Genshin Impact voice actors demand “better representation” amid Natlan backlash
HoyoverseGenshin Impact voice actors are calling out HoYoverse for the character designs of the game’s new region, Natlan, and how it allegedly fails to represent their influences properly.
On July 12, 2024, HoYoverse released the official trailer for Natlan, a new region that revealed the upcoming characters in the Version 5.0 update.
However, after its reveal, HoYoverse received fan backlash on several character designs, as many were inspired by real-world mythology (which is something Genshin has regularly done), who are traditionally represented in darker skin tones but are instead depicted as white in the game.
As Genshin players ask for proper representation, so too have many of the game’s voice actors, joining fans in wanting to support better in-game diversity.
As many players pointed out, various characters were inspired by disparate cultures around the world, such as Mavuika being inspired by the Māori fire deity Mahuika, or Ororon being inspired by the Yoruban deity Ọlọrun, who are traditionally represented with darker skin.
Valeria Rodriguez, the voice actor of Sucrouse, said of the issue, “If you’re going to use real-world deities, RESPECT them. If you’re basing off of real cultures, RESPECT THAT.” They then compared Genshin’s version of Olorun to Smite’s interpretation of the Yoruban deity.
Yoimiya voice actor Jenny Yokobori said, “It shouldn’t be a radical desire to see yourself reflected in the media you consume.”
Khoi Dao, the voice actor of Albedo, commented on the issue, “If a game draws so heavily from real-world cultures and bases a character on the supreme deity of [Yoruban] religion, and that character ends up looking like pale Sasuke Batman, people are absolutely within their rights to demand better representation.”
Sethos’ voice actor, Zeno Robinson, questioned why HoYoverse wouldn’t want better representation of different shades of melanin characters if they are targeting a diverse audience.
The complaints were further echoed by Japanese and Chinese Genshin players, questioning why characters who are based on Latin American and African cultures were represented by Caucasian-presenting characters.
As of writing, HoYoverse has yet to respond to the backlash.