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- Genshin Impact, developed by miHoYo, faces criticism for its lack of racial diversity in character representations.

- The game has been accused of using derogatory terms to describe characters of color, perpetuating racist connotations.

- Indigenous communities are portrayed as "primitive humanoid monsters" in the game, reinforcing stereotypes and prejudices.

- Implementing better research and accurately representing people of color or indigenous communities could avoid causing pain and bring pleasure to players.

- From a utilitarian perspective, the game's current representation is deemed unethical due to the imbalance of pain caused versus pleasure generated.

- Virtue ethics principles highlight inclusivity, justice, humility, and sincerity as virtues that miHoYo could uphold through better diversity in Genshin Impact.

- Neglecting diversity infringes upon virtuous behavior, making the lack of representation immoral from a virtue ethics standpoint.

- Ethical rationalism supports the argument for diversifying Genshin Impact, as a linear, one-dimensional cultural world in the game could impact real-world perspectives on race and identity.

- The lack of diversity and representation in Genshin Impact is considered unethical from utilitarian, virtue ethics, and ethical rationalism perspectives.

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Whether we like it or not, with our world becoming an increasingly digital one, even more so with recent times, people are being exposed to the media more than ever. With much less ways to keep ourselves entertained these days, many have started picking up gaming as a hobby to pass time, but just how innocent are these games that we encounter every day? With the majority of these people being casual players, simple, low commitment and free games are at an all time rise in popularity. One of these games in question is a very game called Impact. Published and developed by miHoYo, was initially released on September 28, 2020 and is currently available on nearly all platforms including PC, Android, IOS, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch (MiHoYo). At the time writing this essay, less than a year after its initial release, has accumulated over 39.3 million players across all platforms (King). With so many players comes an immensely diverse demographic on a global scale, begging the question, is the representation in miHoYo's ethical? In light of the recent outrage sparking hashtags like "#boycottgenshimpact" and "#DoBetterMihoyo" to go trending, it would seem that from whichever ethical perspective you approach the situation, utilitarianism, virtue ethics and ethical rationalism all agree that the level of representation present in the wide-scale game Genshin Impact is indeed unethical (Diaz).

Firstly, when analysing this situation from a utilitarian perspective, we must evaluate the amount of pleasure versus the amount of pain caused by the action taken. Before all, it is important to emphasize and to understand the reach that Genshin Impact has. This is a game that is played by millions all over the world, and every phenomenon in that game can, and usually does have an impact on every single player. The mere fact that over 10,000 tweets and counting have been posted with a hashtag signaling concern over these issues is proof that this issue is causing pain to many people are (Messner). As it currently is, millions of players are playing a game where they either do not see themselves depicted at all or are seeing their culture being incorrectly and disrespectfully represented. In the case of people of colour, the only characters of colour are described using derogatory terms that have a history of racist connotations, such as "scary" or "exotic" (Asarch). As for the indigenous community, their dances and culture are being portrayed in "Hilichurls", characters in the game described as "primitive humanoid monsters" and "that they are monsters simply incapable of communication" (Asarch). This is also by no means a new concept. As Schwartz describes, "In Suikoden III, the more Western nation is portrayed as corrupt yet advanced, whereas the indigenous nation similar to Japan's Ainu is portrayed as innocent and unsophisticated. The Chinese villains of Shenmue make danger seem to come from abroad, reflecting a view of modern Japan as a destination for foreign negativity (Schwartz 319). These connotations are subconsciously embedded in society, leaving the communities concerned with not only a disrespectful representation of them, but also a systematic prejudice against them in society. In addition to this, all this pain created is not balanced by any form of pleasure generated from this behaviour. On the other hand, if the game developers were to do adequate research and accurately represent people of colour or indigenous communities in their game, not only would all this pain be avoided, but it would in fact bring pleasure to them as well. As explained by Davis, "media exposure will also potentially influence ethnic identification" and this game is no exception (Davis 12). She continues by explaining that "racial identity development is subject to continuous change during one's lifetime, such that each person engages in an unique process of self-actualization" a process "related to a positive individual self-concept and high levels of self-esteem" (Davis 9, 8). In sum, though the developers might feel some pain while doing all their research, implementing it correctly in their game would not only exponentially reduce the amount of pain generated, but would also greatly increase the amount of pleasure felt by a large demographic of players. For these reasons, from a utilitarian perspective, miHoYo's current representation in Genshin Impact is unethical.

