Steam devs accuse Genshin Impact of ‘straight up copying’ their game idea
German indie developer Pipapo Games has publicly accused Genshin Impact of directly copying the core gameplay mechanic from their cozy exploration game Map Map. The dispute centers on a surveying system: Map Map features cartographic map examination as its central mechanic, where players pin locations of interest with precision using authentic cartographer tools to unlock new areas and discover lost treasure.
In early April 2026, Genshin Impact—the massively popular action RPG by Hoyoverse—introduced a series of surveying quests with strikingly similar mechanics, requiring players to locate correct coordinates. Pipapo Games responded by publishing a side-by-side video comparison highlighting the parallels between their indie title and the mainstream release, arguing the similarity appears intentional rather than coincidental.
The accusation exemplifies ongoing tensions within the gaming industry regarding game design originality and the leverage disparity between established publishers and independent developers. While shared mechanics are commonplace in gaming, the specificity of the comparison—both games featuring map-based surveying with coordinate systems—has drawn attention to questions about design inspiration versus outright duplication. The incident underscores how indie developers, despite creating innovative concepts, often lack the resources to protect their intellectual property against larger studios with significantly greater market reach and development resources.