Well, there seems to be a lot of hope.
On September 16, 2022, a concept trailer was released on the official Genshin Impact YouTube channel, and a press release appeared on the website. The text announced a collaboration with the Japanese anime studio Ufotable, known for the Demon Slayer series and the accompanying full-length films.
The lack of specifics in the official statement and the release of the trailer intrigued the gaming community. Many assumed that they should expect an anime adaptation since an anime studio had taken on the project. This led to a wave of speculation and fakes. Gaming bloggers, websites, and fans quickly dubbed the project a "Genshin Impact anime."
Genshin Impact Anime Speculation History
In the spring of 2024, Shanghai authorities announced a three-year plan to turn the city into a center for film production, including animation. The party proposed to fund high-quality adaptations of the games Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail due to their popularity in China and abroad: they see potential in them and want to draw attention to Chinese animation, called donghua.
HoYoverse did not give a clear answer to the government's proposal. The company's representatives promised to study the plan and promote the adaptation of their games. The developers' promise does not guarantee that it will be an anime series. The studio can choose any format: short films, OVA series or a movie.
What Could a Genshin Impact Anime Be About?
At the beginning of the game you have to choose one of the twins: a boy, Iter, or a girl, Lumin. After that, a journey through the fairytale world of Teyvat begins in search of a relative.
The concept trailer showed both twins, so it was assumed that the anime will be about their joint wanderings. Or the story will take place in an alternate reality to avoid repeating the already known plot of Genshin Impact.
What Is the Estimated Release Date?
Since 2022, the versions have changed frequently. First it was assumed that the first trailer with the release date would appear in 2023. Then fans speculated that the anime would be released around 2025.
After the news of the three-year plan, fans hope to see the anime based on Genshin within three years from 2024.
Genshin Impact Has Enough Lore and Characters to Be Turned into an Anime
The lore of Genshin Impact goes far beyond the main adventure. Each hero has his own backstory, motivation, and relationships with other characters.
The regions also hold many secrets, some of which can only be learned from item descriptions, in-game books, and artifacts scattered throughout the world. So there's enough material for an anime. The developers have already started to reveal the characters' backstories in short movies.
HoYoverse has no experience in creating animated series or full-length movies, but Ufotable are pros at it. They worked on the anime adaptation of the Demon Slayer manga and the movie adaptation of the Fate franchise games. The studio is known for its detailed animation, for which it receives prestigious awards every year.
In addition, Ufotable has extensive experience working with fantasy. The anime adaptation of the God Eater game was also made by the studio.
All these factors suggest that sooner or later we will see an anime based on Genshin Impact, we just have to wait for official announcements.
Source: HoYoverse