'Genshin Impact' Players Review Bomb Game and React to 'Pathetic' Anniversary Event

Genshin Impact's first anniversary event has left many players feeling dissatisfied and underappreciated, with the community taking to social media and the Google Play Store to express their frustration.

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play RPG that can be downloaded on PlayStation, PC and mobile devices. It is primarily monetized through what is known as "Gacha" mechanics, which essentially means that players can spend real-world money for randomly generated items (in this case weapons and characters).

The catch is that these rewards could be valuable or could equally be letdowns. In that sense, it is fairly similar to a loot box system that you might see in something like Overwatch, or even just a regular slot machine.

Genshin Impact initially launched back on September 28, 2020 and, since then, it has been periodically supplemented with new content, event series and rewards to keep its loyal fanbase engaged. It was therefore assumed that a significant update would be rolled out to tie in with the game's one-year anniversary. However, players were ultimately left disappointed by what they felt was a lackluster celebration.

'Genshin Impact' Anniversary Event Disappoints Fans

Developer miHoYo first unveiled the anniversary details earlier in September and they were generally considered to be insufficient. Most of the events were not even in-game but were instead related to sharing fan art or cosplaying on social media. Meanwhile, those quests that did require you to actually log in to Genshin Impact offered very little in the way of currency or meaningful rewards.

For instance, "The Unforgettable Journey" web event (which required players to watch a movie chronicling their own unique journey through the RPG so far) only gifted participants with 40 primogems which, for context, is not a lot.

It is generally expected that Gacha games will make a bigger deal out of these celebrations, and generously reward their loyal players for sticking around. Yet despite a vocal outcry from the fanbase, did not revise any of its event rewards when the anniversary finally came around yesterday.

To express its disappointment, the Genshin Impact community appears to have review bombed the title on the Google Play Store.

In a nutshell, this means that several users have made a coordinated effort to give the game the lowest possible rating on the site, in order to bring down its aggregate score. This has clearly been successful as, at the time of writing, Genshin Impact is currently sitting at a 2.3/5 rating because of this.

'Genshin Impact' Players Voice Their Frustration

Here are some of the strongest reactions to the controversy online.

In response to a Twitter post from the Genshin Impact Twitter account, @gensnstruggles mentions that the 40 primogen reward is a "pathetic" offering.

Meanwhile, @amielovestails shares a gif of Micky Mouse serving an impossibly thin slice of bread, accompanied by the caption "Genshin Impact anniversary rewards."

@RevivalOFPotara posted a screenshot illustrating how Genshin Impact has been review bombed on the Google Play Store. Likewise, @beliebubblejean points out that the latest upload to the official Genshin Impact YouTube channel has similarly been bombarded with dislikes.

@BulaloDasoup speculates that the Genshin Impact Twitter account is seemingly oblivious to the controversy, using the immortal "This Is Fine" meme.

On a related note, @kimmiesowon shares a quote from one of the game's characters, imploring miHoYo to address the mounting criticisms and to communicate with their fans.

@august1n3_rairu shares a meme of a disgruntled Squidward from Spongebob SquarePants to articulate their feelings on the anniversary event. Likewise, @emiyatea shared a meme from Gravity Falls to express how "worthless" the anniversary rewards feel.

@Yuriisclumsy equates the cosplay and fan art competitions to miHoYo basically asking fans to do promotional work for the game in exchange for minor rewards. This is a point that is also echoed by the likes of @Elly8MT5, @ToyerToys and @RhithIce.

Other users like @itsgalex have unfavorably compared Genshin Impact to other Gacha games that have done more for their respective anniversaries.

This is not the first time that miHoYo has been the subject of intense controversy online, as #BoycottGenshin was trending back in April owing to concerns about perceived racism and pedophilia content in the game.