A petition addressing concerns of cultural appropriation and whitewashing in MiHoYo games, including Genshin Impact, has gained significant traction, with the number of signatories steadily increasing and nearing the threshold required to prompt action from the company. MiHoYo, officially known as Shanghai MiHoYo Network Technology Co., Ltd., is a Chinese video game development and publishing company founded in 2012. The studio is renowned for popular titles like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail and has expanded its influence beyond gaming into various media, including animated series, comics, music, novels, and merchandise.
Driven by the slogan "Tech Otakus Save the World," MiHoYo emphasizes its commitment to technology and passion for anime, comics, and games. However, the company has faced criticism regarding its representation of certain cultures in its video games. As of now, the petition has garnered 60,915 signatures out of a target of 75,000, with 16,042 of those collected just today. Hosted on Change.org, the petition urges MiHoYo to ensure respectful and accurate cultural representation and to put an end to cultural appropriation and whitewashing in their games.
Petitioners argue that the company appropriates indigenous cultures without proper representation, particularly concerning characters from the Sumeru and Natlan regions in Genshin Impact, as well as from Penacony in Honkai: Star Rail. The petition calls for MiHoYo to collaborate with indigenous cultural experts, thoroughly review current content for authenticity, and commit to introducing a diverse range of respectful characters. According to the petitioners, these actions are essential, especially with the upcoming debut of the Natlan region in Genshin Impact, to ensure accurate and inclusive representations. Genshin Impact has previously faced backlash over accusations of whitewashing and cultural appropriation, particularly following its Sumeru update. Critics have pointed out that characters from the Middle Eastern and South Asian-inspired region predominantly have light skin tones, failing to reflect the diversity of these cultures accurately. Additionally, characters like Dori have been criticized for perpetuating harmful stereotypes, and changes to name pronunciations to cater to Western audiences have also sparked controversy.