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.

Read more
Path of Exile 2
As Path of Exile 2 sees new players fall to scammers' old tricks, RPG veterans step in to raise awareness: "Be careful, exile!"
Genshin Impact codes
All Genshin Impact codes (Mar 2025) and how to redeem them
Infinity Nikki
Open-world dress-up game Infinity Nikki is serious business – so serious its devs have already banned over 80 accounts for cheating: "We implore all Stylists to adhere to the game rules"
Invisible Woman in her Marvel Rivals character reveal trailer, surrounded by projectiles
Marvel Rivals bans popular third-party plugin: "We deem this program as cheating," but "fear not" if you've been using it
Games like Genshin Impact: A screenshot of a character wearing a purple outfit during Genshin Impact.
10 Games like Genshin Impact to play next in 2025
Genshin Impact screenshot of Citlali looking surprised opening a door
Genshin Impact announces a huge change for update 5.5: your custom-made artifacts can't be absolute trash anymore, so hold onto your Sanctifying Elixirs
Latest in Open World
Best games like Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 has some of the most accurate rivers in video games, according to the video game geographer who charted Skyrim and Zelda's waterways
Seven Seas: Adventures
I'm not saying this open-world pirate RPG is the Sid Meier's Pirates successor I've wanted for 21 years, but based on its bangin' Steam Next Fest demo, it's not not that
The Knightling standing in a sunlit field
This open-world game imagines a cartoony Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom where the Master Sword is the Master Shield – it's coming to all platforms and I dig its Steam Next Fest demo
A brightened screenshot from the reveal trailer for the Monolith Productions Wonder Woman game.
Open-world Wonder Woman and Lord of the Rings studio shut down alongside MultiVersus dev, Warner Bros insists it wants to focus on DC even as it kills a DC game
The Blood of Dawnwalker
Former CDPR lead says "experimental" new open world vampire RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker will "push the genre forward" a lot like The Witcher 3: "The risk is worth the reward"
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
Former Witcher 3 lead says his new vampire RPG Blood of Dawnwalker has a smaller open world because "it feels more like you actually know the place" compared to "behemoths"
Latest in News
Ultima Online
As Ultima Online approaches its 28th birthday, former creative lead reveals what it takes for an MMO to last for decades, and why they sometimes fail: "Content does not last forever"
Link and Epona
A Zelda movie is finally happening, but Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto used to adamantly oppose the idea even "if Steven Spielberg himself" wanted to do it
Robert Downey Jr announces his Doctor Doom casting at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
"He is so dialed in": Robert Downey Jr. is coming up with backstory and costume ideas for Doctor Doom ahead of Avengers: Doomsday
Stardew Valley
With another "thank you," Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone brings an update arc to a close with "the Switch patch to fix the last Switch patch"
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle
Over 80 countries and 42 days: the first Demon Slayer Infinity Castle movie's remarkable staggered release plans have been revealed – including a US date
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds' story is as divisive as expected: some players hate the "relentless on rails handholding," others love the build-up to "the best scene in Monster Hunter history"