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

HoYoverse's president, Liu Wei, recently revealed the significant impact of negative player feedback on the Genshin Impact development team. This article delves into his comments and the challenges the game has faced.

Genshin Devs Overwhelmed by Negative Fan Feedback

Team Remains Dedicated to Improvement and Player Communication

According to a translated recording by SentientBamboo on YouTube, Wei described the criticism's profound effect: "Over the past year, both the Genshin team and I experienced significant anxiety and confusion. We went through incredibly difficult times. The intense criticism made the entire team feel useless."

These comments followed several controversies, including the 4.4 Lantern Rite event, where the rewards (three intertwined fates) were deemed insufficient by many players.

The perceived lack of substantial updates compared to other HoYoverse titles like Honkai: Star Rail fueled negative reviews and backlash. Comparisons to Kuro Games' Wuthering Waves, particularly regarding gameplay and character movement, further intensified criticism.

The 4.5 Chronicled Banner's gacha mechanics also drew considerable negative attention, as did concerns about the representation of characters inspired by real-world cultures, with accusations of "whitewashing" or misrepresentation.

While visibly emotional, Wei acknowledged these concerns: "Some felt our team was arrogant and unresponsive. But we're gamers too; we understand player feelings. We were overwhelmed and needed to filter the feedback to understand true player sentiment."

Despite the challenges, Liu expressed optimism, reaffirming the team's commitment to improvement and communication: "We can't meet everyone's expectations, but the past year's challenges have also brought courage and trust from our players. Moving forward, let's focus on creating the best possible experience."