Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact (, GHEN-shin, Chinese: 原神; pinyin: Yuánshén; lit. 'Primordial God') is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed and published by miHoYo. It is distributed outside China by miHoYo's international subsidiary Cognosphere, also known as HoYoverse. At its core, the game features an anime-style open-world environment, an action-focused battle system consisting of elemental magic with character-switching, and a mythical main story. Genshin Impact is a free-to-play game monetized through gacha mechanics, which is updated regularly using the games as a service model. It was originally released for Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Windows, followed by the PlayStation 5 in 2021, and Xbox Series X/S in 2024. In China, a native port for HarmonyOS NEXT was released on September 2025. Support from PlayStation 4 was removed on April 2026. Genshin Impact takes inspiration from a variety of sources, including the game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, anime, Gnosticism, and an array of real-world cultures and mythologies. The game takes place in the fantasy world of Teyvat, home to seven nations each tied to a different element and ruled by individual gods called "Archons". The story follows the Traveler, an interstellar adventurer left separated from their twin sibling after the two land in Teyvat. Together with their guide Paimon, the Traveler journeys across the nations of Teyvat in search of their lost sibling. Along the way, the two make friends with Teyvat's people, become involved in the affairs of its nations, and unravel the mysteries of the land. Genshin Impact has received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its combat mechanics and open-world system, but some criticism has been directed at its endgame and its monetization model. The game has also been involved in controversies over censorship of content related to Chinese politics, as well as privacy and...