Is Genshin Impact a Gambling Game?

Genshin Impact, the open-world action RPG developed by the Chinese company HoYoverse, has become one of the most popular and financially successful games worldwide since its release in September 2020. A key feature of the game is its gacha system, a loot-box mechanic that has sparked controversy due to concerns over gambling and its effects on players.

We had the chance to speak with Dr. Felania Mengfei Liu, a game scholar at Beijing Normal University and the curator of the Homo Ludens Archive, about loot-box games in China’s gaming industry.

Read more about China’s winding path to game literacy via the link here.