Nominated | [182] |
Collaborations
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 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, Genshin Impact partnered with at least 14 brands, including Lawson, Alipay, and Amap in the second half of 2022.
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. It is translated into various 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 social media 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.
