UPDATE 20/01/25: Cognosphere, the distributor of Genshin Impact, has officially responded to the FTC’s complaint, stating it believes the allegations are “inaccurate” but it agreed to the settlement as it shares a “commitment to transparency for our players”.
New protections will now be added to the game, such as parental consent for children and young teens.
The full statement shared with Eurogamer reads: “Animation-style games and shows are well-received by global audiences and players across various ages. Genshin Impact is a popular free-to-play, anime-style game designed for older teens and adults. While we believe many of the FTC’s allegations are inaccurate, we agreed to this settlement because we value the trust of our community and share a commitment to transparency for our players. Under the agreement, we will introduce new age-gate and parental consent protections for children and young teens and increase our in-game disclosures around virtual currency and rewards for players in the U.S. in the coming months.”
ORIGINAL STORY 17/01/25 UK: Genshin Impact maker HoYoverse has agreed to pay $20m to settle a complaint – filed by the US Department of Justice on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission – accusing it of violating children’s privacy laws and deceiving users over the true cost of obtaining rare loot box prizes.