Leaks have been plaguing Genshin Impact since the game first launched last year, especially pertaining to new characters. Five-star characters are the biggest draw of gacha games like Genshin Impact, so each time a new one is on the way, which happens every few weeks, leaks precede them. This happens because miHoYo tests each new character in a round of closed beta testing with real, avid players.
However, these anonymous players then violate the non-disclosure agreements they make, according to the statements miHoYo has made on the issue, unleashing the unpublished information to the public. Of course, from the fans' perspective, leaked news is quite exciting and it generates hype. Some fans even argue that the leaks have given Genshin Impact miles of free marketing. On the other hand, leaks can be harmful towards miHoYo and the community, and if they continue, they could have some negative impacts on players and closed beta testing.
Why Genshin Impact Leaks Are Good
Most of the Genshin Impact community supports the idea of leaks because many feel they are "starved" for new content. It's unclear why miHoYo isn't transparent about upcoming content such as the characters seemingly coming with Version 1.5, but because miHoYo waits until just before a character fully releases to announce any information—which doesn't include stats, attacks, and kit; that information comes from leaks—being prepped on this information can help players out quite a bit.
For example, lots of players out there farm for Primogems in the game to obtain their favorite upcoming five-star characters completely free. So it came as a big shock when Keqing was released where players thought Hu Tao would have appeared, and several weren't able to pull for one or the other. Each of their banners only lasted 2 weeks, meaning not enough time to collect Primogems before their launch for both characters, without spending real money for in-game currency. Leaks also allow players to farm for leveling materials in Genshin Impact to level the characters as soon as they release.
Why Genshin Impact Leaks Are Bad
MiHoYo claims that leaks could change the current direction of future content as well as give players a wrongful impression of upcoming content due to misinterpretation of the leaks. While it's unclear if the former has occurred, though some theorized this was the case with Hu Tao's replacement by Keqing, the latter was proven to be true when it came to Zhongli.
The five-star Geo Vision Zhongli, like every other five-star character, was leaked prior to his full release and had a strong following of fans, partially due to his design and partially because of how powerful he seemed. But when he finally released, it became apparent that Zhongli was only powerful at Constellation 6 and was pretty weak at Constellation 0, which angered many players. It's likely that the disappointment around Zhongli would have happened regardless of the leaks, but the leaks overhyped him and caused players to misjudge his kit and skills.
How miHoYo Could Respond to the Leaks
While leaks have been around since the beginning of Genshin Impact, they only recently started accruing drama in the community due to the 1.5 update information getting out. The Chinese developer accidentally made public the Version 1.5 beta files to download, which resulted in dataminers getting their hands on and leaking the information online. After miHoYo released a statement on Twitter about the leaks, various leakers in the community began pointing the finger at one another to blame for the backlash.
Such a strong reaction has caused the Genshin community to split, and now some fans are questioning whether leaks could lead to further punishment from miHoYo. The developer has already cracked down on the most prominent leakers and has threatened legal action against others. Some theorize miHoYo might take closed beta testing away altogether and shift to QA testers to test new content before it releases. Others say it could further delay the release of new material, which much of the Genshin community is "starved" for.
Genshin Impact is available now on PC, Mobile, and PS4, and is currently in development for PS5 and Switch.