Chinese police allegedly detained a Genshin Impact player who allegedly used cheats to sell paid Stygian Onslaught clears, while the player was meeting customers in a clothing store. The arrest has not been confirmed by police or by HoYoverse, the game’s developer. The player’s name, the city and the date of the arrest have not been disclosed.
Security camera images from inside the store, dated 3 November, circulated online alongside the claims. A second image showed a Chinese-language apology to HoYoverse on a phone screen. Neither the police nor HoYoverse has commented publicly on the case.
Genshin Impact player apologised to HoYoverse over Stygian Onslaught cheats
In the apology, the player admitted to posting videos of themselves “using cheats in Genshin Impact” without authorisation. The player said the actions “seriously violated” the official rules of miHoYo and Genshin Impact, which prohibit cheating. The player has since deleted the posts that advertised the service.
The player promoted the service through videos on Bilibili that showed the cheats in use. The videos directed viewers to a store on Xianyu, a Chinese second-hand marketplace, that sold the boosting service. Prices for the service have not been disclosed.
Stygian Onslaught is a combat challenge in Genshin Impact made up of three timed battles. Higher difficulty levels add tougher enemies and stricter time limits, and the mode rewards players who clear them quickly. The allegations first surfaced on the Chinese gaming forum NGA before spreading on other platforms.
HoYoverse’s earlier action against Genshin Impact cheats and boosting studios
HoYoverse said in March 2026 that it removed more than one million illegal links and pieces of content during 2025, including cheat software and pirated resources. In 2023, the company threatened legal action against cheaters after malicious plug-ins affected other players’ accounts.
In September 2025, a Shanghai court ordered a Genshin Impact boosting studio to pay 3 million yuan (about $420,000) in damages for using cheats to complete orders for customers. The studio had used unauthorised tools to clear in-game content on clients’ accounts.
The case comes weeks after HoYoverse released the latest update, as we covered in our report on the Genshin Impact 7.2 patch notes. HoYoverse has not said whether it will pursue civil action against the detained player.
