Why is Genshin Impact getting review-bombed in China: Controversy and drama explained

Genshin Impact is facing heavy backlash and getting review-bombed on Chinese social media. Fans have taken to online platforms Douyin (CN Tiktok) and BiliBili (CN YouTube) to express their dissatisfaction with the yearly Lantern Rite rewards due in the upcoming 4.4 update. The company has lost a significant number of followers on these platforms in the past 24 hours.

@GenshinUniverse on X suggested that the Chinese player base began a strike against the poor selection of rewards disclosed in the 4.4 Special Program livestream. While the international players have not been vocal about it, the outrage in the game's biggest Asian market is massive.

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Upset over poor in-game rewards, Chinese Genshin Impact fans are review-bombing and mass unfollowing official handles

Version 4.4 Lantern Rite rewards (Image via HoYoverse)

This isn't the first time Genshin Impact players have been furious about the in-game rewards, or to be precise, the lack thereof. Many would remember the title's controversial first anniversary.

A similar situation seems to be developing in China, wherein the player base is outraged about the Lantern Rite rewards for version 4.4 and is explicitly expressing it on social media.

As of writing this article, Genshin Impact has lost around a million followers on its official Douyin account, with the count still dropping. Moreover, it doesn't seem limited to a particular social media platform.

Fans have also started to unfollow and review-bomb the game with a 1-star rating on Bilibili, leading to more 1-star than 5-star reviews. Many netizens have suggested that this outrage of the Chinese player base may have also been fueled by the fact that Genshin's sister game, Honkai Star Rail, received a 5-star character for free.

@hxg_diluc has also alleged that HoYoverse is now using bot accounts to maintain its follower count on Bilibili. They've shown several such accounts used in the tweet above.

Furthermore, they shared that CN players have started to unfollow accounts of other related brands in retaliation. Major franchises like KFC, Pizza Hut, and HeyTea, who have previously collaborated with Genshin, also seem to be targeted.

However, HoYoverse is yet to address the controversy and respond to the player's concerns.

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