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#GenshinImpact by @mihoyo saw 17 Million global downloadsin its first 4 days! #mobilegaming
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https://t.co/an6BE4NU6I to follow @GenshinImpact‘s #appstore rankings— App Annie (@appannie) October 4, 2020
That huge early uptake means that the game is already a top grossing mobile title in across Asia, and in the US. Speaking to IGN, Daniel Ahmad, Senior Analyst at Niko Partners, estimates that the game has grossed $50 million in its first week, with the majority of that revenue coming from China, Japan, and the US.
“The game had more than 20 million pre-registrations prior to launch, of which more than 5 million were from outside China”, explains Ahmad. “This is a huge achievement not just for a Chinese developed game, but for a new original IP too.”
Genshin Impact has been compared to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild due to its visual aesthetic and design. The game is an open-world action-RPG with gachapon elements, and it has already proven to be quite the success on social media. A Nintendo Switch version is currently in the works too, with a release date unannounced.It’s the latest in a series of Chinese games that have caught western attention, which Ahmad says is part of a deliberate attempt to crack new markets: “As the mobile games market matures in China, developers are looking to reach new players, both outside China and on new platforms. Both small and large Chinese studios have been investing in more robust experiences that can scale to console and PC. As many have seen with previously announced games such as Lost Soul Aside, Bright Memory Infinite and Black Myth Wu Kong, Chinese game developers are beginning to make their mark in the West.”
“While the distribution and monetisation model for Genshin Impact are already accepted in China,” Ahmad continues, “the game is popularising AAA free to play and gacha games in the West. [Developer] MiHoYo has worked to ensure that gamers can play the title without needing to pay to progress, while still being able to monetise from those who want to pay and obtain the best characters and equipment earlier.”
If you’re interested in checking Genshin Impact out, take a look at our hands-on preview from March of this year to learn more about how it plays. We’ve also got some Genshin Impact guides to check out if you’re already playing. Here’s the skinny on acquiring wishes and here’s an article explaining how you can play co-op with your friends.
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.