Microsoft has partnered with HoYoverse on a big Xbox 'Genshin Impact' marketing campaign

What you need to know

• At Gamescom, Microsoft and HoyoVerse announced that Genshin Impact, the wildly popular RPG gatcha game is finally coming to Xbox. 
• The fantasy action RPG allows players to collect anime-styled heroes across a large and high-quality storyline, complete with tight combat and impressive visuals. 
• The game is wildly popular on PC, PlayStation, and mobile devices, and its arrival on Xbox is slated for November 20, 2024, complete with some kind of Xbox Game Pass tie-in. 
• Now, it seems that Microsoft and HoYoverse have kicked up a marketing campaign for the game, which features ads in both New York's Time Square as well as London, UK. 

They say it's better late than never, right?! Few things could represent that statement like Genshin Impact on Xbox. 

A little while ago, I wrote an editorial calling out Xbox for missing out on HoyoVerse's games. Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, and Honkai Star Rail are some of this generation's most popular games, representing billions of dollars in revenue in a relatively short space of time. These games represent a new generation of truly "universal" titles, which run across consoles, mobile platforms, and PC, with account synchronicity and free-to-play access. They're incredibly popular with the gen-z cohort, too, and their absence from Xbox has essentially alienated millions of gamers from even considering the platform. That is, until last month. 

At Gamescom 2024, Microsoft and HoYoverse (MiHoYo) revealed that Genshin Impact will drop on Xbox on November 20, 2024. Additionally, Genshin Impact on Xbox will have some form of tie-in with Xbox Game Pass. Other free-to-play games on Game Pass enjoy added benefits. In the case of Valorant and League of Legends, Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers get access to the full roster of characters, without having to purchase them piecemeal. 

Microsoft and HoYoverse also want the general public to know that Genshin Impact is coming to Xbox, and a variety of tweets over the last couple of weeks showcases how Xbox is ramping up marketing the game. 

Microsoft has dropped large banner ads across New York in the United States, showcasing the game's pending availability on Xbox, complete with a wishlist QR code. You can even pre-download Genshin Impact on Xbox right now, right here, if you so choose. 

Additionally, Microsoft UK had a pop-up event in Lancaster Place in London yesterday, complete with Genshin Impact cosplayers, hands-on demo units, and even in-game items to pick up. 

The marketing blitz is similar to Microsoft's efforts around Persona 5 last year, which is another game that was notoriously Xbox-absent. It seems marketing support is one way in which Microsoft is able to coax publishers over to the Xbox platform, despite its "third place" status in terms of install base. For both parties, it should be a win-win, as the Game Pass tie-in should yield new users for Microsoft, with HoyoVerse gaining access to a potentially fresh audience as it hits saturation levels on its existing platforms. 

There's at least some evidence that Genshin Impact has been cannibalized by other HoYoverse games, including Honkai Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero, which are at least superficially similar in playstyle and addressable audience. Honkai Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero currently have PlayStation 5 exclusivity, but given Genshin's appearance on Xbox, it's probably only a matter of time before they hit Xbox and Xbox Game Pass too in the future. 

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Hopefully Microsoft won't miss out on the next big industry hit 

Genshin Impact - Natlan Gameplay Trailer｜Gamescom 2024 #GenshinImpact #Natlan #gamescom2024 - YouTube

Watch On

There has been a lot of criticism of Xbox of late (or well, for years) over support from third-party developers for the platform. We're getting Genshin Impact finally, albeit a bit late. Microsoft has also worked hard to land Final Fantasy 14, Persona, and Yakuza on Xbox in recent years. However, we've also seen Black Myth Wukong skip Xbox, and just yesterday, Enotria: The Last Song blamed a lack of support from Xbox for indefinitely delaying their game on the platform. Capcom has also skipped over Xbox for its Fighting Game Collection 2 and other retro ports, although I'm hearing that should be resolved relatively soon ... (update: it was resolved.) 

RELATED: On Xbox's growing pains, and its strange future

Microsoft has had wins too, of course. They had a large presence with PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on console, which kickstarted the entire battle royale genre into popularity. Xbox also landed Palworld exclusively earlier this year, which was Q1's biggest game on Steam. 

The added scrutiny on Xbox is symptomatic of its inconsistent messaging and apparent apathy towards its console platform in recent months, as it gives up on exclusive games and begins porting its full slate of titles to PlayStation 5 — who will naturally (almost certainly) never reciprocate. I have no idea what the future will hold for Xbox, but at the very least, Xbox players will have access to Genshin Impact between now and then. 

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact is an anime-styled action RPG from HoYoverse. Free-to-play with a large story and massive continuous world, Genshin Impact has tons of character classes to collect, bosses to slay, and regions to explore.

See at: Xbox Store | HoYoverse