{"id":966066,"date":"2026-01-03T19:58:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=450401"},"modified":"2026-01-03T19:58:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:58:22","slug":"mcdonalds-genshin-impact-collab-wants-to-give-you-in-game-items-instead-of-toys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/mcdonalds-genshin-impact-collab-wants-to-give-you-in-game-items-instead-of-toys\/","title":{"rendered":"McDonald\u2019s Genshin Impact collab wants to give you in-game items instead of toys"},"content":{"rendered":"
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McDonald\u2019s is pushing forward in the digital item game, thanks to Genshin Impact<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, McDonald\u2019s and game developer Hoyoverse announced a new partnership<\/a> to bring Genshin Impact<\/em>-themed menu items to the store. McDonald\u2019s has done numerous collabs with video games \u2014 from retro Sonic handhelds to the Tetris McNugget \u2014 but this one stands out. Not only does it mean Genshin Impact<\/em> is coming to the food chain in the U.S. for the first time, but it also changes up the standard Happy Meal playbook. Instead of toys, this campaign will give players in-game currency and cosmetic items.<\/p>\n

The McDonald\u2019s and Genshin Impact <\/em>collab will start Sept. 17 and customers will be able to purchase items via the McDonald\u2019s app in the U.S. only. Fans have the option of choosing between the \u201cGenshin Impact Apple Pie,\u201d which has special packaging that features Kaedehara Kazuha and Beidou, or the \u201cGenshin Impact Deluxe McCrispy Meal,\u201d which doesn\u2019t have any cool packaging but comes with special in-game items. The apple pie will reward players with 40 Primogems, 3 golden apple pastries, and a \u201cGolden Apple Pastry\u201d recipe in the game and the meal will give players the \u201cWings of Delicacies\u201d wind glider and the \u201cCelebration: Crispy and Sweet\u201d Namecard.<\/p>\n

Overall, these aren\u2019t the flashiest items. The Primogems will only give players one fourth of a pull, and a new cooking recipe doesn\u2019t mean too much given the game has 179 dishes, according to one fan Wiki\u2019s count<\/a>. However, the shift towards awarding digital in-game items is meaningful. <\/p>\n

Released in 1977, the Happy Meal gave kids something just for them. The defining characteristics of it? A special box featuring a vibrant design and a surprise gift or toy in it. Since then, the Happy Meal has become a fixture of American culture and its toys frequently inspire viral consumer trends<\/a>. And with this mini-campaign, McDonald\u2019s is rewarding customers with in-game items \u2014 where business is booming.<\/p>\n

A 2024 report from Comscore said that 82% of U.S. gamers purchased in-game items<\/a> in freemium games. As for Genshin Impact <\/em>specifically, a 2022 analysis from Sensor Tower<\/a> said that the game had been downloaded more than 110 million times and generated more than $3.6 billion in revenue since release. Other major brands, like Nike, have already collaborated with developers like Epic Games to bring virtual items to games like Fortnite<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Whether or not it works remains to be seen. McDonald\u2019s ran a similar collaboration with Overwatch <\/em>in 2022 in Australia and it allowed fans to redeem a code and get a skin for Tracer, but fans criticized the collab for offering an ugly skin<\/a>. A lot of Genshin Impact<\/em> fans are very dedicated to the game and its characters, so people will likely go into the store just for the specially-printed packaging and the novelty of seeing Kazuha at the Golden Arches. <\/p>\n

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Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

McDonald\u2019s is pushing forward in the digital item game, thanks to Genshin Impact. On Tuesday, McDonald\u2019s and game developer Hoyoverse announced a new partnership to bring Genshin Impact-themed menu items to the store. McDonald\u2019s has done numerous collabs with video games \u2014 from retro Sonic handhelds to the Tetris McNugget \u2014 but this one stands out. Not only does it mean Genshin Impact is coming to the food chain in the U.S. for the first time, but it also changes up the standard Happy Meal playbook. Instead of toys, this campaign will give players in-game currency and cosmetic items. The McDonald\u2019s and Genshin Impact collab will start Sept. 17 and customers will be able to purchase items via the McDonald\u2019s app in the U.S. only. Fans have…<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":966067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-966066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polygon"],"yoast_head":"\nMcDonald\u2019s Genshin Impact collab wants to give you in-game items instead of toys | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"McDonald\u2019s is pushing forward in the digital item game, thanks to Genshin Impact. 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