Fans of Genshin impact were excited about the latest update as it introduced the highly anticipated Sumeru region into the game. However, many were quick to point out that it doesn’t properly represent the real cultures from which it draws much of its inspiration and knowledge.
In the past, Genshin impact has introduced regions inspired by different countries and parts of the world. Until now, most fans have agreed that the fictional rendering this has given their real-life counterparts is relatively strong. The game lets the player start in the German-inspired region of Mondstadt and then progress to East Asian-inspired regions, even using real historical events like the 1635 Sakoku Edict in Japan to inspire the Sakoku Decree, a key plot point in the Japan-inspired Inazuma region. The Sumeru region had fans nervous about its representation even before its release, as fans knew it would be based on a mix of cultures from the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa.
Although there are nuanced depictions of these cultures in hugely popular games, such as: overwatchfor example, the portrayal of these cultures in video games is often fraught with negative stereotypes regarding terrorism, eroticism and racism. This is especially prominent in war-based games where players play as American heroes who face threats from other parts of the world, as these games often reflect real-world conflict. Genshin impact seems to avoid some of these negative images as the player and Paimon enter the intellectually centered region, which also appears to be more technologically advanced than previous regions. The first patch of the update introduces them to several of Sumeru’s good guys, such as Nilou, Tighnari, Dehya, and Collei.
However, players quickly noticed and were disappointed that none of the characters released in the 3.0 Sumeru update, nor the other characters already announced for this region, are dark-skinned, which would reflect the real places where Sumeru is based. . People living in this region probably wouldn’t look the same as people living in Germany or East Asia, but still in Genshin impactthe skin colors of the characters inspired by these cultures are more like the various light-colored characters from Mondstadt, Liyue and Inazuma.
This is not to say that fair-skinned people do not exist in the areas Sumeru is based on. In fact, there is a lot of ethnic diversity in these regions, and to say that only dark-skinned people live in this area would be very reductive. However, it begs the question: why are only fair-skinned people represented in a region with so much ethnic diversity?
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While this issue could be discussed in the context of several new characters, it is perhaps most prominent when looking at the character Candace, an emerging pole-armed Hydro four-star character. While Candace has a slightly darker complexion than other Sumeru characters, who are rather pale in comparison, the character is likely based on Kandake. Kandake is a term used for Kushite queens in the ancient kingdom of Nubia, and it is often romanized as Candace as well.
Considering that the character is heavily inspired by African culture, it is curious that she bears no resemblance to the Nubian people, an ethnic group that still exists and is dark-skinned. This blatant whitewashing of Candace and other Sumeru characters has rightly upset many fans, who are calling on the game’s developer, miHoYo, to respect the cultures from which they draw inspiration.
This isn’t the first time miHoYo has been criticized by fans for its portrayal, or rather lack thereof, of dark-skinned characters. Prior to the Sumeru update, the company was criticized by fans for almost all of its characters had lighter skin tones, with only Kaeya and Xinyan being the exceptions. While fans still engage in heated debates about these two characters, it seems that the issue of representation in Sumeru is far more egregious so far and not so easy to defend.
The creative team for Genshin impact has clearly done a lot of research to integrate interesting historical and cultural contexts. The game is fictional, but given that it takes so much of its knowledge from real history, it doesn’t seem like an expectation for a good rendering is too much to ask. This is especially important going forward, as miHoYo continues to move from a largely East Asian market to a more diverse international audience, which may expect more from good representation.
Whitewashing remains a major issue in the media, and while it may be too late for miHoYo to redesign any of the upcoming characters already announced, hopefully the company will take these concerns into account from fans as more Sumeru content is released. . Not only is this something that should be done to delight fans and limit controversy, but it would also be a gesture of respect for the real cultures they draw inspiration from.
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