Secondly, from a virtue ethics perspective, there are not only several virtues that miHoYo would be able to uphold by implementing better representation in their game, but in not doing so they are also being unvirtuous in those regards. To begin, inclusivity and justice are the two main virtues that would be in practice by miHoYo when appropriately diversifying Genshin Impact. In this game, the players must play as characters previously created in Genshin Impact. Being able to see yourself in the game and play as someone that looks like you when others are able to do the same is the very definition of inclusivity. Davis explains that "Identity can be understood from the perspective of social cognition, within which it provides an overall frame of reference through which to view oneself and to make sense of the social world" (Davis 5). She explains that "racial identity, when discussed as racial group consciousness, is treated as a goal to be achieved" (Davis 8). This goal is one that is unfortunately more easily achieved in certain demographics than others but with accurate and equal representation, everyone has an equal and just chance at achieving racial identity. In addition to this, sincerely learning about other cultures and implementing them in your game shows great humility and sincerity, yet other virtues to be mindful of. On the other hand, as it currently stands, when no particular attention is being accorded to diversity, every aforementioned virtue is being infringed, and thus making this behaviour, from a virtue ethics standpoint, immoral.

Finally, from an ethical rationalism point of view, many facts need to be taken into account to conclude that not diversifying Genshin Impact is indeed immoral. First off, if ethical rationalism is based off rational decisions, would they apply in the context of a game, as they are not in our real world? Schwartz explains this problem by stating that "if "real" means that something exists independently, so that other people can verify its existence, then virtual worlds, such as the Internet, online games, and video games, are certainly real" (Schwartz 315). This completely nullifies that argument. In fact, when thought about in a purely rational way most gamers have concluded that "although the games were all, in some way, fantasy, enthusiasts found each game to be 'realistic'" (Schwartz 315). Another decision criteria lies behind the fact that miHoYo is a China-based corporation. Coming from a different background and culture, and, based on cultural relativism, experiencing ethics differently from a more western approach, wouldn't they be able to do things the way they choose? The issue with that argument is that Genshin Impact is a game that is now known and played worldwide. There may be a difference between the way things objectively work in different cultures, but when comparing them to Immanuel Kant's single categorical imperative, that states to "act only on that maxim which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law" we see that this rationally should not be applied (Kant 51). If everyone represented uniquely their own cultures, we would experience no diversity, no sense of race, therefore less identity. Schwartz goes on to explain that "Identity and space influence political and social perceptions, while race and identity also shape a player's perspective and role in a game environment" (Schwartz 319). Even if its "just in a game", a linear, one dimensionally cultured world would certainly have an 'Impact' on the real world, and the alternative where diversity and accurate representation is present is, from an ethical rationalistic point of view, the best alternative to select.

In summary, whether it be from a utilitarian, virtue ethics or ethical rationalism perspective, an analysis from ethical framework concludes that the lack of diversity and level representation is Genshin Impact is unethical. From the copious amounts of pain that can be avoided and pleasure that can be generated, to the virtuous behaviour and the overall more rational alternative, implementing better diversity and more accurate representation would certainly be most ethical action to take.

Word Count (including citations): 1388

Works Cited:

Davis, Jessica L., and Oscar H. Gandy. "Racial Identity and Media Orientation: Exploring the

Nature of Constraint." Journal of Black Studies, vol. 29, no. 3, Jan. 1999, pp. 367-397, doi:10.1177/002193479902900303.

