Genshin Impact developer says it “deeply regrets the harm” after voice actor accused of sexual abuse

MiHoYo, the developer responsible for anime-style action role-playing game (RPG) Genshin Impact, has issued a statement after one of its voice actors was accused of sexual abuse.

• READ MORE: ‘Genshin Impact’ review: it does more than just ride on the coattails of ‘Breath Of The Wild’

English voice actor Elliot Gindi, who voices the character Tighnari, has been accused of grooming underage fans by moderators of his Twitch and Discord server, who posted chatlogs to Twitter.

In a 21-page Google Doc, one of the moderators highlighted screenshots that showed victims coming forward after Gindi had asked for inappropriate photos, videos and other sexual content and had made transphobic remarks towards individuals.

Gindi has since admitted that the screenshots are real and in an apology post, wrote: “Yes, I did threaten suicide if it got out. I didn’t think through the severity of that. I’m sorry.”

He also added: “What is not true: That I knowingly did anything with anyone underage That I did not respect someone’s pronoun changes. I was not “waiting” for someone 15 to turn 18. I flatly rejected them.”

Genshin Impact developer MiHoYo said in a statement to GamesRadar+: “We deeply regret the harm and damage that happened to our fans, gamers, community and anyone affected. Both our internal teams and external partners including our voice acting studio have been working together on an urgent solution. And we will keep you posted on the progress.”

Since the accusations, a number of other voice actors for the game have come forward in support of victims, including Aether voice actor Zach Aguilar.

Aguilar said he was “disappointed and angry” and that he had “removed the stream with Elliot and will no longer be associating with him. I refuse to give someone like this a platform in any way. To use your power this way over fans is disgusting and shameful. My heart goes out for the victims of this situation.”

Reviewing Genshin Impact, NME said: “As a newly released free-to-play game, it’s currently hard to discern just how deeply Genshin Impact’s monetisation will have an impact on your wallet. But just from its opening chapter, you have a fantastic open world adventure that’s larger and more rewarding than most full-priced games.

“With its charming cast of characters, deliciously inspired combat and more content updates coming on a regular basis, there’s no reason why you won’t keep returning to the wonderful world of Teyvat.”