Genshin Impact is a game that does not sit still, but barrels constantly towards new content and, sometimes, features. The team behind the game gets involved with fan creations as well, including the new Year of the Ox contest.
Of course, one place where developers and fans sometimes butt heads is over fan-created content that directly impacts the game. Creating fan art for a game is one thing, but tools that change or enhance the way players interact with it is something else. However, it seems one of these has been embraced in the Chinese mobile version of Genshin Impact, where players are using a third party app to help navigate.
The app is, specifically, an interactive map of Genshin Impact that players can overlay with the game itself. Interactive maps of Genshin Impact are nothing new, and are very useful for finding specific loot as the game updates and changes. Having an app on the mobile version that overlays directly with the game allows players to map out a route without having to switch back and forth between a website and the game. This makes completing quests like the Tianqiu Treasure Trail much easier.
The result is happier players, as the game becomes more convenient and has better ease of access. However, the app is not yet available overseas in regions like the USA. As of this article, there is no news or indication of the app getting a wider release, so only the Chinese audience, for the most part, has access to it. It has not yet been shut down though, meaning hopefully miHoYo, Genshin Impact's developer, will encourage it the same way it encourages Studio Ghibli crossover fanart. User made tools that work well are to be cherished, not discouraged.
Genshin Impact has proved to be massively successful since its release, pulling in boatloads of money across multiple platforms. It's proved so successful that miHoYo gave away game systems to its employees by way of thanks for a momentous year of profits.
The interactive map, provided it continues working and is updated regularly, will prove a big boon for mobile players. There are many secrets in Genshin Impact that players haven't found yet, and such a map allows players to get to them without going through a lot of red tape. Hopefully it becomes available to all parties soon, unless another tool makes it obsolete.
Genshin Impact is available now on Mobile, PC, and PS4, and later on PS5 and Switch.