On June 4th, miHoYo’s legal team dropped some big news: their ongoing defamation lawsuit against online influencer Li Mou (known online as “Fan Shu Appreciation Master”) has finally reached its final verdict. The first-instance court found Li guilty of damaging miHoYo’s reputation, ordering him to pay the full 500,000 RMB compensation and issue a public apology across major platforms like Douyin and Bilibili. The second-instance court upheld this decision, and as of press time, Li has already posted his apology statement on all the channels under his control, including Bilibili, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu.
For those catching up, “Fan Shu Appreciation Master” is a gaming content creator who currently boasts a massive following—1.19 million fans on Douyin, 160,000 on Bilibili, and another 228,000 on Kuaishou alone.
Late on June 3rd, the influencer took to multiple platforms to release a formal apology. According to his own account, between April 2024 and February 2025, he used several alternate accounts—including “Fan Shu Appreciation Master,” “Li Fan Collector,” and others—to pump out videos targeting miHoYo and its hit titles like Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero. In these clips, he leaned heavily on insulting and extreme language to bash the company and its games, applied wildly unfair standards to his reviews, and made blatantly biased comparisons. This kind of unhinged coverage didn’t just cross the line—it actively harmed miHoYo’s reputation and severed the genuine emotional bond that players have built with the studio over the years.
“I’ve taken down all the infringing videos across every platform mentioned,” the blogger stated. “Going forward, I promise to strictly abide by all laws and regulations, watch my words, and show proper respect for the hard work and creativity of game developers, as well as the passion that millions of players pour into their favorite games.”
From miHoYo’s side of things, Li Mou was actually taking on third-party commercial deals while pulling off those stunts. Essentially, he was manufacturing controversy, baiting clicks with insults, and cashing in on negative traffic for profit.
In response toLi’s harmful actions,miHoYo launched a full-scale defense strategy that included filing complaints, reporting violations, initiating lawsuits, and even going directly to the police. Following miHoYo’s report, law enforcement determined that Li had deliberately twisted facts, spread misinformation, and disrupted public order. As a result, he was handed administrative penalties on the spot.
The court also ruled that Li wasn’t just sharing gameplay tips like an average player, nor was he acting in the public interest through legitimate journalism or oversight. Instead, his video campaign was heavily driven by commercial incentives and blatant profit-seeking. By consistently using hostile language, applying unreasonable benchmarks, and making skewed comparisons, he actively pushed players to quit or switch games. That level of manipulation clearly crossed the line of acceptable game criticism and directly infringed upon miHoYo’s right to reputation.
After weighing miHoYo’s strong market reputation, the widespread impact of the defamation, Li’s degree of fault, and the clear financial motives behind his actions, the court sided completely with miHoYo. The final judgment orders Li to post public apology statements across multiple linked accounts on Bilibili, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu to clear his name, alongside a 500,000 RMB payout to cover miHoYo’s economic losses.
The appellate court upheld the ruling, making it final.
This marks the second high-profile win for miHoYo in just over a month. Back on May 11th, the company announced that another defamation lawsuit had reached its final stage, this time targeting influencers Xu Moupeng (“Ziyouren Mi Ba”) and Luo Moujie (“Joker,” “Insider Bro,” and “Stainless Steel Basin Enthusiast”).
Before the trial, both men used livestreams to spew hateful and inflammatory rhetoric, aggressively pushing the toxic “skin theory” conspiracy. They falsely claimed that miHoYo’s beloved game characters were literally just “costumes” worn by company staff. This deliberate smear campaign trampled on the sacred emotional connection players share with their favorite characters, causing real pain to fans. Once the rumor took hold, it quickly spiraled into a wave of cyberbullying, triggering endless harassment and personal attacks aimed at miHoYo employees and the broader player base. It severely damaged the health of the gaming community while taking a massive toll on the company’s commercial credibility. To make matters worse, Xu repeatedly insulted miHoYo and its titles during streams, using outrage-bait traffic to push affiliate sales and rake in cash.
miHoYo didn’t hesitate to take them to court over these violations. Ultimately, the judges found Xu and Luo guilty of commercial defamation, sentencing them to pay a combined 430,000 RMB in damages and issue public apologies to restore their reputations.
Founded back in 2011 and headquartered in Shanghai, miHoYo has strategically expanded its footprint across Singapore, the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and beyond. Since day one, they’ve consistently shipped top-tier hits like Honkai Impact 2nd, Honkai Impact 3rd, Tears of Themis, Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero. Beyond just games, they’ve built entire multimedia ecosystems around their original IPs, spanning anime series, official soundtracks, and premium merchandise.
Thanks to the powerhouse combo of Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero, miHoYo continues to dominate both the global and domestic ACG gaming markets. According to Sensor Tower’s latest data, miHoYo ranks fifth among Chinese mobile game publishers worldwide for revenue in 2025. Looking specifically at the top 30 highest-grossing overseas titles, Honkai: Star Rail sits at number seven, while Genshin Impact holds steady at number nine.
