Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact follows a traveler searching for a lost twin across the fantasy continent of Teyvat. Released in 2020, it is the best-known free-to-play open-world action RPG.
What is Genshin Impact?
Genshin Impact is an open-world action role-playing game developed by miHoYo, known internationally as HoYoverse. The player controls a traveler separated from their twin and explores the continent of Teyvat to find them. Each region is built around an element and a real-world cultural inspiration: Mondstadt recalls European towns, Liyue Chinese mountains, Inazuma Japan.
According to HoYoverse, the game launched worldwide on 28 September 2020 on Windows, Android, iOS and PlayStation 4. It is an online, live-service game with a new version roughly every six weeks.
How to play
Players build a party of four and switch between characters instantly. Combat revolves around elemental reactions: hitting a wet enemy with ice freezes it, fire on water creates steam. Exploration includes climbing, gliding, swimming and puzzles, while domains and weekly bosses provide upgrade materials. New characters are mostly obtained through Wishes, a gacha system whose currency can be earned in play or bought.
Platforms and business model
- Platforms: Windows, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4 and 5; HoYoverse brought it to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Cloud Gaming on 20 November 2024.
- Cross-progression: one account works across devices, with cross-play.
- Business model: free to play with optional in-game purchases (gacha pulls, monthly pass, battle pass).
- Age rating: 12+ on the Turkish App Store.
Turkish language and Türkiye
Turkish was not available at launch. HoYoverse added Turkish and Italian text in Version 3.3 on 7 December 2022. Voice-over remains in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean only; there is no Turkish dub and no Turkey-specific server or publisher.
Why it became so popular
Genshin Impact showed that a large open world with near-console visuals and shared progress between phone and PC could work on mobile. Its orchestral soundtrack, character trailers and story quests fuelled a huge fan culture of art and cosplay. Its success also put Chinese studios on the global big-budget map and made gacha monetisation a mainstream debate; HoYoverse later took the formula to other genres with Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero.
