Genshin Impact censorship? Alternate outfits, redesign for characters coming

In a surprise announcement just ahead of the 2.4 update, miHoYo revealed four character redesigns coming to the game as alternate outfits. Here’s everything you need to know about the redesign.

Genshin Impact: Alternate outfits, redesign for characters coming in 2.5 Update

Jean, Amber, Rosaria and Mona will be receiving redesigns of their original looks as alternate outfits. For players outside of China, these will be another outfit in addition to the default looks. For players in China, these will replace the original outfits.

Thankfully, these outfits look great. I think they’re all massive improvements over the original looks. They solve one of my biggest nitpicks with the game: the character designs for many of the female characters border on absurd.

These redesigns are more modest, sure, but for me they’re infinitely more appealing. Jean looks more regal, befitting her status as Acting Grandmaster. Rosaria and Mona were among the more atrocious designs in the game.

I couldn’t believe that Rosaria was a Sister, and Mona’s default outfit is just… difficult to explain to your parents. I love the big hat and the witch motif, but not how the rest of her outfit looks.

Amber on the other hand is a little more confusing. I do like her original look, I think it’s a great character design. The redesign looks more of the same, though my guess is that they may have adjusted certain textures that appear on the back of her character model. Amber and Mona’s new look puts them more in line with the design language of Mondstadters that we see on Eula.

Alternate outfit release date

The current 2.4 will have these placeholders, and the new looks will come in 2.5. It’s likely these alternate outfits will be free for players outside of China. For players in China, these will replace the default looks and the character’s artwork will also change to reflect this. They will get 1,200 Primogems as compensation for the inconvenience.

Genshin Censorship?

So why the alternate outfits? The original Chinese HoYo Lab post has since been edited, but according to a Reddit thread that documented the post before it was changed the redesigns were made to comply with new review requirements. This is likely due to the ever changing broadcast laws and standards in China.

As of 2.4, the affected characters have quick “cover ups” implemented to better comply with broadcast laws. They actually look hilarious, with Yu-Gi-Oh 4Kids levels of censorship. Click on that Mona below to see how they massacred my girl. I didn’t think Mona could look worse, but it’s always darkest before dawn right?

MiHoYo could have easily left it at that to comply with new broadcast regulations, but they went above and beyond with great new designs. Chinese laws are inexorable, and miHoYo made the best of a bad situation.

It’s interesting that these four characters tipped the authorities off, given that there are arguably more revealing characters in the game like Yoimiya or the new Keqing and Ningguang skins. Ganyu, Shenhe and Kujo Sara have skin-tight body suits that have also somehow managed to dodge censors. My guess is that it’s not about the amount of skin that’s shown, but the sexualized nature of certain outfits.

Now all we need is for miHoYo to make Diluc and Albedo’s hair fluffy, and give Itto the muscles he deserves.