Alchemy Stars Global Drops Surprise Limited Unit; Is the New Art Another Case of 'The P-face' Controversy?

Alchemy Stars on the global server has triggered a massive community backlash following a surprise limited banner drop. Ever since the game's anniversary, criticism regarding the decline in art quality has been mounting, with many attributing it to the departure of the original core creative team under Tencent's direct management. The latest character release, marked by a sudden 'double limited' strategy and awkward, distorted character art, has pushed tensions to a boiling point.

Netizens were quick to compare the character's pose to the infamous 'P-face' incident—a controversy involving a poorly drawn character portrait in *Arknights* that became a meme for poor anatomy. Fans sarcastically noted that the game is staying true to its original identity by mirroring the controversies of its rivals. Additionally, reports suggest that while the SP unit's stats look great, the base character's performance is incredibly weak, prompting comparisons to notoriously underwhelming 'trophy' units like Aloy (Genshin) or Sun Yi (Arknights).

The community remains divided. Some users question whether the game has enough of a player base to pull off such controversial stunts, while others argue that the art isn't 'that bad' compared to the historical P-face disaster, dismissing the complaints as overreactions.