Genshin Impact dev tells players to stay clear of Primogem and account resellers as it cracks down on phishing

Genshin Impact
(Image credit: HoYoverse)

Genshin Impact developer Hoyoverse has reminded players to stay away from third-party websites and applications from “unknown sources” as it sifts through a deluge of phishing reports from players. 

As the developer explains in a blog post on its website, numerous players are dealing with their accounts being unwillingly accessed or outright stolen. The more Hoyoverse has looked into each incident, the more it’s found that these accounts have, at some point, accessed a third-party website or application – the sort you would use to buy Primogems on the cheap or access an account featuring certain, desirable characters.

“We take all feedback of this nature extremely seriously and will promptly investigate and follow up on each case based on the information provided by Travelers,” Hoyoverse says.

 “In the process of checking accounts with security risks, we found that many of these accounts have logged in to third-party websites and applications from unknown sources.”

As such, the publisher reminds players to avoid supplying sensitive information to unofficial platforms or log on to pages from unknown sources, stay clear of external or third-party plug-ins, and keep an eye out for dodgy domains.

Third-party services offering to soften the grind or provide in-game currency for cheaper are a popular sight around gaming, giving initiating scam websites the chance to take advantage of the hustle. Genshin Impact sees its fair share of it as monetary value is created around characters serving as collectables and only being available for brief windows of time. Purchasing Primogems is one way you can ensure getting the Genshin Impact character you want, though buying an account with the collectable supplied is another option if they’re not currently obtainable through an event. 

We’ve seen people fork out for desirable characters in plenty of games before – does anyone remember Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans’ fondness for Raymond? – though Genshin Impact is a standout as new characters are typically released to a cadence of every six weeks. Groups online dedicated to warning others about scams have become popular as a result, with GenshinHacked reaching 14,000 members on Reddit alone. 

The news comes as Hoyoverse reveals plans for Genshin Impact’s next big update, The Exquisite Night Chimes. Alongside a new area in the desert of Sumeru, players can wish upon the banners of new characters, Alhaitham and Yaoyao. You can check out the trailer above.

Want to know the best of the best? Check out our Genshin Impact tier list, and all will be revealed.

Deputy News Editor

Iain joins the GamesRadar team as Deputy News Editor following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When not helping Ali run the news team, he can be found digging into communities for stories – the sillier the better. When he isn’t pillaging the depths of Final Fantasy 14 for a swanky new hat, you’ll find him amassing an army of Pokemon plushies.