Genshin Impact, the free-to-play action role-playing game released in September, has generated more than $100 million in revenue.
Goodness gracious, that's a lot of gravy. The game is a runaway success in Japan, Korea, and China, as well as finding footing in the west. And, although it launched for PC, PlayStation 4, iOS, Android, and Switch, the game has been downloaded more than 17 million times on mobile devices alone. As a result, it's the biggest international launch of a Chinese game... ever. Developer miHoYo is expected to have spent approximately $100 million to make the game, so the studio is now seeing the return of their efforts. Tidy.
If you aren't appraised of Genshin Impact, the short story is that it looks a lot like The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, but anime. Its bright and cel-shaded world is home to a number of nations who worship a god associated with the nation's natural element. The player, who is awoken from a strange slumber after one of these gods absorbs their twin sibling in the past, then travels the world to find their missing brother or sister.
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As well as a story mode, there is a buzzing multiplayer mode which lets up to four players play together and also complete certain dungeons within the game. Elemental attacks and abilities are the modus operandi in Genshin Impact, and each character boasts different advantages and disadvantages on the field. Rare characters, weapons, and other resources are available through gacha game mechanics, and this aspect has been a point of contention for players.
Furthermore, Genshin Impact's chat censors words such as "Taiwan," "Hong Kong," and "Tibet." There's a theory, supplied by industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, that this is due to Chinese regulatory practices prohibiting content that "threatens China's national unity, sovereignty, or territorial integrity." miHoYo is a developer based in and working out of mainland China, and so, it abides by its country's laws. However, the chat filter also bans words like "Putin," "Hitler," and "words," so it's likely to be one blanket list that the developer is using.
Featured Image Credit: miHoYoTopics: Genshin Impact