In response to accusations of racism regarding Genshin Impact‘s upcoming Natlan region, developer miHoYo has reportedly taken to reminding unhappy players that the popular gacha game is not representative of real life, but rather “a work of fiction”.
Set to open its gates to players with the game’s soon-to-be-released 5.0 update, the Natlan region is defined by its warrior-centric culture, the adherence to which has led its various peoples to organize not into large societies, but rather individual tribes, all of whom follow their own rules.
Like the game’s other regions, the visual aesthetic of Natlan takes inspiration from various real-world cultures, most notably those found through South America and Africa.
However, in one distinct difference between itself and its inspirations, the people of Natlan are not dark-skinned in the slightest, but rather boast a tone that can at best be described as ‘very slightly tanned’.
And it is this skin color discrepancy that has prompted numerous Genshin Impact players to accuse miHoYo of racism.
Replying to the a post detailing information about new character and Natlan native Kachina, @YouSpoonyBard1 exclaimed, “GIANT DRILL OH GOD. How is she whiter here than she was in the trailer?!?”
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Focusing their attentions on fellow Natlan resident Mualani, @ginnykuma decried, “So amidst your own controversy about making Natlan characters white, you CHOOSE to whitewash one of the only darker characters we got??? Nice one [Hoyoverse]!!”
Comparing the key art of previously released character Barbara and the upcoming Natlan fighter Kinich, @thewhwatie invited their followers, “Spot the difference!! One is from a place that is representing Germany while the other is supposed to represent Mayan and Zapotecs…Hardest challenge ever!!”
In addition tweeting out their disapproval, some player even took to sending direct complaints to miHoYo themselves via their customer support line.
But much to their dismay, it appears the gacha developer is not taking any feedback at this time.
As shared by @hauntedfaee, in response to their own personally authored message to the company’s customer support line, miHoYo informed them, “Dear Traveler, Thank you for your feedback. Please be kindly reminded that Genshin Impact is a work of fiction and is not related to actual people, events, groups, or organizations.
“We do really hope for your understanding,” the message concluded.
At current, Natlan is set to open its gates to players with game’s 5.0 update, as set to be released on August 28th.