Petition to ‘stop cultural appropriation’ in Genshin Impact reaches 65k signatures

A petition calling on developer MiHoYo Games to “stop cultural appropriation and whitewashing” in its titles has reached 65,000 signatures.

The petition was set up in response to three new characters debuted in a recent trailer for Natlan, a new region coming to Genshin Impact.

The reveal faced a large backlash after fans pointed out that the region, which is inspired by Africa, will largely feature an ensemble of white characters.

The petition has also gained steam thanks to voice actors involved in the franchise voicing their displeasure at the lack of representation. As compiled by X user Timely Harmony, a large number of voice actors across both Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, MiHoYo Games’ other title, have spoken out about the issue.

“Politely asking to see more accuracy in a portrayed culture is not a ‘forced agenda’,” wrote Amber May, a voice actor for both Genshin and Honkai Star Rail.

Allegra Clark, a voice actor for both titles, who is also known for playing Bloodhound in Respawn‘s Apex Legends, wrote, “It’s just so disappointing when parts of the world that are so seldom reflected in media could’ve portrayed accurately. I know this is ‘inspired by,’ as opposed to a 1:1 depiction, but if you’re drawing on specific sources it would be so lovely to see it one the way it should be!”

At the time of writing, MiHoYo Games has yet to respond to the petition or the public backlash from the voice actors.