Genshin Impact Outcry Demoralizes Devs

HoYoverse CEO 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 Feedback

Team Committed to Improvement and Player Communication

(c) SentientBamboo Liu Wei described the "anxiety and confusion" within the Genshin Impact team stemming from intense criticism over the past year. Speaking at a Shanghai event, he highlighted the difficulties following a period of significant player dissatisfaction, particularly around the Lunar New Year 2024 updates.

According to a translated recording by SentientBamboo, Wei detailed the team's emotional response to the negative feedback: "Over the past year, both the Genshin team and I experienced a lot of anxiety and confusion...We heard a lot of noise, and some of it was really, really sharp, causing our entire project team to feel really useless."

This statement follows several controversies surrounding recent updates, including the 4.4 Lantern Rite event, criticized for insufficient rewards. Comparisons to other HoYoverse titles like Honkai: Star Rail, and even Kuro Games' Wuthering Waves, fueled negative reviews and backlash. The 4.5 Chronicled Banner's gacha mechanics and perceived cultural misrepresentation of certain characters also contributed to the negative sentiment.

While visibly emotional, Wei acknowledged player concerns, stating, "Some people felt that our project team was really arrogant...But it’s like [presenter] Aquaria said – we’re actually the same as everyone, we are also gamers. We simply heard too much noise. We needed to calm down and discern the true voices of the Travelers."

Despite the challenges, Liu reaffirmed the team's dedication to improvement and listening to player feedback. He expressed hope for the future, stating, "I know, even today, we still can't meet everyone's expectations. But...I feel we also received a lot of courage and trust from our Travelers. So from now on...I hope that the entire Genshin team along with all the Genshin players can stop weighing on their pasts and whole-heartedly create the best experience."

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