With 2021 ending, Genshin Impact players can look back and reminisce about the best moments that happened throughout the year. The game has changed a lot compared to its initial release, and players can expect it to continuously develop and serve the fanbase.
Of course, Genshin Impact had its ups and downs. The game went through many great updates and positive improvements. Yet, the major source of controversies was the lack of transparency. This is currently miHoYo's biggest weakness. While fans are waiting for this to change, they can look back on some noteworthy events that happened in 2021.
Anniversary Controversy
Anniversary is always an exciting moment for a game. When Genshin Impact was reaching their first, many fans speculated on what kind of rewards the game would grant the players. The most popular prediction was that miHoYo will give a free standard banner 5-star character to celebrate the occasion.
Sadly, what Travelers got can be described as lackluster. At first, the game didn't even thank the players. People urged the company to give more rewards or change their plans, but miHoYo never responded. For the lack of communication and transparency, the company suffered a massive backlash.
Fans started to “review bomb” Genshin Impact on Google Play Store and App Store. As a result, the game's rating collapsed. Eventually, miHoYo succumbed to all the anger and sent more rewards via in-game mail. Hopefully, the company learned from this incident, and Genshin Impact will do better in the future.
Wish Upon A Lantern Web Event
The Lantern Rite Festival coincides with an important Chinese celebration, so players really look forward to this event. The in-game event itself was a major success and people had a really great time. However, one Web Event, Wish Upon A Lantern, was a massive flop. This Genshin Impact event was highly hyped as it was said they would share one billion Primogems.
However, of course, because the player base is tremendous, this one billion only ended up as 108, 188, or 288 in the players' pocket. Most people only got the lowest tier reward, which isn't even sufficient for one wish. Naturally, Travelers were disappointed as the prize wasn't comparable to the hype.
Introduction Of Inazuma
Until miHoYo introduced Inazuma in the 2.0 Livestream, fans thought that the region would never see the light of day. Luckily, the wait was well worth it as the region is gorgeous.
The appearance of the long-awaited Raiden Shogun was the icing on the cake. Fans were ecstatic, especially when she drew out her famous "Booba Sword." This gesture became one of the biggest memes in the fanbase. An artist even went as far as making a Venti parody where he pulls out a wine bottle off his chest.
Genshin Impact Elon Musk Community Challenge
One day, Genshin Impact's Twitter account posted a strange tweet about a community challenge. For following Ella Musk (a second account managed by miHoYo), players will get to see Elon Musk stream Genshin Impact and visit miHoYo HQ. Of course, this was very odd as the fanbase couldn't care less about the CEO figure.
This happened a while after the anniversary controversy, which many fans were still upset about. So the response to the challenge was mostly negative. Because of the backlash, miHoYo quietly removed the tweet while providing zero explanations.
Raiden Shogun Controversy
Some players claimed that the Electro Archon was changed in the last seconds to reduce her harmony with Beidou. They explained that Beidou is the only character in the game who could make Raiden a main DPS, and miHoYo didn't want that. While the authenticity of this claim is questionable, there are indeed a lot of consistencies when it comes to Raiden Shogun's Elemental Burst hits.
Instead of providing a proper statement, miHoYo decided to "fix" the Elemental Burst's description instead. Many fans were disappointed by the decision. It even caused several players to refund their purchases and others to sue.
Luckily, after a while, people began to realize Raiden's true potential, even without Beidou's assistance. Afterward, her banner broke sales records, making her one of the most profitable characters.
Kazuha’s Rumored Death
Among the many great reveals in Genshin Impact 2.1 Livestream, one, in particular, sparked endless speculation and anticipation. There was just a moment in the trailer where Kazuha was about to be defeated by Raiden Shogun as they clashed swords. Fans were terrified Kazuha wouldn't make it.
Luckily, the Inazuma Archon Quest ended with an impactful conclusion. In the face of the Electro Archon, Kazuha didn't just survive, he even won with the help of Tomo's Vision. Nevertheless, death became a major part of this Genshin Impact Version.
Signora’s Death
In Battle Before the Throne (Chapter 2, Act 3 of the Archon Quest), fans faced the infamous Fatui Harbinger, La Signora. This battle happened in Tenshukaku after the Traveler challenged Signora to a duel in the Electro Archon's presence. After winning the fight, Signora begged Raiden Shogun to spare her. Her desperate attempt even went as far as threatening the deity. Unfortunately for the Harbinger, Raiden respected the tradition and executed Signora herself.
La Signora's death was shocking to most Genshin Impact fans since it was the first major death in the story. Players expressed mixed feelings about her death, but most shared the same concern: Will La Signora still be playable in the future?
KFC Glider
Originally, KFC Glider was only available in Chinese regions. This cosmetic wing was obtainable by buying a chicken bucket in the famous fried chicken franchise. Of course, global players also wanted to get their hands on the white-red wing. In response, Genshin Impact stated that global fans can obtain the glider in the future through different means.
Later on, not only was the announcement late, but the "different means" were far from what players had expected. To get the glider, people had to make two subscriptions to selected Twitch streamers. For Travelers who don't use Twitch, this method was unacceptable. Many fans even stated that they'd rather buy the glider directly via the store rather than subscribe to an unknown streamer.
Genshin Impact Wins Best Mobile Game Award
Genshin Impact won "Best Mobile Game" at The Game Awards 2021. Other nominees included Pokemon Unite, Fantasian, Marvel Future Revolution, and League of Legends: Wild Rift. The titles are mostly new, but Genshin Impact had a very successful year with billions of dollars in revenues. To celebrate, the game gave away a total of 1600 Primogems to the players, a gesture the fanbase appreciated.
However, the most memorable part wasn't the Primogems. In one happy incident, Aerial Powers pronounced Genshin Impact as Jenshin Impact when announcing the winner. With a community like Genshin's, this mistake didn't go to waste. Several memes were born, and everyone got involved. This includes YouTubers, Streamers, Voice Actors, and even Genshin Impact's official account.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.