Genshin Impact’s Natlan trailer has fans divided

Genshin Impact’s next big adventure in Natlan is almost here, but it’s not as cheery as its rainbow-painted landscapes might suggest.

On Friday, developer Hoyoverse released a teaser trailer showing 11 characters that will be joining the game as part of the Natlan storyline, including one major figure: the possible Pyro Archon, Mavuika.

While a new character usually ignites excitement within the fandom, the trailer and Mavuika have inspired criticism from players who say the characters are based on, but don’t properly represent, Latin American cultures.

Originally released in 2020, Genshin Impact is one of the flagship games in the ever-growing catalog of games by developer Hoyoverse. In it, players assume the role of The Traveler, a twin in search of their long-lost sibling in a sprawling open-world adventure.

Image: Hoyoverse

In the summer of 2023, the developers added the region of Fontaine, a water wonderland inspired by France and the U.K. In 2022, the development team released Sumeru, a region inspired by Middle Eastern and South Asian peoples and regions, which some criticized for employing stereotypes to build its world.

This time around, players will journey to the land of Natlan. Hoyoverse has not announced a release date yet, but the current patch schedule suggests we can expect the update sometime this summer.

We also don’t know a lot about the region yet. Hoyoverse has released two teaser trailers, including the one on Friday, but prior information (such as its name) suggest that it would be inspired, at least loosely, by Latin America.

Fans have pointed out that “Natlan” appears to be derived from Aztlán, the ancestral home of the Aztecs. In the world of Genshin Impact, Natlan is the land of War and home to the Pyro Archon, the god of the fire element. Lore like this mirrors some aspects of the Aztec culture, like the god Huitzilopochtli, who is also the god of fire and war. Additionally, players have found connections and cultural references to peoples in different regions, such as West Africa and Australia.

Each region in the world is governed by an “Archon,” a celestial god that usually wields a specific element. Because of Mavuika’s centrality in the trailer, her grandiose design, and her seemingly flame-themed look, she appears to be positioned as the Pyro Archon on Natlan. There’s just one issue: She’s white.

Now, fans on TikTok are calling out the development team for its decision to portray characters as white or with light skin. The top comment on one video, which was liked more than 3,500 times, said: “sighs very loudly at the pyro archon,” possibly to express boredom or exasperation with the design. In response, another said, “bro she’s literally so hot but she’s pale,” with a crying emoji. Another replied criticizing the Hoyoverse development team, “this is so sad even after the amount of complaints they dont listen.” Others have responded by creating videos where they darken the skin tone of the characters.

Some fans have taken on a different tone and responded with wisecracks about the new character. The top comment on a video from the official TikTok account for Genshin Impact says, “Close enough welcome back sunset shimmer,” since the Archon shares a color design scheme with the My Little Pony character.

So far, Hoyoverse has not confirmed that Mavuika is the Pyro Archon. If she isn’t the original leader of the land, skeptical fans may have a different response down the line.

Character reveals are the lifeblood of the Genshin Impact community. The excitement around an update can be defined by how beloved or anticipated a certain character is. For now, fans will just have to wait and see where the story takes her as a character.