Why did the Luckin coffee Genshin cup upset buyers?

Luckin Coffee's bubble gun cup, a tie-in with the game Genshin Impact, sold as part of a 183.5 yuan package that included six coffee vouchers and sold out quickly after its launch. Buyers then raised two complaints: some were pushed into refunds, which they suspect came from a system flaw, and the cup is made of aluminum with an official warning against holding drinks above 50°C.

The backlash centers on the gap between the promotional images and daily use. Commenters called the cup attractive but impractical for hot coffee and noted that long-term use of an aluminum vessel may carry health concerns, while some pointed out that official video seemed to show it used as a pen holder. The episode underlines how merchandise tied to the coffee production process and brand can misfire.

Luckin Coffee's bubble gun cup, released in collaboration with Genshin Impact, has recently sparked heated discussion. This merchandise cup, modeled after a game character's signature weapon, whetted players' appetites during the promotional phase, but after its official release, it drew a flood of complaints due to material issues. It is reported that the collaboration coffee voucher package was priced at 183.5 yuan and sold out quickly after launch, but afterward some users reported being forced into refunds, suspected to be caused by a system flaw. What dissatisfied fans even more was that the official description stated the cup body is made of aluminum and explicitly warned that it must not hold beverages over 50°C, prompting many to exclaim, "I paid a high price for a cold-water cup." The comment section also pointed out that long-term use of an aluminum cup may pose health risks, criticizing it as flashy but impractical. However, some netizens noticed that the official promotional video seemed to suggest this cup is more suitable for use as a pen holder.

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In the promotional campaign for Luckin Coffee's collaboration with the game Genshin Impact, a collaboration bubble gun cup appeared before many players even before last week's event began, whetting the appetite of many fans.

It is reported that this collaboration cup was designed based on the signature weapon of a Genshin Impact character, the bubble gun. Many players, upon seeing Luckin's promotional images, were attracted by its exquisite and gorgeous appearance, believing that Luckin's collaboration cup was a highly faithful reproduction, leading many fans to set a "must buy" flag for themselves.

It was not until yesterday that Luckin Coffee officially released relevant information about this merchandise, announcing that the collaboration bubble gun cup coffee voucher package would go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. After purchasing the designated package, users could not only obtain the merchandise they had been longing for, but also receive 6 coffee vouchers.

So early this morning, many fans opened the Luckin mini-program and livestream, waiting to snatch the limited-edition package as soon as it was listed. According to feedback on social platforms, although the collaboration bubble gun cup coffee voucher package was not cheap at 183.5 yuan, it was quickly snapped up by users shortly after it went on sale.

Many people said that after the package went live, they hesitated for just one minute and were already unable to buy it, lamenting that the quantity of merchandise was too small to meet the needs of the broad fan base. Many others posted their orders, saying that for every order they successfully grabbed, one was forcibly refunded by the system, believing that there must have been certain bugs in Luckin's merchandise release process this time, causing some users' orders to be forcibly canceled even after successful payment.

And while players were discussing on social platforms how to successfully get their hands on the bubble gun cup, some netizens, looking back at the预热 promotional post Luckin released this morning, noticed that in the official introduction of the bubble gun cup, the material used for the cup body was labeled as aluminum, and users were reminded that this merchandise cup must not hold beverages with a water temperature exceeding 50°C.

This left fans who had camped out early to snap up the merchandise unable to resist posting complaints: "I thought it would at least be stainless steel—a collaboration item costing nearly 200 yuan and it can't even take hot water..." "Paying a high price for a cold-water cup..." "<50℃。。。难绷”、“冬天来联名的杯子，只能接50℃的”、“都不能拿来冲咖啡，差评”。

Besides the insufficient temperature tolerance, many people in the comment section said outright that they were very dissatisfied with the material of this coffee cup. They said that although the surface of an aluminum water cup is covered with a layer of aluminum oxide, which is harmless for short-term use, over a long period of use, the aluminum oxide protective layer on the surface will inevitably be damaged, and users may ingest aluminum from the material through hot water in the cup, which could cause harm to the body over time.

In response, many players sharply criticized this merchandise cup as flashy and impractical, a "beautiful piece of junk" that can only be admired on a desk but cannot be used for drinking water. However, some netizens believed that this collaboration cup was actually not useless. He screenshotted Luckin's Weibo promotional video, saying that the official account had already revealed the correct use of this collaboration cup, "The truth is out—the official also thinks it's more suitable as a pen holder."

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.