Genshin Impact age verification: what is it and how to keep playing

HoYoverse has announced that starting May 20, Genshin Impact players in the U.S. will need to verify their age to keep playing the hit MMORPG.

The Chinese developer shared the news on its official website this Wednesday, stating that every U.S.-based player—whether new or existing, no matter their age—must complete the game’s age verification process between now and July 20, 2026. If they don’t, their accounts will be permanently deleted.

What’s Genshin Impact’s age verification system?

The announcement begins with: “We are required by law to age verify US player accounts.” This likely stems from the FTC’s ruling earlier this year, which barred HoYoverse from selling loot boxes to players under 16 without parental consent. The FTC found that the game unfairly targeted kids and teens with loot box promotions.

According to the decision, the Department of Justice accused Genshin Impact of misleading young players about the real cost of in-game purchases and rare gacha rewards (like new characters), tricking them into spending heavily on items with extremely low odds.

The FTC also ruled that Genshin Impact illegally collected personal data from underage players, violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)—a law protecting kids under 13 from unauthorized data collection. Despite knowing under-13 players were active, HoYoverse failed to comply. As part of the settlement, the studio was also fined $20 million over the loot box controversy.

How to keep playing Genshin Impact

The new age verification system goes live for all players by May 20. If you already have a HoYoverse account (or are signing up for the first time), you’ll need to enter your age upon logging in before July 18. Skip this step, and your account will be suspended, wiping all in-game friends and chat history. You’ll also lose access to update notifications, since you won’t be able to log in anymore.

Fail to verify by July 20, 2026? Your entire HoYoverse account—including all personal data—will be gone for good. So when you log in between now and next summer, don’t hesitate—input your real birthday as soon as you’re prompted.