HoYoverse's president, Liu Wei, recently shared the impact of negative player feedback on the Genshin Impact development team. His comments shed light on a challenging year for the game and its creators.
Genshin Impact Developers Overwhelmed by Negative Fan Feedback
Team Committed to Improvement and Player Communication
(c) SentientBamboo Liu Wei described the "anxiety and confusion" within the Genshin Impact team stemming from intense criticism over the past year. His remarks, recorded and translated by SentientBamboo on YouTube, followed a period of significant player dissatisfaction, particularly around the Lunar New Year 2024 updates.Wei detailed the profound effect of negative feedback, stating the team felt "useless" amidst the intense criticism. He acknowledged the challenges, explaining the team's struggle to process the volume of feedback and identify constructive criticism amidst the negativity.
These comments followed several controversial updates, including the 4.4 Lantern Rite event, criticized for inadequate rewards. Comparisons to other HoYoverse titles like Honkai: Star Rail, and even Kuro Games' Wuthering Waves, fueled negative reviews and backlash. Concerns also arose regarding the 4.5 Chronicled Banner's gacha mechanics and accusations of cultural misrepresentation in character designs.
While visibly emotional, Wei addressed accusations of arrogance, emphasizing the team's shared gamer identity and the need to filter constructive feedback from overwhelming negativity. He expressed hope for the future, reaffirming the team's commitment to improvement and open communication with players.
