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

HoYoverse's president, Liu Wei, recently shared the impact of negative player feedback on the Genshin Impact development team. His comments shed light on a challenging year for the game and its creators.

Genshin Impact Developers Overwhelmed by Negative Fan Response

Team Committed to Improvement and Player Feedback

(c) SentientBamboo Liu Wei described the "anxiety and confusion" stemming from intense criticism, particularly following the Lunar New Year 2024 updates. In a speech (translated by SentientBamboo on YouTube), he revealed the team felt "useless" amidst the overwhelming negative feedback.

This follows several controversies, including the 4.4 Lantern Rite event's perceived inadequate rewards (three intertwined fates) and comparisons to other HoYoverse titles like Honkai: Star Rail. The 4.5 Chronicled Banner's gacha mechanics and concerns about cultural representation in character design also fueled criticism. Wuthering Waves, from Kuro Games, further contributed to the comparative discussions amongst the player base.

Wei acknowledged the criticism, including accusations of arrogance, but emphasized the team's shared gamer identity and the need to filter constructive feedback from the noise. He expressed visible emotion during his address.

Despite the challenges, Wei expressed optimism and reaffirmed the team's dedication to improvement and community engagement. He hopes to move forward, focusing on creating a positive player experience.

In other news, a preview for the Natlan region was recently released, with its official launch scheduled for August 28th.