A Genshin Impact fan has revealed that the Biology Institute of one of the top universities in their country had a seminar about the Withering effect that can be encountered in Sumeru. The new nation arrived to the game back in update 3.0 and so far it features two main parts: the lively rainforest and the enormous desert.
Sumeru also introduced a brand-new element named Dendro which added much-needed combat diversity to Genshin Impact. While the game features a lot of fantasy-like creatures, it seems like some of its features are realistic enough to be discussed on an academic level. Sumeru's Whitering is a climate effect that represents a threat to all kinds of animals and plants that live in the rainforest. While walking through the Withering Zones, players can accumulate up to 10 units of Decay which is shared between all characters in their party.
All members of their Genshin Impact team composition have their max. HP reduced by 9.5% and their resistances shred by 4% for each unit of Decay they have accumulated. Having 10 Decay units for more than 10 seconds will immediately kill all members of the party. Reddit user nura_kun has shared an interesting post on the official Genshin Impact subreddit claiming that the Biology Institute of The University of the Philippines Diliman held a seminar discussing the Withering Effect. Due to the amount of attention the announcement has gathered, the university agreed to share a recording of the 20-minute presentation.
The presentation compares Genshin Impact's Withering Zones to real-life dead zones which are bodies of water that don't have sufficient oxygen levels to support most marine life. According to the presentation, just like the dead zones, the Withering was caused by human activity, and it negatively impacts the flora and fauna of the region.
However, the only great thing about these zones is probably the fact that they can be restored. To clear out the Withering Zones, players must use their Dendrograna in order to destroy Withering Branches with Aimed Shots or Charged Attacks. Once all branches are destroyed, the Tumor of the Withering will spawn a group of enemies.
Although they have increased damage and resistance, those groups of enemies are not hard to overcome. Defeating them will leave the Tumor of the Whitening unprotected, and it can be permanently destroyed which will lift the Withering effect from the area and Genshin Impact players will be rewarded with a chest.
Genshin Impact is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and mobile devices. A Switch version is in development.