In August, the new Natlan region is set to enter Genshin Impact, inspired by Latin American and African cultures. However, the character design has sparked criticism.
What is the deal with the characters? The release of the new Natlan region is approaching in the action RPG Genshin Impact by MiHoYo. Like other areas in the game, Natlan and its associated new characters are inspired by the real world.
For instance, the new character Ororon seems to be based on Ọlọrun, a deity of the West African Yoruba religion. The character Mavuika has parallels to the Māori goddess Mahuika. The new Dendro character Kinich also shares his name with the sun god Kinich Ahau of the Maya.
Despite these roots, the new characters are all strikingly depicted with light skin, much to the dismay of fans. Critics accuse MiHoYo of cultural appropriation and demand a revision of the characters. Similar discussions had already arisen regarding the Arabic-influenced Sumeru region.
MiHoYo allegedly gave the characters a “whitewash”
What are players criticizing? On social media, fans are indeed pleased that Genshin Impact draws inspiration from diverse cultures, but they criticize that these are not accurately represented. Two terms often come up:
- Players accuse Hoyoverse of “cultural appropriation”: this means that one exploits foreign cultures without showing them the corresponding respect. Specific elements of the culture are picked out and usually represented in a stereotypical and disrespectful manner.
- Critics refer to “whitewashing” in this context because the characters, despite their suggested cultural background, are portrayed as white or light-skinned.
Players demand changes from MiHoYo
In a petition, players call for an end to cultural appropriation and whitewashing in MiHoYo games. The creators of Genshin are urged to engage with indigenous cultural consultants, revise existing content, and commit to creating diverse and inclusive characters.
Since July 7, 2024, 50,000 people have already signed the petition (via change.org).
Genshin Impact voice actors voice concerns
Even voice actors from the game are now entering the discussion. Valeria Rodríguez, the English voice of Sucrose, writes on X: “If you use deities from the real world, respect them. If you build on real cultures, respect that.” She further states: “That is unforgivable.”
Cyno voice actor Alejandro Saab refers to the upcoming release and writes: “You still have time to fix this.” (via X)
The Beidou voice actress Allegra Clark describes it as “simply disappointing when parts of the world that are rarely depicted in the media could be accurately represented.” She understands that the designs are merely “inspired” and are not meant to be exact representations of the real world.
However, if one is going to use specific sources, it would be nice to portray them as they should be, the actress states. “There is so much beauty in this world, so many stories that can be told or can inspire, and when it is not done in full, it feels disrespectful in the end.” (via X)
There has not yet been an official response from MiHoYo to the criticism. However, it is questionable whether they will make extensive changes shortly before the release. Natlan and the associated characters are expected to be introduced into the game on August 28 with version 5.0. Until then, you can pass the time with Zenless Zone Zero. For this, we have for you All codes that you can redeem in July 2024.
