Fans and voice actors are criticizing Hoyoverse for ‘whitewashing’ characters in Genshin Impact. One actor tells us why they’re speaking up.
The Genshin Impact community has been vocal in recent weeks about the whitewashing of characters. Now, one of the English-language voice actors is criticizing the game for “colorism.”
Fan criticism erupted on social media platforms like X and TikTok on July 13 when the company released a teaser trailer for Natlan, a new region inspired by pre-Columbian Latin America and West Africa, and its characters all had light or white skin. Some of the cast of English-language voice actors have now joined fans in saying Hoyoverse must be held accountable for the representation within the game. One voice actor, who wished to remain anonymous due to concerns over retaliation from Hoyoverse, spoke exclusively to Polygon about why they’re speaking up now.
“When an issue affects a person’s cultural background, and is so egregious in its misrepresentation, like the appropriation of ethnic gods, it’s easier to notice,” the actor told Polygon via DM.
Since Hoyoverse released Genshin Impact in 2020, the developers have added several regions inspired by different cultures to the game. Critics have argued that the way the development team created these regions has relied heavily on stereotypes, particularly with regions like the samurai-populated land of Inazuma and the hazy bazaars of Sumeru.
