‘Genshin Impact’ Accounts Could Be Deleted if Users Don’t Verify Age Due to New U.S. Law

HoYoverse surprised millions of Genshin Impact players when they revealed that American accounts could soon face suspension due to U.S. laws. However, some users may even have their accounts permanently deleted if they fail to verify their age by a certain date.

American ‘Genshin Impact’ Players, Verify Your Age or Face Suspension!

HoYoverse provided an update to players in a May 7 blog post, explaining that American users will need to verify their age. Players who fail to update their profiles with their age by July 18, 2025, will have their accounts automatically suspended. During this period, your in-game friends and chat records will be deleted. You will also stop receiving updates or notifications from the game. More concerning, however, is that some accounts may even be permanently deleted.

“If the verification is not completed by July 20, 2026, the personal information of your HoYoverse account will be deleted permanently.” Based on the wording, it’s unclear whether purchased items tied to Genshin Impact accounts will be deleted as well. Or whether it’s even technically a full account deletion. Given that some users have spent thousands of dollars on 5-star characters over the years, that’s definitely not something you’d want to risk.

As of now, it’s not entirely clear why HoYoverse has issued this urgent update. Aside from stating that it’s “in compliance with U.S. law,” the studio has largely kept players in the dark. However, if you are an American with an account for Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, or Zenless Zone Zero, you should log in as soon as possible. Again, it’s not worth taking the risk. If you’re unsure whether this affects you, simply log in and check your in-game mail.

FCC Rules Gacha Games Are Gambling?

While there is no official reason for the age verification update, some believe this is tied to an FCC ruling. Earlier this year, the government agency banned Genshin Impact loot boxes from being sold to kids under 16. The ruling took place in January 2025. “HoYoverse will no longer sell loot boxes to kids under 16 without their parents’ consent, and will make sure kids under 13 get the protection of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.”

So, it would make sense if the age verification is tied to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. As a massive gacha fan, I can’t say I disagree with this. I’ve seen players literally spend thousands of dollars in Genshin Impact. To say these games are only a few steps removed from gambling would be the understatement of the year. If anything, I’m shocked that it took this long to implement age verification for games like Genshin Impact.

Still, it’s pretty wild to think that some players could miss this Genshin Impact announcement and one day log in to find their account deleted. It’s not that unrealistic. In fact, it’s pretty common for gacha players to step away for a year or more. That said, HoYoverse still hasn’t clarified whether everything will be deleted. However, as someone who’s spent too much money on these games, I don’t even want to think about it.