Genshin Backlash Leaves Devs Feeling Defeated, "Useless"

HoYoverse president Liu Wei has recently shared insights into the emotional impact that harsh fan feedback has had on the Genshin Impact development team over the past year. Delve into his comments and understand the challenging times the game has faced.

Genshin Devs Felt Defeated and "Useless" Amid Continuous Negative Feedback from Fans

Team Remains Committed to Improving Genshin and Listening to Fans

In his speech, which was recorded and translated by the YouTube channel SentientBamboo, Liu Wei highlighted the profound effect of fan criticism on the team. "Over the past year, both the Genshin team and I have experienced a lot of anxiety and confusion," he shared. "We truly felt like we went through some really hard times. We heard a lot of noise, and some of it was really, really sharp, causing our entire project team to feel really useless."

Liu Wei's statements followed a series of controversies related to Genshin Impact's recent updates, notably the 4.4 Lantern Rite event. The event rewards, particularly the three intertwined fates offered, were met with disappointment from fans who felt they were inadequate and mediocre.

The player base's frustration was further fueled by comparisons to other HoYoverse titles like Honkai: Star Rail, which seemed to offer more exciting updates. Additionally, Kuro Games’ new RPG, Wuthering Waves, became a benchmark for fans, highlighting disparities in gameplay and character movement between the two games.

The discontent reached a peak with the 4.5 Chronicled Banner, which introduced gacha mechanics that many found less favorable than the game's traditional Event Banners. Moreover, some players criticized the game's direction, particularly regarding the representation of characters inspired by real-life cultures, accusing the developers of "whitewashing" or misrepresentation.

Despite the visible emotion during his speech, Liu Wei took the opportunity to address these concerns directly. "Some people felt that our project team was really arrogant, saying that they don’t listen to anything," he acknowledged. "But it’s like [presenter] Aquaria said – we’re actually the same as everyone, we are also gamers. We all feel things other people feel too. We simply heard too much noise. We needed to calm down and discern the true voices of the Travelers."

Despite these challenges, Liu Wei expressed optimism about the game's future and its relationship with fans, reaffirming the team's commitment to improvement and responsiveness to the player community. "I know, even today, we still can't meet everyone's expectations. But after the anxiety and confusion the team and I experienced over the past year, I feel we also received a lot of courage and trust from our Travelers. So from now on, after I leave the stage, 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."