The infamous "retcon" that wasn't, and the quiet one that was

The accusations Hoyo retconned the Harbingers have been resurrected once again. Did Sumeru deliver?    • The burning question: did Sumeru's return ...   One of the hardest parts of writing a long-running story is that audiences remember everything. For anything with anypopularity, there will be fans who pay close attention to even the smallest throwaway line of dialogue, or the most obscure detail hidden in the corner of a long-forgotten trailer. It’s inevitable that the writers will eventually mess things up, release something which contradicts something which came before. Often it’s only a minor inconsistency, but sometimes it can become a problem. But the strange thing is... the only so-called retcon in the trailer which bothered me is one that almost nobody is talking about. Worm Fanart: Worm by codetrillogy: https://x.com/codetrillogy/status/177... Skitter by ariirf:   / fanart_i_painted_skitter_hope_you_like_it   Bitch, Bastard, and Bentley by sandara: https://www.deviantart.com/sandara/ar... taylor: https://www.deviantart.com/sandara/ar... Eidolon by aslovefromlies:   / eidolon_fanartcommission   Grue by NeoWorm: https://www.deviantart.com/neoworm/ar... Shatterbird by AGreatNoodle:   / 1407444401958232065   Mannequin by erwidze:   / fanart_skitter_and_a_bunch_of_other_villains   Leviathan by sandara: https://www.deviantart.com/sandara/ar... The Simurgh by sandara: https://www.deviantart.com/sandara/ar... Behemoth by sandara: https://www.deviantart.com/sandara/ar... Scion by diangu246:   / fanart_scion_by_diangu246   Sveta by AGreatNoodle: https://x.com/AGreatNoodle/status/138... Victoria by zearoe:   / fanartrepost_antares   00:00 Intro 00:40 Retcons 01:28 Retcons • Columbina's journey 02:34 Retcons • Playful aggression 04:00 Retcons • The retcon 05:10 Retcons 05:52 Promises & payoffs 06:48 Marketing 08:06 Villains & antagonists 09:03 Harbingers • Initial presentation 10:06 Harbingers • Greater depth 11:01 Harbingers • The Winter Night's Lazzo 11:32 My perspective 12:44 Other preferences 13:51 The voicelines 14:52 My ideal 16:04 Moral nuance 17:16 Arlecchino • Early impressions 18:34 Arlecchino • The Inazuma quest 19:49 Arlecchino • An antihero 21:06 Columbina • Early impressions 22:42 Columbina • Innocence 23:50 Sandrone • Early impressions 25:14 Sandrone • Nod Krai 26:32 The Final Gift • The controversy 27:46 The Final Gift • My perspective 29:48 The Final Gift • Other possibilities 30:51 The Final Gift • The moral perspective 31:36 Conclusion Genshin Impact is an open-world action/exploration game, available on PC, PS4, PS5 and mobile devices (iOS & Android). I'm always happy to talk Genshin and other games   / saurusness   Genshin rotation app: https://genshin-rotation.com/ Twitch:   / saurusness   Merch: https://saurusness-shop.fourthwall.com/ Twitter:   / saurusness   #genshinimpact #genshin #sandrone #arlecchino #columbina #thefinalwish