Chinese universities use smartphone games to recruit new students

Universities in China are using Genshin Impact characters to promote their campuses.

Chinese Universities have begun advertising their campuses using video game characters. In addition to offering courses related to video games, such as the mega-popular Minecraft, many universities are now offering virtual tours, social media campaigns and admission packages led by video game characters from Genshin Impact.

Many of these universities are offering campaign bonuses or packages featuring one of the most popular characters from Genshin Impact, Klee. These packages or videos typically feature Klee introducing the university’s benefits and achievements in an effort to recruit newer students.

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Mobile usage has taken off in the younger generations, with a full 46% of all Australian kids from ages six to 13 having access to a mobile phone. Gaming, in particular, becomes extremely popular — nearly eight in ten Australian children from ages eight to 17 play games online. In China, while there are restrictions in place for children under age 18, those over 18 who are considering university options are free to enjoy games at their leisure.

Genshin Impact, a global juggernaut in the mobile gaming markets with over $6 billion generated in revenue in only a few years, is extremely popular in China, where developer Hoyoverse resides. It only makes sense then that universities that leverage the popular video game characters see a rise in applications — to the point that many different universities all over the country, from Shanghai University to Tianjin University have begun partnerships as well.

The city government of Akihabara, Tokyo uses Genshin Impact characters to advertise free Wi-Fi. Photo: Junior Miyai

This isn’t the only occasion that Genshin Impact has dabbled in partnerships with various universities. In May, Hoyoverse announced a University Invitational in the UK, where teams from all over could compete for a prize pool of nearly $20,000 AUD.

While it is still too early to determine how impactful the partnership between these universities and Genshin Impact is, there is no denying the drawing power of Genshin Impact. Hoyoverse has paired with many different companies such as Pizza Hut and KFC in China, while over in Japan, Genshin Impact characters advertise free Wi-Fi for the nerd mecca of Akihabara.

Original reporting by Gaming On Phone.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.