Since his release on December 1, 2020, Zhongli, the new 5-star character in Genshin Impact, has received mixed reactions from the community. Unlike the earlier test versions and trailers, Zhongli struggles to fulfill his roles effectively in-game, whether as DPS or Support. Known as the “War God” of Liyue, a city representing Chinese culture, MiHoYo delivered a character that sparked controversy rather than living up to the strong and useful reputation fans expected.
This has left the global Genshin Impact community disappointed, which is understandable given the high expectations MiHoYo set for Zhongli. Waves of backlash erupted after Zhongli’s launch in China and worldwide. Some Chinese players have even made it difficult to get official receipts or resorted to hacking the game to express their frustration.
On various forums, many gamers have reached out to MiHoYo staff asking why Zhongli was designed this way and if any future adjustments are planned. Most responses indicate that MiHoYo is listening to the community and carefully reviewing the character.
It’s clear MiHoYo can’t ignore the strong backlash against their “favorite” character, especially as Zhongli’s banner revenue has dropped compared to previous ones. In October, Genshin Impact earned 10 billion CNY, but Zhongli’s November banner brought in only half that amount. Compared to Klee’s banner, Zhongli’s revenue fell significantly behind.
Genshin Impact’s first official response about the Zhongli controversy appeared on the game’s official fanpage. MiHoYo explained that Zhongli’s two key skills are the “Jade Shield” and his petrification effect from his elemental burst, placing him in a support role where HP is the most important stat. However, the developers increased his Geo elemental damage with each ascension level instead of his HP, which many players criticized since Zhongli can’t fulfill his support role effectively based on HP percentage.
According to MiHoYo’s feedback, most players can guess that the company won’t outright remove or heavily buff Zhongli’s skills. It seems MiHoYo’s plan is to build a team where Geo elements can react, resonate, or support each other through various characters. Whether this approach will work well for Genshin Impact remains to be seen.
