Update 1/19/25: Hoyoverse has provided a statement regarding its settlement. It reads:
“Animation-style games and shows are well-received by global audiences and players across various ages. Genshin Impact is a popular free-to-play, anime-style game designed for older teens and adults. While we believe many of the FTC’s allegations are inaccurate, we agreed to this settlement because we value the trust of our community and share a commitment to transparency for our players. Under the agreement, we will introduce new age-gate and parental consent protections for children and young teens and increase our in-game disclosures around virtual currency and rewards for players in the U.S. In the coming months.”
The Original Story continues below:
Genshin Impact publisher HoYoverse has settled with the US Federal Trade Commission, with the game publisher being hit with a massive $20 million fine. The fine is due to the way the game's gacha works, as well as its handling of minors' data, with the US federal government accusing Genshin Impact of deceiving its players, particularly children and teens, into spending real money when the odds of gaining what was wanted were very low.
Genshin Impact has been an extremely popular mobile game, but it has also received numerous complaints from players regarding its gacha system. In order to acquire new characters to fight with and to acquire weaponry for them, players participate in the game's "Wish" gacha system, similar to a loot box, letting players perform a pull for a chance at what the gacha's current banner is offering. However, the odds involved and the age of the audience targeted were things the FTC took issue with.
Genshin Impact Leaks New Imaginarium Theater Poses for Version 5.4
A recent leak in the Genshin Impact community reveals four new Imaginarium Theater poses that players will be able to purchase in Version 5.4.
Now, a settlement has been reached, with HoYoverse required to pay a $20 million fine, which will be taken by the US Treasury. The FTC claims that HoYoverse has spent millions of dollars to promote its Genshin Impact gacha system, including a particular sponsored video with SSSniperwolf back in 2021. In the video, which SSSniperwolf was paid $100,000 for, the streamer "wished" 12 times in succession, and successfully got Zhongli, the 5-star banner character at the time. The FTC alleged that the video was edited to make the gacha seem more rewarding than it actually was, noting that it wasn't possible to wish 12 times in a row uninterrupted, and that the animation was abnormal, perhaps indicating that the wishes were scripted and pre-determined.
FTC Takes Issue with Minors Playing Genshin Impact
The settlement also covers alleged mishandling of data involving minors, as well as targeting them for Genshin Impact gacha purchases. In addition to producing the multi-million dollar fine, HoYoverse has agreed to no longer sell gacha wishes to any users under the age of 16 without parental consent. All personal information from children under the age of 13 will be deleted by the company, and gacha wishes must be made available to purchase with real money, rather than first converting it to an in-game currency.
A spokesperson for the game commented on the agreement, indicating that HoYoverse does not admit any wrongdoing, claiming "many" of the allegations are incorrect. However, the company has agreed to the terms because the company wants to ensure the trust of Genshin Impact's playerbase. The new settlement must be approved by a judge, but it seems unlikely for it to be thrown out.
Genshin Impact
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 28, 2020
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Publisher(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.
You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.
Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds...
MASSIVE OPEN WORLD
Climb any mountain, swim across any river, and glide over the world below, taking in the jaw-dropping scenery each step of the way. And if you stop to investigate a wandering Seelie or strange mechanism, who knows what you might discover?
ELEMENTAL COMBAT SYSTEM
Harness the seven elements to unleash elemental reactions. Anemo, Electro, Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, Dendro, and Geo interact in all sorts of ways, and Vision wielders have the power to turn this to their advantage.
Will you vaporize Hydro with Pyro, electro-charge it with Electro, or freeze it with Cryo? Your mastery of the elements will give you the upper hand in battle and exploration.
BEAUTIFUL VISUALS
Feast your eyes on the world around you, with a stunning art style, real-time rendering, and finely tuned character animations delivering you a truly immersive visual experience. Lighting and weather all change naturally over time, bringing every detail of this world to life.
SOOTHING SOUNDTRACK
Let the beautiful sounds of Teyvat draw you in as you explore the expansive world around you. Performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the soundtrack changes seamlessly with the time and gameplay to match the mood.
BUILD YOUR DREAM TEAM
Team up with a diverse cast of characters in Teyvat, each with their own unique personalities, stories, and abilities. Discover your favorite party combinations and level up your characters to help you conquer even the most daunting of enemies and domains.
JOURNEY WITH FRIENDS
Team up with friends across various platforms to trigger more elemental action, tackle tricky boss fights, and conquer challenging domains together to reap rich rewards.
As you stand atop the peaks of Jueyun Karst and take in the rolling clouds and vast terrain stretching out before you, you may wish to stay in Teyvat a little longer... But until you are reunited with your lost sibling, how can you rest? Go forth, Traveler, and begin your adventure!
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- PC Release Date
- September 28, 2020
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- November 20, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- April 28, 2021
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
