Genshin Impact downloads on mobile hits 17 million in its first four days

(Image credit: MiHoYo)

Genshin Impact was downloaded 17 million times globally on mobile in its first four days after launch. 

The impressive global figure comes from mobile performance analyst site App Annie, which was shared on Twitter. The free-to-play adventure from developer MiHoYo released on mobile, PS4, and PC on September 28, and recent reports also state that it has become the biggest international launch of a Chinese game to date since it launched. 

In what our very Austin Wood describes as an anime Breath of the Wild, Genshin Impact offers up an open-world adventure where you set out on a journey to reunite with your long-lost sibling. As an online-only experience with gatcha-like elements, it does seem to borrow some inspiration from Link's adventure with features such as a stamina bar, climbing, and gliding, but Austin highlights that Genshin Impact has its own features that make it worthwhile. 

The game includes a host of different characters, and you can build up your own party of four playable characters that you can customise and swap between. It also includes its own progression system with character and adventurer levels to take its own unique spin on the format. And finally, it has co-op cross-play support, so up to four players across PS4, iOS, Android, and PC can head into battle and take on dungeons together. 

The game has been popping up social media more and more since it first launched, and thanks to the fact that it's free-to-play, it sure to see more downloads as word about the game continues to spread. 

Here's our pick of the best free games to play right now. 

Heather Wald
Evergreen Editor, Games

Heather Wald is the Evergreen Editor, Games at GamesRadar+. Her writing career began on a student-led magazine at Bath Spa University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English literature. Heather landed her first role writing about tech and games for Stuff Magazine shortly after graduating with an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University. Now with almost seven years of experience working with GamesRadar+ on the features team, Heather helps to develop, maintain, and expand the evergreen features that exist on the site for games, as well as spearhead the Indie Spotlight series. You'll also see her contribute op-eds, interview-led features, and more. In her spare time, you'll likely find Heather tucking into RPGs and indie games, reading romance novels, and drinking lots of tea.