Genshin Backlash Leaves Devs Feeling Defeated and Useless

HoYoverse president Liu Wei has recently shared insights into the emotional toll that harsh fan feedback has had on the Genshin Impact development team over the past year. Dive into his reflections and the challenging period the game has faced.

Genshin Devs Felt Defeated and Useless Following Continuous Negative Feedback from Fans

Team Remains Committed to Improving Genshin and Listening to Fans

At a recent event in Shanghai, HoYoverse President Liu Wei candidly discussed the "anxiety and confusion" that the Genshin Impact development team has endured due to intense fan criticism over the past year. This discussion comes after a period of growing dissatisfaction among the player base, particularly highlighted around the Lunar New Year 2024 and subsequent updates.

In a speech translated by the YouTube channel SentientBamboo, Liu Wei expressed the profound impact of the criticism on the team. "Over the past year, both the Genshin team and I have experienced significant anxiety and confusion," he shared. "We truly felt like we went through some very difficult times. We were overwhelmed by the noise, some of which was extremely sharp, leading our entire project team to feel utterly useless."

These statements follow a series of controversies surrounding recent Genshin Impact updates, notably the 4.4 Lantern Rite event. Players expressed disappointment with the event's rewards, particularly the three intertwined fates, which many deemed inadequate. This dissatisfaction extended to comparisons with other HoYoverse titles like Honkai: Star Rail, leading to a surge in negative reviews and backlash. Additionally, Kuro Games' RPG title, Wuthering Waves, became a point of comparison, with fans critiquing the differences in gameplay and character movement.

The frustrations peaked with the 4.5 Chronicled Banner, which introduced gacha mechanics that were less favorably received than the game's traditional Event Banners. The game's direction also faced scrutiny, with some players feeling that characters inspired by real-life cultures were misrepresented or "whitewashed."

Despite his emotional state, Liu Wei acknowledged these concerns during his address. "Some felt that our project team was arrogant, not listening to feedback," he admitted. "But as Aquaria pointed out, we are gamers too, and we feel the same emotions as everyone else. We were overwhelmed by the noise and needed to calm down to hear the true voices of our Travelers."

Looking forward, Liu expressed optimism for Genshin Impact's future and its community, reaffirming the team's dedication to enhancing the game and engaging with player feedback. "Even today, we may not meet everyone's expectations. But after the anxiety and confusion we've faced, we've also received much courage and trust from our Travelers. Moving forward, I hope that the entire Genshin team and all our players can focus on creating the best experience without being weighed down by the past."