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Topics: Genshin Impact, Indie Games, PlayStation, PlayStation 4, Free Games
Topics: Genshin Impact, Indie Games, PlayStation, PlayStation 4, Free Games
A very important feature is being removed from a huge RPG ahead of the game being shut down.
Whether we like it or not, live-service games are going nowhere. Because if a publisher and developer can hit the proverbial nail on the head, it can be an instant cash cow for months, if not years to come.
However, a major issue in making it big in the live-service market is easier said than done. Developers and publishers are desperate to be the next Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone and GTA Online.
Unfortunately for those developers and publishers, there’s more of a chance of its game being the next colossal flop, following in the footsteps of Concord, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Radical Heights (remember that game?)
One game that is in no way, shape, or form a colossal live-service flop is the free-to-play, anime-inspired, Gotcha RPG, Genshin Impact, developed and published by miHoYo.
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Originally released in 2020 on PC, PlayStation 4 and mobile devices, before being ported to other platforms, to say that Genshin Impact has been a huge financial success would be an understatement.
According to Business of Apps, at its peak, Genshin Impact made a whopping $1.9 billion in revenue as of 2022, and while that number dropped to $0.7 billion in 2024, it’s still far more than most games could ever dream of making.
Of course, being a free-to-play game, that revenue is generated by the players who are more than willing to splash the cash on microtransactions. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that some players may have spent thousands in Genshin Impact over the years.
However, as reported by Comicbook.com, some of those players who have spent money in Genshin Impact face the distinct possibility that all of those purchases will go to waste in the coming weeks.
In 2025, miHoYo announced that Genshin Impact would be delisted on the PlayStation 4, meaning that once it’s been removed, no one will be able to access the game on that platform. No matter how much money they’ve spent.
Genshin Impact was eventually removed from the PlayStation 4’s PSN Store in September 2025, and as of today (25 February 2026), it’s no longer possible to make in-game purchases via its store. Then, on 8 April 2026, Genshin Impact will be taken offline on PS4 for good.
Simply put, it means that huge amounts of money spent could be going to waste. Not only will the game be removed on PS4, but so too will all in-game purchases, with no refunds offered. Sadly, this is the nature of a live-service game. At any point, a developer and publisher can close a live-service game whenever it deems fit.
Not entirely. While the game will soon no longer be accessible on PlayStation 4, it is a cross-platform title for PC, Xbox Series X/S and mobile devices, as well as the PlayStation 5.
Cross-purchases were never always a thing in Genshin Impact, that was until update version 5.8 arrived in July 2025. From this point, all purchases were accessible across all platforms with a linked account.
It might be bad news for those who exclusively play on PlayStation 4, but at least there are other platforms to play Genshin Impact that bring over all your in-game purchases. So at least, not all hope is lost.