Genshin Impact has once again been accused of cultural appropriation by fans and voice actors, following the reveal of the new cast of Natlan characters.
Each region in Genshin Impact draws heavily from real-world countries and cultures, with the overall design, mythology, and music of each region being based on these different real-world areas. Inazuma is representative of Japan, Fontaine of France, Mondstadt of Germany and the Netherlands, and so on.
Based on the character and region names, established mythology, and glimpses of what the area looks like in trailers, the upcoming Natlan region appears to be taking heavy inspiration from countries and cultures in both Africa and the Pacific Ring of Fire region, which encompasses Latin America and Aboriginal Australian cultures. But fans say that’s not being reflected in Natlan’s character designs, and now the game’s voice actors have joined the criticism via social media.
“I really hope that a video game company listens to its fans when there is legitimate criticism for the research and integration of elements/aspects from other cultures for several years in a row,” said Anne Yatco, who voices Raiden Shogun in the game.
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Valeria Rodríguez, who plays Sucrose, shared a similar sentiment: “If you’re going to use real gods, RESPECT them. If you’re going to base it on real cultures, RESPECT THAT. I think it’s fine if things are inspired by different cultures — that’s great. Representation is dope. But at least do some research and show some cultural appreciation.”
Rodríguez also compared Genshin Impact’s representation of Ọlọrun, the supreme Yoruba deity, to that in the popular MOBA Smite, showing the stark contrast of skin tones between the two. “This is unforgivable. Look what a sick job Smite did with their own interpretation!!! IT’S NOT HARD!!!”
Alejandro Saab, who voices Cyno in Genshin Impact and Jing Yuan in Honkai: Star Rail, retweeted Rodriguez’s comparison to Smite, adding, “You still have time to fix it,” presumably directed at Genshin Impact developer HoYoverse.
Eurogamer has contacted HoYoverse for comment.
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Genshin Impact’s Albedo voice actor Khoi Dao also spoke about Ọlọrun’s representation: “When a game leans so heavily into real cultures, and bases a character on the supreme god of the Yoruba religion, and that character looks like a pale Sasuke Batman, then people absolutely have the right to demand better representation, ESPECIALLY when the game has such a clearly stated dedication to a *global* audience. I hope you guys keep making your voices heard, and I hope they listen.”
This isn’t the first time Genshin Impact has been criticized by fans for its overwhelmingly light-skinned cast of characters, as the same criticism is consistently leveled at Sumeru, a country with strong South Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African influences. However, this is the first time that so many of HoYoverse’s prominent voice actors have spoken out, which seems to have brought more attention to the issue.
The hashtag “BoycottHYV” has been steadily gaining popularity on X since the Natlan character reveal, with fans using it to share their frustrations, petitions, and character redesigns. HoYoverse has yet to respond and has continued to post Natlan character teases on their social media. The company isn’t known for tackling controversy, but with Chinese players and their own voice actors criticizing Natlan’s characters, fans believe the company will respond sooner than usual.
Zeno Robinson, who voices Sethos in Genshin Impact, sums up the global dissatisfaction with Natlan’s characters well: “When even your core audience, the Chinese fans, are asking for better representation/character,[s] with different shades of melanin, who are you creating these characters for?”