Genshin Impact’s own voice actors join the backlash over lack of representation in Natlan’s new region character designs

In response to the reveal of the new cast of Natlan characters, Genshin Impact was once again accused of cultural appropriation by fans and voice actors.

Each region in Genshin Impact is heavily inspired by real-world countries and cultures, and the general design, mythology, and music of each region are based on these different real-world areas. Inazuma represents Japan, Fontaine represents France, Mondstadt represents Germany and the Netherlands, etc.

Based on the names of the characters and regions, the established mythology, and glimpses of what the region will look like in trailers, the upcoming Natlan region appears to be heavily inspired by the lands and cultures that make up the Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean, which includes Latin America, Africa, and Aboriginal Australian cultures. However, fans say this is not reflected in Natlan’s character designs, and now the game’s voice actors have joined in the criticism via social media.

“I really hope that a video game company listens to its fan base when there is legitimate criticism several years in a row about how it conducts its research and includes elements/aspects of other cultures,” says Anne Yatco, who lends her voice to Raiden Shogun in the game.

Valeria Rodríguez, who voices Sucrose, expressed a similar sentiment: “If you’re going to use real-world deities, RESPECT them. If you’re going to base things on real-world cultures, RESPECT THAT. I don’t have a problem with things being inspired by different cultures – that’s great. Representation is great. But you should at least do a little research and show a little cultural appreciation.”

Rodríguez also compared the depiction of Ọlọrun, the supreme Yoruba deity, in Genshin Impact to that in the popular MOBA Smite, showing the stark contrast in skin color between the two. “This is unforgivable. Look at what an insane job Smite did with its own interpretation!!! IT’S NOT HARD!!!”

Alejandro Saab, who voices Cyno in Genshin Impact and Jing Yuan in Honkai: Star Rail, retweeted Rodríguez’s Smite comparison and added, “You still have time to fix it,” presumably referring to Genshin Impact developer HoYoverse.

Eurogamer has contacted HoYoverse for comment.

Khoi Dao, the voice actor for Albedo in Genshin Impact, also addressed the portrayal of Ọlọrun: “When a game is so heavily inspired by real-world cultures and a character is based on the supreme deity of the Yoruba religion, and that character ends up looking like a pale Sasuke Batman, people are absolutely entitled to demand better representation, ESPECIALLY when said game is clearly committed to a *global* audience. I hope you continue to make your voices heard and I hope you are listened to.”

This isn’t the first time Genshin Impact has been criticized by fans for its predominantly light-skinned characters, as the same criticism has been constantly leveled against Sumeru, a country with strong South Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African influences. However, this is the first time so many prominent voice actors from HoYoverse have spoken out, which seems to have brought more attention to the issue.

The hashtag “BoycottHYV” has been steadily gaining traction since the Natlan character was revealed on X, with fans using it to share their frustrations, petitions, and character redesigns. HoYoverse has yet to respond and continues to release teasers about the Natlan character on social media. The company is not known for addressing controversy, but with Chinese players and its own voice actors criticizing Natlan’s characters, fans believe the company is more likely than usual to respond.

Zeno Robinson, who voices Sethos in Genshin Impact, sums up the global dissatisfaction with Natlan’s characters well: “If even your core audience, the Chinese fans, are asking for better representation and/or characters with different shades of melanin, who are you making these characters for?”