Genshin Backlash Leaves Devs Feeling Defeated, "Useless"

Genshin Backlash Cause Devs to Feel Defeated and

HoYoverse president Liu Wei has candidly shared the emotional impact of relentless fan criticism on the Genshin Impact development team over the past year. His insights shed light on the challenges faced by the team amid a period of heightened player dissatisfaction.

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

Team Remains Committed to Improving Genshin and Listening to Fans

(c) SentientBamboo At a recent event in Shanghai, HoYoverse President Liu Wei opened up about the "anxiety and confusion" that the Genshin Impact team has endured due to harsh fan feedback. This candid admission follows a tumultuous year marked by growing unrest among the game's player base, particularly around the Lunar New Year 2024 and subsequent updates.

In a speech recorded and translated by the YouTube channel SentientBamboo, Liu detailed how the intense criticism affected the team. "Over the past year, both the Genshin team and I experienced a lot of anxiety and confusion," he stated. "We truly felt like we went through some really hard times. We heard a lot of noise, and some of it was really, really sharp, causing our entire project team to feel really useless."

Genshin Backlash Cause Devs to Feel Defeated and

Liu's comments come in the wake of several controversies surrounding Genshin Impact's recent updates, notably the 4.4 Lantern Rite event. Players expressed disappointment over the event rewards, particularly the meager three intertwined fates, which many deemed insufficient.

The dissatisfaction extended to comparisons with other HoYoverse titles like Honkai: Star Rail, with fans feeling that Genshin Impact lacked the exciting updates seen in other games. Additionally, Kuro Games' Wuthering Waves became a point of comparison, with fans critiquing the differences in gameplay and character movement.

The frustration peaked with the 4.5 Chronicled Banner, which introduced gacha mechanics that many found less favorable than the game's traditional Event Banners. Furthermore, some players criticized the game's direction, particularly regarding the representation of characters inspired by real-life cultures, accusing the developers of "whitewashing."

Genshin Backlash Cause Devs to Feel Defeated and

Despite the emotional toll, Liu remained visibly moved yet committed to addressing these concerns. "Some people felt that our project team was really arrogant, saying that they don’t listen to anything," he acknowledged. "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."

Liu expressed optimism for the future, emphasizing the team's dedication to enhancing the game and engaging with its community. "I know, even today, we still can't meet everyone's expectations. But after the anxiety and confusion the team and I experienced over the past year, I feel we also received a lot of courage and trust from our Travelers. So from now on, after I leave the stage, 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 teaser for the upcoming region, Natlan, was recently released on the game's official account, set to launch on August 28.