In a sudden announcement, Hoyoverse’s music division HOYO-MiX composer Yu-Peng Chen, responsible for most of Genshin Impact’s tracks, announced his departure from the company. He’s been the lead composer for the project since its beginning but is now looking for new paths in his career, which means leaving the company to work on his own personal plans.
Known for his masterful combination of traditional Chinese music with more Western-styled melodies and instruments, he’s the big mind behind most of the game’s most iconic tracks, such as Rex Incognito (Zhongli’s theme) or Rage Beneath the Mountains (Azdaha’s boss theme), as well as many others. Be it walking down the streets of Liyue Harbor or adventuring through the depths of Enkanomiya, Yu-Peng Chen’s works are always nearby.
The announcement was given directly by Yu-Peng himself on his bilibili account, where he stated that he’s grateful for all of the years he’s been in touch with Hoyoverse, but it’s time to pursue new music paths.
Here’s a rough translation by Redditor super_grey:
I’m very sorry to disturb everyone! According to the plans for my personal creative endeavors, after careful consideration for some time and several discussions with the company, I have chosen to leave miHoYo and the HOYO-MiX team to continue pursuing my music dreams! Seeing my fellow composers at HOYO-MiX team constantly growing, witnessing Genshin Impact’s music progressing step by step (Fontaine Music is really great👍), and recalling the support and help the company and colleagues have given me during the music production process… It’s truly the most beautiful and unforgettable memories! I earnestly request everyone’s understanding and respect for my decision, and in the future, I will continue to explore the path of music. I plan to release a new album of purely instrumental music next year, and specific plans will be announced in the future. I hope you will continue to support my creations.
In the future, I will continue to explore Teyvat’s wonders together with everyone as a Traveler!
Nicknamed the “Music Archon” by fans, he’ll be deeply missed in the game’s production. But they believe the game’s OST is still in good hands. Reddit user Pluppy0503 stated, “If he didn’t make the Fontaine music though (esp. the underwater music), I think the music team is set in a good direction.”
As we don’t have an official Fontaine OST album just yet, we don’t know if Yu-Peng was directly involved with those. But we can definitely feel his vibes in some tracks, so even if he isn’t, we can see how he inspired other talented musicians the same way they inspired him. And these are now ready to carry on his music legacy in the company proudly.
