Genshin Impact is a gacha RPG, so it’s understandable that character design is one of its big focal points. However, a preview of the upcoming Natlan region and some of its characters has provoked a different reaction from fans and several English voice actors of the multiplayer RPG, who are accusing developer Hoyoverse of cultural appropriation and whitewashing.
The Natlan region and the upcoming characters Mavukia, Kinich, and Ororon all draw inspiration from African cultures and real-world deities such as the Maori’s Mahuika, but the characters highlighted throughout the preview are all white, which has started a long list of call-outs and requests to change character designs by several members of the game’s English vocal cast on Twitter.
The outcry has even ignited a Change.org petition that has thus far reached over 53K signatures.
“If a game draws so heavily from real-world cultures and bases a character on the supreme deity of Yoruba religion, and that character ends up looking like pale Sasuke Batman, people are absolutely within their rights to demand better representation,” writes Albedo voice actor Khoi Dao.
Sethos VA Zeno Robinson joined the call, writing, “If even your base audience, the Chinese fans, are asking for better representation/or character with different shades of melanin, who are you making these characters for?”
Other members of the English cast further call out how other games better represented African deities, argue that inspiration from a region shouldn’t mean a full removal of culture, or point out that these requests to Hoyoverse are not new.
“I could stay quiet about this & protect myself but us folks of color don’t always need to stay quiet & let others fk us over and disrespect us so that we can continue to advance at half the pace of our white peers,” writes Sucrose actress Valeria Rodriguez. “If you’re going to use real-world deities, RESPECT them. If you’re basing off of real cultures, RESPECT THAT.”
Ọlọrun Is the supreme Yoruba deity. You could find that with a quick Google search, even.
This is unforgivable. Look at what a sick job SMITE did with their own interpretation!!! IT’S NOT HARD!!! pic.twitter.com/LbP3nuT3MK— Valeria Rodríguez 🍉 (@ElvisBadger) July 13, 2024
