Genshin Impact is an action role-playing game developed and published by Chinese game house miHoYo. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Android, and iOS in September 2020, for PlayStation 5 in April 2021, and, as of August 2021, is planned for future release on Nintendo Switch. The game features an open-world environment and an action-based battle system, using elemental magic and character-switching. Since its release, the game has been free-to-play and is monetized through gacha game mechanics whereby players can obtain new characters, weapons, and other resources. Genshin Impact is the next title by miHoYo, following Honkai Impact 3rd (2016). Genshin Impact takes place in the fantasy world of Teyvat, which is home to seven distinct nations,[b] each of which is tied to an element[c] and ruled by a god associated with it.[d] The story follows a twin, referred to as the Traveler (with the gender chosen by the player), who has traveled across many other worlds but has become separated from their twin sibling (of the opposite gender) in Teyvat. The Traveler travels in search of their lost sibling with their companion Paimon, and becomes involved in the affairs of Teyvat's nations and gods. Development began in early 2017, and was designed to combine elements of the real world with eastern animation styles (see Chinese, Japanese, and Korean animation). To supplement the game, miHoYo released a companion manga, and has plans for further tie-in media. The game received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the combat and open-world freedom, while some criticized its endgame content and monetization model. A commercial success, the game grossed over $1 billion within six months of release.
