Genshin Impact gem prices have suddenly gone up in at least seven countries, owing to recent changes in Apple App Store policies. These pricing changes, however, have affected more than just iOS.
If you've been living under a rock, Genshin Impact is a free-to-play game from Mihoyo. It's been live in Asia for some time, but it most recently received a Western and worldwide release. To say that its launch has been popular would be a bit of an understatement; it brought in over $100 million since its recent worldwide launch.
Naturally, this free-to-play game makes its money through microtransactions. Players can purchase in-game currency called "gems" which can then be used to unlock gacha (which are effectively loot boxes); these gacha, in turn, can give the player new characters to play. Unfortunately, it appears that the Genshin Impact gem prices have suddenly gone up in some countries.
Which Countries Have Higher Genshin Impact Gem Prices?
A submission to the Genshin Impact subreddit mentions that price increases have been observed in the following countries:
- Brazil
- Columbia
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Russia
- South Africa
This follows reporting from Apple Insider which noted that new pricing has come to all of these countries with the exception of Iceland. Albania was also mentioned by Apple Insider as a country that could possibly face price increases on App Store listings, although I haven't found any reporting on this as it relates to Genshin Impact just yet.
Why Were the Genshin Impact Gem Prices Increased in These Countries?
The Genshin Impact gem prices have gone up due to pricing changes on the Apple App Store; these price changes, in turn, were the result of increased tax rates and/or currency exchange rate fluctuations.
The prices have not gone up on the App Store alone. The Reddit submission notes that the prices have increased on all platforms despite the Apple App Store only being affected in some scenarios. One of the more egregious hikes was in Brazil which saw prices increase anywhere from 70%–80% with no advance warning.
The sudden increase is not solely the fault of Mihoyo, either — Apple's changes were announced rather suddenly, giving developers little time to adjust. That said, Mihoyo could have temporarily absorbed the cost and gave players a short grace period to make purchases with the lower prices; FFXIV previously reversed a similar price increase in Brazil and Russia for a month in order to give players time to spend money at the prices they were used to.
For now, Genshin Impact players are focused on bringing attention to the issue in the hopes that Mihoyo will roll back the price change, if only for a short time; If you haven't yet played this game, you can play Genshin Impact for free via its official website.
What do you think of Genshin Impact gem prices suddenly going up in multiple countries? Do you think Mihoyo should have given players more advance warning or a grace period? Let us know in the comments below!
