Not long ago, miHoYo announced that Genshin Impact desktop backgrounds were going to be released and the community… well, it has been very emotional about it. The official account’s post stated that the new wallpaper series “A Dance of Snowy Tides and Hoarfrost Groves” is now open for downloading in different sizes and resolutions. Everything is very classy and frozen which perfectly matches the atmosphere of winter they are creating for Snezhnaya these days.
Players were practically filling up the replies with nothing but excitement and a great deal of confusion right away. For instance, @ajitoraon51 simply commented, “Wow, these wallpapers are really stunning,” which is totally a reasonable response. But then it turns weird pretty fast. Another user, @qrwxy_, indirectly expressed the very question that was in everybody’s mind: “where tf is alice going 😭” accompanied with a crying emoji, of course. And to make it more perplexing, a picture was attached. Such a mystery is what makes the Genshin community… distinctive.
The characters that were featured in the wallpapers were a source of great discussion among the audience. User @vesperamyst was intrigued by “lauma and flins??? 👀” which apparently ignited some lore speculation. And then there was Flins-related drama. User @seinz7 was very clear, saying, “I need the second pic without Flins please.” To which @Mimosa_373 replied, “Flins made it look better.” So it seems there is a controversy about Flins’s beauty. Wouldn’t it be surprising if a wallpaper could cause such a divide?
But the most surprising twist, as usual, was the Traveler’s case. A lot of users instantly started clamoring for a Lumine version. User @seesaw_dipity cried out, “pls I just want a Lumine version, it’s not that hard 😭” while @alsoCaatiry gently asked, “Sorry, does anyone have a link to a Lumine version?” It is like a never-ending scene where Aether receives all the credit and the Lumine players are left feeling bypassed. It happens all the time.
After that, there was the very faint hope for a Chongyun skin. User @tkm_chongyun literally screamed, “PLEASE LET CHONGYUN’S SKIN BE TRUE.” When it is in all caps, you can be sure they are very serious. The request has nothing to do with the backgrounds, but when has that ever stopped a Genshin player from asking for what they want.
Some of the comments were absolutely hilarious. For instance, @rnarknolo said, “The tiny Alice is just too much for me! 😂😭” and included a link to another pic. Meanwhile, @boze044 remarked, “Not the Colombina png 💔🥀” which is… a vibe, to be honest. The community’s ability to point out even the minutest details in these promotional images is nothing short of amazing.
Amidst the chaos, there were still some players who were just appreciating the beauty of the art. @Looksim45 put it this way, “These new wallpapers are just fabulous; the icy theme is so serene and luxurious.” @0xsagarr agreed saying, “These are great, peaceful for winter vibes.” So, at least some people are into it simply because of the beautiful images and not getting into disputes over lore or fights between characters.
Actually, there was even some self-examination regarding the post and its timing. @majestikhunnie remarked, “I think you posted this twice hoyo,” perhaps insinuating that miHoYo was just too excited about their wallpapers and accidentally gave us a repeat. And then @Coliflor___ came up with the top-notch redirect: “Stop, it’s Xingqiu’s birthday, nobody cares about this! If you are going to upload something, at least try to upload famous Xingqiu’s brother! Thanks 🤭” The nerve, to say the least.
It is a bit crazy how wallpaper releases can sometimes turn into community events. You have the whole community doing character placements analyses, pleading for different versions, making jokes about minute details, and even trying to change the subject to birthday celebrations. This is why the Genshin Impact community has been named one of the most vocal and active ones in the gaming field—they will hold a discussion regardless.
MiHoYo went out of their way to let us know that the wallpapers are free to download through the specified link. Different aspect ratios are offered, so the chances of finding one that fits your phone, desktop, or tablet… basically anything you want to decorate with Genshin art are pretty good. The winter theme certainly gives off Snezhnaya vibes which go along with the game’s current plot.
In the end, they are just wallpapers. Nevertheless, for Genshin players, it is still another piece of content to get addicted to, another detail to analyze, and another reason to come together and flood the replies with hilarious chaos. The series “A Dance of Snowy Tides and Hoarfrost Groves” is now available, and the community has already claimed it in ways that are predictably unpredictable. Just another day in Teyvat, if you ask me.
