Genshin Backlash Cause Devs to Feel Defeated and \"Useless\"

HoYoverse president Liu Wei recently revealed the significant impact of harsh fan feedback on the Genshin Impact development team over the past year. His comments shed light on a tumultuous period for the game.

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

Team Remains Committed to Improving Genshin and Listening to Fans

(c) SentientBamboo In a recent Shanghai event, HoYoverse President Liu Wei addressed the "anxiety and confusion" within the *Genshin Impact* development team stemming from intense player criticism, particularly following the Lunar New Year 2024 updates. Wei described a difficult period, stating, "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 followed several controversies surrounding recent updates, including the 4.4 Lantern Rite event, criticized for its meager rewards (three intertwined fates). Many players expressed frustration with the perceived lack of substantial updates compared to titles like Honkai: Star Rail, resulting in negative reviews and backlash. Wuthering Waves, from Kuro Games, further fueled the comparison, with players pointing out gameplay and character movement differences.

The 4.5 Chronicled Banner's gacha mechanics also drew criticism, as did the overall game direction, with some players citing concerns about the portrayal of characters inspired by real-world cultures.

While visibly emotional, Wei acknowledged these concerns: "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 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 the challenges, Liu expressed optimism, reaffirming the team's commitment to improvement and community engagement. "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 Natlan region was recently released, with its official launch scheduled for August 28th.