HoYoverse's president, Liu Wei, recently shared the impact of harsh 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 Remains Dedicated to Improvement and Player Feedback
(c) SentientBamboo Liu Wei described the "anxiety and confusion" caused by intense criticism following the Lunar New Year 2024 updates. In a speech (translated by SentientBamboo on YouTube), he revealed the profound effect of negative feedback: "Over the past year, the Genshin team and I experienced significant anxiety and confusion. We faced incredibly difficult times. The overwhelming criticism made the entire team feel useless."
This statement followed a series of controversies, including the 4.4 Lantern Rite event's underwhelming rewards (three intertwined fates). Many players felt updates lacked the excitement of other HoYoverse titles like Honkai: Star Rail, leading to negative reviews and backlash. Comparisons to Kuro Games' Wuthering Waves, particularly regarding gameplay and character movement, further fueled discontent.
The 4.5 Chronicled Banner's gacha mechanics also drew criticism, as did concerns about the portrayal of characters inspired by real-world cultures.
While visibly emotional, Wei acknowledged these concerns: "Some felt our team was arrogant and unresponsive. But we're gamers too; we understand these feelings. The volume of criticism was overwhelming; we needed to calm down and identify genuine player feedback."
Despite the challenges, Wei expressed optimism and reaffirmed the team's commitment to improvement and community engagement: "We can't meet everyone's expectations, but the past year has also brought courage and trust from our players. Let's move forward, leaving the past behind, to create the best possible experience."
In other news, a Natlan preview teaser was recently released, showcasing the upcoming region, launching August 28th.
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