A new wave of leaks that emerged Wednesday evening has revealed information about the upcoming 3.0 patch, which will bring the Dendro-inspired Sumeru region into play. The patch is a release: it doesn’t have a release date yet, but the typical release schedule indicates it could be around August 24th. However, fans are already reacting to new content leaks with criticism that the developers have whitewashed the new ones. characters.
Genshin Impact has a solid leak community that shares details about updates before they are released. (For example, the latest set of new characters, Yelan and Kuki Shinobu, were leaked accurately by several accounts before they were officially released.) Several characters from this upcoming patch 3.0, with variable credibility, have been leaked. These include a representation of Archon Dendro, Kusanali, who serves as the leader of the new region. Twitter user Sagiri, who leaked the image, said “it’s not the final version.”
Fans have already responded critically to the leaked images, and some say light-skinned models suggest that designers are whitewashing characters from that region. Hoyoverse has not confirmed that Sumeru is based in any specific region of the real world. Genshin Impact characters have described the game as a land of scholars that has both deserts and rainforests, so some fans have theorized that it could be based on the cultures of the Middle East and South. Asia.
Fans have also previously criticized Genshin Impact for having only two visibly darker-skinned characters: Xinyan and Kaeya. Wednesday’s leak inspired similar concerns. In response to the leaked leak, one user wrote, “Seriously … all my hopes of a brown milf have gone down on a pale boy.” Other answers are just clowns about the designs, or include prank images like a screenshot of The Beatles ’white album.
Polygon contacted Hoyoverse to confirm the veracity of the leaks and to comment on this issue. We will update the article if we receive feedback.
Some fans have also responded by sharing their own drawings of characters darkening their skin tones.
This is not the first controversy brush of the Genshin Impact fandom. In 2021, fans started a hashtag called “#boycottgenshinimpact,” which prompted community members to criticize the company for allegedly using Indians as role models for Hilichurl’s grunts.