The saga continues: pitting Genshin Impact’s first anniversary against other gacha games

Genshin Impact is at its core, a gacha game. This market is incredibly saturated, and Genshin stands out by being a pretty seamless, open world 3D game available on both mobile and console. A whole year in service is a milestone that ought to be celebrated, even discounting the absolutely bonkers amount of profit the game has apparently made since then.

All is not well in paradise, as in the past week, it’s already had a multitude of problems:

• Getting review bombed
• People are just Not Happy
• Voice actress getting harassed
• Reception to reward previews were less than stellar

So, how about this? Let’s have a look at the first anniversaries of other, “lesser” games, before we return to Genshin.

GRANBLUE FANTASY

What is it? A primarily browser-based, turn-based RPG. 2D artwork, and animated chibi sprites. SSR is the highest base rarity.

Year of their first anniversary? 2015

What did they announce?

• ~6 days of 50 bonus crystals, and gacha ticket (approx. 7 single draws)
• Anniversary battles to exchange up to 3000 crystals (1 10-draw)
• New additions
  • Raid
  • Co-op stage
  • Weapons
  • Classes
  • Extended Mastery Points
  • Party slot
  • Rank cap increase
  • Paid outfit / gacha bundles
  • Summon
  • Characters

DRAGALIA LOST

What is it? A top-down, real time combat action RPG. 3D chibi character models and environments, 2D static spritework. 5-star is the highest base rarity.

Year of their first anniversary? 2019

What did they announce?

• 10 days of daily 10-draw
• Paid bundles
  • Guaranteed 5-star character
  • Value packs for materials, etc.
• Double 5-star rates
  • New character
• Log in bonuses for various materials, currency enough for at least 3 10-draws
• Quest campaigns with increased drops
• Commemorative voice lines from characters

ARKNIGHTS

What is it? Top down tower defense game. 2D chibi animated sprites, and artwork, Live2D for select characters. 6-star is the highest base rarity.

Year of their first anniversary? 2020 (CN) / 2021 (Global)

What did they announce?

• New main story update
• Paid items
  • Originite Prime purchase bonus refresh
  • Bundles with materials, gacha tickets
  • 6-star Selector Ticket up to certain release timeframe
• New additions
  • Skins
  • Furniture set
  • Limited character, select choice of character guaranteed (45 draws for 5-star, 300 for 6-star)
• Log in bonuses
  • 5-star and 1-star character
  • Skin
  • Materials
  • Currency for 5 draws
  • 1 10-draw for the limited gacha banner
  • Daily 1 draw for limited gacha banner

PUNISHING: GRAY RAVEN

What is it? 3D real time combat action game. 3D models, primarily static backgrounds, 2D artwork. 6-star is the highest base rarity.

Year of their first anniversary? 2020 (CN)

What did they announce?

• New additions
  • Character
  • Outfits
  • Game modes, for solo and co-op
  • Enemies
  • Furniture
  • New player missions
  • Collectible and achievement display
  • Homescreen “customization” (background)
• Updates
  • Weapon level up system
• Log in bonuses
  • Currency for 1 10-draw
  • Other materials

FATE/GRAND ORDER

What is it? Turn-based battle RPG. 2D artwork and animated sprites. 5-star is the highest base rarity.

Year of their first anniversary? 2016 (JP)

What did they announce?

• Permanent discount to gacha cost (25%)
• Livestream bonuses
  • Currency for 1 10-pull
• Log in bonus
  • Various materials
  • Currency for 1 10-pull
• Updates
  • Storage expansion
  • Refunds for anyone who expanded prior
  • Battle animation update
• Campaigns
  • Event quest
  • Increased upgrade success rate for anniversary
  • 1/2 cost for quests
• New additions
  • Strengthening quests for characters
  • Ascension up to level 100
  • Trial quest
  • Limited gacha with new character, Craft Essence (“equipment”)
• Paid items
  • Guaranteed 5-star from select pool

GENSHIN IMPACT

So, what is the game having during its anniversary period?

• New additions
  • Web event, An Unforgettable Journey. 100? Primogems
  • Web event, A Message in Time. Rewards 10% Welkin Moon, 90% 100,000 Mora
  • Other events to come, with varying rewards from 100 Primogems to products
  • Moonchase Festival event
  • 5-star character, weapon
• Log in bonuses
  • Various materials
  • Currency for 1 10-draw

Okay, let’s also include Version 2.1 as a whole.

• New additions
  • Main story chapter for Inazuma
  • Enemies
  • Characters, character quest, weapon
  • Two new islands for Inazuma region
  • Various limited time events
  • Fishing feature
• Paid items
  • Genesis Crystal bonus reset
• Other
  • Online concert
  • Now postponed real life events
  • Fan contests

Here’s a scuffed summary of the various anniversary celebrations across the games mentioned:

GENSHIN BAD ANNIVERSARY?

You’ve likely seen this post circulating, cropped to the most relevant section:

Returning to all the “drama” linked earlier in this article, people are done waiting for the “real anniversary”. They’re unhappy now, and as previously discussed, many are baffled at what they see as non-communication. Other games are also being dragged into the review bombing mess by dissatisfied players, for whatever reason.

Nonetheless, with these so-called “preparation” events, I’ve also pointed out that the Moonchase Festival is virtually similar to the Lantern Rite event. Is preparing for an anniversary not a big enough an occasion to offer a free 4-star character on top of the 4-star weapon? There’s only so many times you can ask people to wait, to be satisfied with the current state of the game. People see “Genshin earns 2 billion dollars” and feel completely entitled to demand more.

It’s on miHoYo to make the next move. The next livestream for version 2.2 has already been confirmed. Where do we go from here? Hopefully, back up.