It appears that years of backlash have come to a boiling point after the reveal of Genshin Impact’s Natlan region character designs, which players and even some of the game’s voice actors say are white-washed designs of African, Polynesian, and Mayan myths and deities.
Genshin Impact is no stranger when it comes to controversy. The game and its developers at HoYoverse have been accused of things like being a Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild copycat in the past. In addition, the game has faced negative reception for prioritizing its Gacha mechanics so unabashedly. Despite all of the noise surrounding it, Genshin Impact and HoYoverse have maintained their grip on the gaming zeitgeist of the 2020s.