Schwartz, Leigh. "Fantasy, Realism, and the Other in Recent Video Games." Space and Culture,vol. 9, no. 3, Aug. 2006, pp. 313-325, doi:10.1177/1206331206289019.

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Genshin's "Impact" on Representation and Diversity | linkr

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Whether we like it or not, with our world becoming an increasingly digital one, even more so with recent times, people are being exposed to the media more than ever.

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- Currently, among the 63 playable characters in Genshin Impact, only a few, like Xinyan, Candace, and Cyno, exhibit noticeable racial diversity.

- The established setting of Teyvat in Genshin Impact features regions inspired by real-world counterparts, such as Germany, China, and Japan, with characters generally resembling the majority populations of those regions.

- The newest region, Sumeru, is confirmed to be based on Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Northern African cultures, but the character representations do not align with the demographics of these regions.

- Unreleased regions like Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya present an opportunity for the developer to introduce more racial diversity, potentially reflecting Spanish or West African cultures in Natlan.

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The free-to-play RPG Genshin Impact boasts a large roster of playable characters that are obtainable mainly through its gacha system. The game allows players to build teams of four characters at a time and swap between them at will, creating squads with varying weapons and elemental abilities. Despite the plethora of options, the playable Genshin Impact characters also have very noticeable similarities.

There are now 63 playable characters in Genshin Impact that players can unlock using in-game currency to purchase wishes. These are all fairly distinct from one another, possessing one of seven vision power types and one of five weapon types. However, beyond their abilities and general cosmetics, nearly every character in Genshin Impact appears to fit a similar racial profile.

RELATED: Genshin Impact Shares New Official Art for Maslenitsa Festival

Xinyan, Cyno, and Candace

Among the roster of 63 playable characters, only three that are noticeably different from the others. While there are no clearly defined races in Teyvat, the established setting of Genshin Impact, there are seven different regions with four currently being available to explore.

Xinyan is a pyro character from Liyue Harbor, originally released in December 2020 a few months after Genshin hit shelves. Xinyan's passion is rock and roll, and her character uses guitar-themed special attacks alongside her claymore sword. She currently has the darkest complexion of any character in Genshin Impact, and while she is from Liyue originally, there are 16 other characters from the same region who all share a pale complexion.

Two other clearly non-white characters are Candace and Cyno, newer characters from the Sumeru region. While Candace and Cyno feature similar character designs, and are both from Aaru Village in the Sumeru desert, they are not related. While less distinct than Xinyan, the two are also noticeably darker-skinned than the other characters from Sumeru. Candace and Cyno wear outfits that are heavily inspired by Egyptian culture, which would align with their more middle-eastern appearances.

Genshin Impact Needs more Diversity in Teyvat Regions

Every region released in Genshin Impact so far is based on a real-life counterpart. Mondstadt is based on Germany, Liyue is based on China, and Inazuma is based on Japan. In these three regions, the argument could be made that the playable characters are depicting the majority populations of these areas where one would expect more fair-skinned individuals. But while that can be true, racial diversity still exists everywhere in the world. Many current playable characters could be either white or Asian, but their appearances give very few indicators of that difference.

The newest Genshin Impact region, Sumeru, is confirmed to be based on a mix of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Northern African cultures. If it were true that developer HoYoverse intends to create characters that match the demographics of the region they are from, most of the characters from Sumeru don't make as much sense. While fairer-skinned people do live in these regions, real-life demographics do not match the ratios set for Sumeru.

There are still three unreleased regions in Genshin Impact: Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya. Fontaine and Snezhnaya are reportedly going to be modeled after real-world France and Russia, respectively. While both these regions are predominantly white, the developer still has a chance to implement some racial diversity. Most notably, Natlan is rumored to be based on either Spanish or West African cultures, the latter of which gives HoYoverse a huge opportunity to implement a majority non-white roster of characters.

