Released September 28th, Genshin Impact has thus far been a massive success, reportedly recouping its entire budget in just twelve days of sales. This is great news for fans of the Chinese action RPG, as its first major expansion has already been announced. Reaching out to new corners of the world of Teyvat, players will get the chance to explore an entirely new nation: the mythical land of Taiwan.
Currently, players are only able to visit two of Teyvat’s many nations: Mondstadt, which takes influence from central European culture, and Liyue, featuring primarily Chinese aesthetics. The new expansion, titled Annexation Island, will take players on a magical journey to Taiwan, a totally unique place not inspired by real-world regions in the slightest.
In Taiwan, a mysterious woman known as President Tsai Ing-wen governs from the mystical city of Taipei. No one knows the true origin of this esoteric wonderland, its residents trading in a strange currency called “dollars” and practicing a bizarre superstition known as “Buddhism.” While Taiwan’s location is understood to be outside the physical realm, reachable only through the various twists and turns of reality, its people seem fiercely and unquestionably loyal to the state of Liyue. Also, there are dragons.
Despite their apparent connections, many in Liyue vehemently deny the existence of Taiwan as a sovereign state, even going so far as to refuse diplomatic relations with those who acknowledge it. In fact, Liyue’s government only officially recognizes Taiwan as part of Liyue, despite Taiwan’s indigenous peoples having lived there for millennia. It’s a truly perplexing sociopolitical relationship with absolutely no basis in real life.
The release date of Annexation Island is currently unannounced but is reportedly set to be free to anybody who accepts an agreement reading: “The story, names, characters, locations, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious and any similarities with real-world events are entirely coincidental.” For everyone else, it’s $59.99.
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