If you’ve spent any time exploring the lush, magical open world of Teyvat, you’ve probably wondered at least once what company made Genshin Impact. It’s hard to overstate how big this game has gotten since it launched, racking up hundreds of millions of players across mobile, PC, console, and handheld platforms, and spawning fan events, fanart, and even official concerts all over the world. Most players know it’s tied to a studio that makes anime-style games, but far fewer know the full story of how the studio got its start, what other projects they’ve worked on, and what makes their design choices stand out from other open-world developers in the space. I’ve been covering Genshin Impact and its related community for over four years, so I’ve broken down all the key details you might be curious about below.
What Company Made Genshin Impact, Exactly?
The short answer is that miHoYo is the original studio that developed Genshin Impact, from initial concept all the way through ongoing content updates. miHoYo was founded in 2012 by three computer science graduates from Shanghai Jiao Tong University: Cai Haoyu, Liu Wei, and Luo Yuhao. All three were massive fans of anime, manga, and vocaloid culture, and the “mi” in the miHoYo name is actually a nod to Hatsune Miku, their favorite vocaloid character. They started out making small, niche mobile games for local audiences before landing their first breakout hit with Honkai Impact 3rd, a fast-paced action RPG that gained a massive following across Asia and parts of the West starting in 2016.
In 2022, miHoYo rebranded its global publishing arm as HoYoverse, which is why you’ll often see both names attached to Genshin Impact marketing, support tickets, and official social media accounts. They’re not separate companies, though — HoYoverse is just the global-facing brand created to better serve international players, while miHoYo remains the official development studio name for its core operations in China. I’ve seen a lot of new players get confused by the two names, especially when they get support emails from HoYoverse but see miHoYo listed on the game’s opening credits, so it’s an easy mix-up to make.
Development on Genshin Impact first started back in 2017, right as Honkai Impact 3rd was reaching its peak popularity. The team wanted to make a game that felt more open and exploratory than their previous linear action titles, and drew inspiration from everything from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to classic JRPGs and even real-world cultural heritage sites. It took over three years of development and a budget of over $100 million to launch the first version of the game, making it one of the most expensive video games ever made at the time.
Core Design Philosophies That Shaped Genshin Impact
One of the biggest reasons Genshin Impact stood out so much when it launched was that it broke a lot of unwritten rules for free-to-play and mobile games. The studio didn’t cut corners to fit the game onto mobile devices, and they refused to lock core content behind paywalls like many other live service titles did at the time. When the studio first started developing Genshin Impact in 2017, they set three non-negotiable rules for the project that guided every development decision:
- The game must run smoothly on mid-tier mobile devices with no mandatory paywall to access core story content
- Every regional area in Teyvat must draw from real-world cultural references, with input from local creators to avoid harmful stereotypes
- Cross-save must be available across all supported platforms, with no restrictions on where players can access their accounts
Cross-platform accessibility is a core priority for the studio, and that’s a big part of why the game blew up so quickly. I first started playing Genshin Impact on an old iPhone 11 when it launched, and I was shocked by how smooth the gameplay was even on a 4-year-old device. When I upgraded to a PC a year later, I was able to pick up right where I left off without losing any of my progress or characters, which is a feature most other cross-platform games still don’t offer fully for free.
Global cultural inspiration is woven into every part of Teyvat’s regions, too. Mondstadt draws heavily from medieval German and Swiss architecture and folklore, Liyue is based on thousands of years of Chinese history and culture, Inazuma takes cues from Edo-period Japan, and Sumeru blends influences from South Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. The team works with local cultural consultants, voice actors, and writers for every region to make sure the references feel respectful and authentic, rather than like cheap stereotypes. I still remember how emotional many Chinese players were during the first Liyue Lantern Rite event, because it felt like a genuine celebration of their cultural traditions rather than a watered-down version for global audiences.
Other Popular Projects From Genshin Impact’s Developer
Genshin Impact is far from the only successful project the studio has released. They’ve built a reputation for making high-quality, story-driven games with memorable characters, and most of their releases have gone on to gain massive global audiences. Honkai: Star Rail is the studio’s second-biggest global hit after Genshin Impact, launched in 2023 as a turn-based RPG set in the same shared multiverse as the Honkai series. It sold over 20 million copies in its first week of launch, and quickly became one of the top-grossing mobile games in the world. A lot of Genshin Impact players try Star Rail because it shares the same art style and focus on storytelling, and there are even small Easter eggs referencing Genshin Impact scattered through Star Rail’s story for fans to find.
In 2024, the studio launched Zenless Zone Zero, a fast-paced urban action game set in a post-apocalyptic city filled with supernatural threats. It’s a big departure from the open-world fantasy style of Genshin Impact, but it has the same level of polish and creative character design that fans have come to expect from the studio. They’re also working on a full-length Genshin Impact anime series in partnership with Ufotable, the studio behind Demon Slayer and Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, which is expected to launch sometime in the next two years.
One of the most common questions I see in new player Discord servers, right next to what company made Genshin Impact, is whether the studio’s other games are worth playing if you like Genshin. The short answer is yes, as long as you don’t mind different gameplay styles. All of their games share the same focus on free core content, regular updates, and engaging character writing, so if you like the way the team tells stories, you’ll probably enjoy their other releases too.
Common Misconceptions About Genshin Impact’s Developer
As with any massively popular studio, there are a lot of false rumors and misconceptions floating around about miHoYo/HoYoverse. One of the most common myths I see is that the game is pay-to-win, and that you have to spend hundreds of dollars to get good characters or progress through the story. That’s not true at all. All core content updates for Genshin Impact are released for free, with no required purchases to progress through the main story. I’m a free-to-play player myself, and I’ve been able to get every character I want over the past four years just by saving up free Primogems from events, quests, and exploration. The gacha system is there if you want to get specific characters faster, but it’s never required to enjoy the game.
Another common misconception is that the studio doesn’t listen to player feedback. That’s also not true. They regularly make adjustments to characters, events, and gameplay systems based on player input. For example, after fans complained that the endgame Spiral Abyss content was too difficult for casual players, they added easier permanent endgame activities like the Serenitea Pot housing system and various combat events that reward players without requiring perfect character builds. But that doesn’t mean the studio is perfect — they’ve gotten their fair share of criticism over the years, from limited character build diversity to occasional gaps in endgame content for long-time players.
There’s also a persistent rumor that Genshin Impact was a direct copy of other open-world games, which popped up a lot when the game first launched. While the team did draw inspiration from other popular open-world titles, the core gameplay systems, especially the elemental reaction combat system, are completely original. The team spent over two years refining the elemental system, and it’s one of the most unique parts of the game that keeps players coming back years after launch.
At the end of the day, the answer to what company made Genshin Impact is a small studio that grew from three college students with a love for anime and games to a global entertainment brand that’s changed what mobile and free-to-play games can be. I still remember waiting in line for two hours at a Genshin Impact pop-up event in my city last year, and talking to a group of players who had flown in from three different states just to get exclusive merch. That’s the kind of community dedication you don’t see for most live service games, and it’s directly tied to how much effort the studio puts into making experiences that resonate with players all over the world. If you’re just getting started with Genshin Impact, take the time to look for the small developer Easter eggs hidden across Teyvat — you’ll find a lot of little nods to their past projects and the team’s personal interests scattered everywhere.