Fan art for Genshin Impact has become a huge way for its loyal community to stay involved with the popular RPG from miHoYo. This isn't necessarily unique to the game, of course, but it is rare to see an IP focus so heavily on spotlighting artists. miHoYo does this frequently through official Genshin Impact fan art contests, which are beneficial to players but also help keep the game popular.
It's the kind of symbiosis that's not uncommon with games and their communities. Plenty of video games have loyal fanbases and highlight fan art or cosplays on their official social media accounts, but rarely do they go to the lengths that Genshin Impact has to spotlight the talent in its own fanbase. Even now, miHoYo is hosting Ganyu and Zhongli fan art contests (both are running January 18 - February 7). There are also regular Genshin Impact Content Creator Spotlights, with the most recent Volume 7 releasing January 18.
Much of this fan art is on display from Genshin Impact's social media accounts but also from the official Ella Musk Twitter account, which shares the Content Creator Spotlights monthly. It's great for artists since it often brings their work to a larger audience. However, Genshin Impact benefits from this relationship, too. Players have routinely used fan art to celebrate new character releases, and by sharing these posts, it serves as essentially free advertising for miHoYo.
Genshin Impact Fan Art Is Great For miHoYo & For Players
Fan art may be an often overlooked aspect when examining Genshin Impact's longevity and success, but it's proven to be integral to the game's presence on social media. It keeps fans active outside the game, thus keeping them more invested than they may have been from simply playing Genshin Impact. Scheduling fan art contests around in-game events is a smart call, too. Take the Ganyu and Zhongli Banner reruns, for example, which have fan art contests coinciding with the latest 2.4 Wishes. It's incentivizing more users to pull for those characters, promoting Ganyu's and Zhongli's return, and highlighting artists' work - all at the same time.
Players can reap the rewards too, since winners of Genshin Impact fan art contests can get a variety of prizes. It's more than just bringing their work to a larger audience - they can also win in-game rewards and even real-world items ranging from character figures to iPhones and accessories. Both parties benefit from this kind of relationship between a game and its fans, and more companies should be looking at the way Genshin Impact and miHoYo handle this so well.