Genshin Impact’s version 7.0 update adds the game’s final major region, Snezhnaya, but players have also discovered a pointed real-world parody hidden in an in-game bulletin.
A fountain fiasco in Snezhnaya
The bulletin is attributed to Grand Duke Diomid Turzov, who blames unnamed vandals for damaging his enormous fountain. The document says the fountain was initially covered in bright paint, which attracted more Tigalda, jellyfish-like creatures that contaminated its water.
The Duke then attempted to fix the problem by pouring a large quantity of bleach into the fountain. Although the water looked clean, the chemical treatment caused the paint to peel away. Rather than accept responsibility, he dismissed the damage as fake news and accused people from Rokot of sneaking into his manor to tear off the paint.
The bulletin concludes with the Duke promising to hire the biggest, toughest and strongest warriors that money can buy to protect the fountain. His exaggerated language and the sequence of events make the political reference difficult to miss.
The real-world inspiration
The joke echoes the controversy surrounding repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Algae had made the pool increasingly murky, with the underlying problems linked to leaking pipes and insufficient water treatment.
Instead of immediately addressing those causes, the administration hired a company owned by one of Donald Trump’s donors to paint the pool blue and reseal it. The work was originally expected to cost between $1.5 million and $2 million, but the final figure reached approximately $14 million to $16 million.
After the repairs were declared complete, algae returned and the new coating began to bubble and peel. Former Olympian David Hearn was arrested and charged with property destruction after officials sought a culprit for the damage. Trump described the incident as vandalism, but a judge dismissed the case, finding that the peeling resulted from a botched paint installation.
Not the game’s first Trump reference
This is not the first time Genshin Impact has included a nod to Trump. In Fontaine, players can find a book titled The Art of Negotiation, a reference to The Art of the Deal. One line in the book argues that truth is the most powerful negotiating tool while also suggesting that truth can be manipulated.
Why the discovery stands out
Large updates often bury small discoveries beneath new quests, characters and regions. In this case, a short piece of environmental storytelling has attracted attention because its fountain mishap closely mirrors a widely discussed political controversy.
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