Genshin Impact has a long way to go with racial diversity, but fans still love the existing characters and world of Teyvat. HoYoverse is consistently releasing new playable characters in Genshin Impact and teasing information about upcoming regions, so there will likely be many more opportunities new non-white characters to be playable. For now, fans will await the next major region to fill out the world of Teyvat.

Genshin Impact is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.

MORE: Genshin Impact Fan Creates Impressive Dendro Abyss Herald Concept

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Genshin Impact Needs More Diversity in Playable Characters

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With 63 playable characters in Genshin Impact, there is shockingly little diversity in terms of skin color, as most characters appear white.

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After carefully analyzing the issue of skin diversity in Genshin Impact, it's clear that the game's lack of racial representation raises significant ethical concerns. Despite its widespread popularity and appeal to a diverse player base, criticism has been directed towards the game for its limited portrayal of characters from different racial backgrounds. This criticism includes accusations of perpetuating stereotypes, such as portraying indigenous communities as "primitive humanoid monsters," and using derogatory terms to describe characters of color. From multiple ethical perspectives, including utilitarianism and virtue ethics, this lack of diversity is seen as unethical due to the discomfort it causes players and the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes. While efforts have been made to introduce diversity, such as with the introduction of new regions like Sumeru, there remains inconsistency in accurately representing the demographics of these regions. Unreleased regions like Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya provide opportunities for the developer to address these concerns and introduce more racial diversity, potentially reflecting Spanish or West African cultures in Natlan. Therefore, it is essential for miHoYo to prioritize inclusivity and accuracy in representation to ensure a positive and ethical gaming experience for all players.

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Genshin Impact, one of Hoyoverse's games, game art for version 3.6.

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Should miHoYo/Hoyoverse add more diversity into their character (playable) design?

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Should miHoYo/Hoyoverse add more diversity into their character (playable) design?

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- Cultural practices influence gamer preferences in China and the West, highlighting differences in gameplay and monetization.

- Chinese games focus on player-versus-player, while Western games lean towards player-versus-environment content.

- Genshin Impact, a Chinese-developed game, achieved international success with revenue mainly from outside China.

- The game features anime-inspired characters appealing to diverse players, blending Chinese and Japanese elements.

- Challenges in localization include language nuances and cultural references, impacting player experience worldwide.

- Genshin Impact's success signals a shift towards multicultural gaming, embracing Chinese, Western, and Japanese influences.

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Cultural Tension and Multiculturalism in Mihoyo’s Genshin Impact

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Cultural practices heavily influence the preferences of gamers in China and the West, as the markets differ significantly in gameplay preferences and monetization structures. While Chinese games are more player-versus-player oriented, Western games tend to focus on player-versus-environment content…

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1. Multicultural Influence: Genshin Impact blends Chinese and Japanese elements in its character design, appealing to a diverse player base.

2. Success and Revenue: Despite being a Chinese-developed game, Genshin Impact has achieved international success, generating revenue mainly from outside China.

3. Shift towards Multicultural Gaming: The game's success indicates a positive trend towards multicultural gaming, embracing influences from China, the West, and Japan.

4. Potential for Representation: Unreleased regions like Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya present opportunities for the developer to introduce more racial diversity, potentially reflecting Spanish or West African cultures in Natlan.

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1. Lack of Racial Diversity: Genshin Impact faces criticism for its lack of racial diversity in character representations, with only a few characters exhibiting noticeable diversity.

2. Perpetuation of Stereotypes: The portrayal of indigenous communities as "primitive humanoid monsters" perpetuates stereotypes and prejudices.

3. Ethical Concerns: From utilitarian, virtue ethics, and ethical rationalism perspectives, the game's lack of diversity is considered unethical due to the imbalance of pain caused versus pleasure generated.

4. Negative Impact: The game's portrayal of characters of color using derogatory terms and reinforcing racist connotations could cause harm and discomfort to players.

5. Inconsistent Representation: While new regions like Sumeru are confirmed to be based on Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Northern African cultures, the character representations do not align with the demographics of these regions, indicating a lack of accurate representation.

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