McDonald’s Genshin Impact collab wants to give you in-game items instead of toys

McDonald’s is pushing forward in the digital item game, thanks to Genshin Impact.

On Tuesday, McDonald’s and game developer Hoyoverse announced a new partnership to bring Genshin Impact-themed menu items to the store. McDonald’s has done numerous collabs with video games — from retro Sonic handhelds to the Tetris McNugget — 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’s and Genshin Impact collab will start Sept. 17 and customers will be able to purchase items via the McDonald’s app in the U.S. only. Fans have the option of choosing between the “Genshin Impact Apple Pie,” which has special packaging that features Kaedehara Kazuha and Beidou, or the “Genshin Impact Deluxe McCrispy Meal,” which doesn’t 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 “Golden Apple Pastry” recipe in the game and the meal will give players the “Wings of Delicacies” wind glider and the “Celebration: Crispy and Sweet” Namecard.

Overall, these aren’t the flashiest items. The Primogems will only give players one fourth of a pull, and a new cooking recipe doesn’t mean too much given the game has 179 dishes, according to one fan Wiki’s count. However, the shift towards awarding digital in-game items is meaningful.

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. And with this mini-campaign, McDonald’s is rewarding customers with in-game items — where business is booming.

A 2024 report from Comscore said that 82% of U.S. gamers purchased in-game items in freemium games. As for Genshin Impact specifically, a 2022 analysis from Sensor Tower 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.

Whether or not it works remains to be seen. McDonald’s ran a similar collaboration with Overwatch 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 lot of Genshin Impact 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.