One of the most popular games of the past year is a title that did not even exist a few years ago. Genshin Impact, made by the Asian company miHoYo, was a complete smash hit here in America, winning both Google Play and Apple’s Game of the Year awards (Forbes). It’s an open-world action game that allows for independent exploration and story quests (NPR). Characters fight monsters and complete challenges, and can even play with friends (NPR). One of the main draws of the game is its characters- each with a unique personality and skill set that a player can use to defeat enemies (NPR). The game’s sudden rise in popularity was surprising, but what makes the gameplay so unique that players keep coming back?

One reason seems to be the game’s multiplayer option. After reaching a certain level, players can invite friends to their world or even play with complete strangers (NPR). While in someone else’s world, players can fight a variety of bosses and still gain EXP (NPR). The game is cross platform and available on both PC and mobile devices (and is coming to the Nintendo Switch soon), and is completely free- opening it up to a large audience (NPR). There is no money required to participate in any of the activities in game, which simply encourages people to keep playing.

Another source of the game’s popularity is its gacha system. Players have to “wish” for certain characters, and their probability of getting them with each wish depends on drop rates, “pity pulls”, and more (Screen Rant). Even spending money on wishes does not guarantee that a player will get a character, so many just keep playing until they have wishes saved up (Screen Rant). Plus, the game does not get boring due to the constant new updates and characters- the developers of Genshin Impact have stated that only 2 of the 7 “regions” of the map have even been released so far (NPR). Due to this and the slew of new characters that have yet to be released, it’s unlikely that the game’s popularity will begin declining soon. The game generates about $6 million a day in mobile revenue alone, so its clear the game’s fans are not going anywhere anytime soon (Forbes).