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Genshin Impact’s Lantern Rite Festival Is A Heartfelt Homage To The Game’s Roots
23.2.2024
This year, I returned to Liyue Harbor to find paper kites flying alongside strings of vermillion lanterns. I couldn’t help but reminisce on the first time I wandered these docks, grinding through mini-games and coaxing a certain antisocial mask-wearing warrior into the city. Like Genshin Impact’s...
Genshin Impact Characters As Valentine Dates, Ranked
7.2.2023
As the local Genshin Impact scholar at Kotaku, it is my solemn responsibility to compile a list of most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes on this most sacred Feast of Saint Valentine. Read more
Genshin Impact’s Biggest Annual Update Has Surprising Reveals About A Mysterious Character
6.1.2023
I hollered while I was watching the Genshin Impact update stream. Aside from giving players free stuff (arguably the least exciting part of being a Genshin enjoyer) during China’s biggest holiday, the developers teased something that I suspected all along: The hyper-secretive Alhaitham could be...
Genshin Impact Is More Fun When You Stop Caring About Damage
9.6.2022
At first glance, the Genshin Impact community seems positively obsessed with hitting the biggest possible numbers with the characters they’ve rolled from the gacha. Content creators on YouTube and TikTok regularly showcase damage totals of six or even seven figures. Online discussions are dominated...
Genshin Impact’s Kokomi Used To Suck, But Now She's Fun As Hell
8.4.2022
I didn’t try to recruit Kokomi, the water-element healer, during her initial, limited release. Instead, I opted to skip her for Childe, the water-based archer who can slay packs of enemies in seconds flat. I regret that now. After spending over a hundred wishes to get Childe (which would’ve cost...
Genshin Impact Players’ Zhongli and Ganyu Rolls Are Looking A Little Funny
26.1.2022
Normally, I’m a good person. I celebrate my friends’ wins when something good happens to them. But when half the internet is crying at the sad, sad state of their Genshin Impact rolls for the Lantern Rite event, I can’t help but get a bit of schadenfreude. How’s that C6 Qiqi treating you? (Sisi...
Genshin Impact Condoms Are Real And Fans Want Them
14.12.2021
Ever since Genshin Impact’s developers legally sanctioned the commercial production of fan merchandise, I’ve been seeing all sorts of unusual Genshin products pop up on the internet. I thought I’d seen it all after the Zhongli titty mousepad. I had not. I nearly burst a gut laughing when a friend...
I Bought A Genshin Impact Titty Mouse Pad, And I Love It
22.11.2021
Anime conventions are twilight zones of highly questionable purchasing decisions. The colorful displays are ruthlessly effective at pressuring con-goers into spending their money on the basis of emotions, rather than logic or fiscal responsibility. When I was a high schooler, I would often...
Genshin Impact's Endgame Is A Brutal But Irresistible Grind
5.11.2021
Genshin Impact gets a lot of rightful public flak for its gambling mechanics, but only endgame players know about the luck-based grind of rolling for the best character equipment. While these “artifacts” don’t cost any real money, their luck-based randomization almost makes me wish that they did....
Genshin Impact’s Latest Character Announcement Is Bringing Out The Thirst
11.10.2021
The Genshin Impact community is abuzz over the upcoming arrival of Arataki Itto, a new character who hails from the game’s Inazuma nation. In an unusual move, Genshin developer miHoYo formally announced the character today, well in advance of his story quest appearance in the game itself. While...
Genshin Impact's Latest Event Reminds Us It's Always Been Very Gay
4.10.2021
Queer Genshin Impact players have been eating well this month. During the gacha game’s anniversary web event, playable character Chongyun blushed as he stood with another playable character, Xingqiu. Later during the Moonchase Festival main quest, Xingqiu offered to read a romance novel to...
One Year With Genshin Impact
28.9.2021
Exactly one year ago today, Genshin Impact was released. We were almost six months into the coronavirus pandemic, and now, looking back, I can’t imagine my adventure starting any other way. The fantasy world of Teyvat became my safe harbor in a year filled with grief, uncertainty,...
I Still Can't Listen To Genshin Impact's Inaccurate English Voice Acting
7.9.2021
Whenever I download Genshin Impact onto a new device, the first thing I do immediately is download the Chinese voice pack. I’m not a snob about dubs versus subs. The problem is that the English voice over turns my favorite characters into unrelatable strangers that I barely recognize. Read more
Genshin Impact, Six Months Later
29.3.2021
Genshin Impact was a landmark game for 2020, and for global awareness of Chinese-developed video games. Its impressive graphics, compelling fantasy world, and charming characters impressed and attracted millions of players.Read more
Genshin Impact Made Over $1 Billion In Just Six Months
24.3.2021
You folks hear of this game Genshin Impact? Pretty big deal. So big that it’s raked in over $1 billion (that’s three commas, people) in mobile revenue since it launched nearly six months ago on September 28.Read more