The launch of Fontaine in Version 4.0 has propelled Genshin Impact to new heights, not only opening the doors to a new chapter of Teyvat’s narrative, introducing a captivating host of characters, but also ushering in a new era of underwater exploration.
Genshin Impact players have been looking forward to diving into the waters of Teyvat for some time now. While the gorgeous underwater regions of Fontaine are a treat to explore, a new case of censorship has left the community frustrated and baffled. Players were taken aback to see their favourite characters don an underwater “bubble diaper” as soon as they dive into the water, finding it to be “ridiculous” and “counter-productive”.
Fontaine's underwater “Anti-upskirt Bubble Diaper” brings a new layer of censorship to Genshin Impact
Diving into the waters of Fontaine is everything Genshin players could have dreamed of. There are plenty of underwater caverns to explore, marine animals to meet, and new puzzles to solve. All the while relishing the lush scenery of vibrant coral reefs and gracefully navigating through schools of fish.
However, while players are traversing the waters of Fontaine, they can’t help but notice a peculiar sight: a blue haze of bubbles covering their characters’ butts. These “bubble diapers” show up whenever the camera angle is slightly behind your character, acting as a blatant display of censorship.
The Genshin Impact community views the bubble filter as "immersion-breaking” and “awful-looking”. A Redditor vocalised that this new censorship feature is “way too distracting”, “ruins the immersion”, and that they can’t swim without their eyes “being drawn immediately to people’s taint now”.
As such, most players find that the filter is “counter-productive”, stating that if HoYoverse's intent behind implementing this bubble filter was to deter people from looking at their characters' rear ends, their efforts have backfired, as it “draws players’ attention to that area much more now".
Although certain players acknowledge the logic behind censoring the rear ends of characters wearing skirts, such as Ayaka and Barbara, they find it perplexing that even characters with more conservative attire, like Zhongli and Ayato, are subjected to the "bubble diaper”. This makes the censorship feature seem "redundant" and "ridiculous".
On the other hand, it's important to consider that the introduction of this censorship feature might be attributed to Genshin Impact's global commercial success. HoYoverse might have opted for a more conservative approach to protect the game's accessibility across various regions.
Although the bubble filter might seem inconsequential to some, it's the way in which HoYoverse manages censorship that raises concerns among players. It remains unknown whether HoYoverse will make any changes to the new censorship feature, but for now, it seems that the Genshin Impact community will just have to get used to the “bubble diaper”!