Since its launch, Genshin Impact has always sought to surprise and delight its global playerbase (over 300M+ downloads strong), not only delivering expansive world-building and thoughtfully crafted live-service updates, but also building culturally resonant moments that extend beyond the game itself.
It was this ambition that led us to partner with Duolingo, the world’s leading language learning app, aiming to meet players at the intersection of anime, gaming, and fandom culture.
Following the breakout success of our first collaboration in 2024, which featured a universal code exchange, co-branded social and influencer content, and an exciting on-site activation at Anime Expo, Genshin Impact and Duolingo sought to push our partnership even further in 2025, scaling both its breadth and strategic impact.
The result: Duolingo’s first ever, in-app “Partner Quest” — a 3-day streak challenge starring Genshin Impact IP, with Duolingo-themed cosmetics in Genshin Impact waiting on the other side.
With a constantly expanding global audience, both brands sought to create a culturally impactful experience that felt inclusive, rewarding, and globally accessible. The goal was to engage prospective, current, and lapsed users across both brands, with the only barrier to participation being access to the Duolingo app (and the motivation to learn).
To promote the collaboration, Genshin Impact and Duolingo launched a fully integrated, omnichannel campaign spanning in-app, in-game, and regional social media channels worldwide.
Within the Duolingo app, Genshin Impact characters Cyno, Tighnari, and Paimon were reimagined in Duolingo’s classic vector art style, a bold departure from their traditional cel-shaded, “anime” look, as a part of Duolingo’s first-ever “Partner Quest.”
As two brands with distinct visual identities and tonalities, our art teams worked tirelessly to ensure the crossover felt innovative yet authentic to each IP, especially within each partner’s native ecosystem.
To amplify the collaboration theme, Genshin Impact’s art team designed new “academia” themed outfits for the featured cast (Duo included). A carvable statue asset of Paimon and Duo was also developed to further motivate learners, with a key piece unveiled at each successful milestone of the 3-day streak.
Upon completing the quest, users received a redemption code for Duolingo-themed cosmetics in Genshin Impact (which included an exclusive co-designed Namecard, Avatar Icon, and Recipe that seamlessly fused Duolingo iconography with Genshin Impact’s worldview), along with Gems in the Duolingo app. The execution represented a truly global collaboration across engineering, art, narrative, and design teams on both sides.
Outside the app, we amplified excitement for the partnership through a robust slate of promotional assets. Marquee animations from both brands showcased the mascot characters in each IP’s respective art styles (vector and anime), while our respective social channels produced localized memes and social content. For instance, on Duolingo EN, the Duo mascot donned Paimon-themed cosplay, while on Duolingo JP, Genshin Impact cosplayers wore Duo masks in celebratory crossover content.
Over 100+ pieces of co-branded influencer content were also commissioned globally, featuring Duo alongside the Genshin cast in various cockamamie scenarios (such as an illustration of Duo re-envisioned as a playable Genshin Impact character). Supplemental marketing efforts across both brands’ CRM, PR, and app store pages further reinforced visibility, rounding out the promotional strategy for the campaign.
This partnership was among both brands’ most successful campaigns to date, amassing over 260M+ impressions on social, 140M in-app impressions, ~1M+ new / returning Duolingo users, and 1.8M+ Genshin Impact code redemptions — the highest # of unique redemptions across any Genshin Impact partnership ever.
As Genshin Impact’s first ever near-global partnership and Duolingo’s first cross-IP partner challenge, the partnership removed regional and infrastructural barriers, enabling fans worldwide to participate with nothing more than access to the Duolingo app. The global accessibility fueled an outpour of organic UGC, including fan art, animations, and edits, collectively generating over 30M+ impressions (based on manually tracked content).
The collaboration also captured widespread media attention, with over 570+ articles from leading outlets around the world such as IGN, Screen Rant, and Dexerto.
Beyond awareness, the collaboration drove significant lifts in both new and lapsed user acquisition, as well as meaningful engagement growth across both products.