Genshin Impact in 2023: What to Expect
New regions, characters, and more!
It’s a brand new year, so we can look forward to another good year in Teyvat. What can Genshin Impact account holders expect in the coming months? We’ll talk about what kind of content Hoyoverse has planned for us.
Version 4.0 and Fontaine Release
*Spoiler Warning: skip the second paragraph to avoid them
Now that the Sumeru Archon Quests are complete, players with Genshin Impact account are looking forward to the next region on the list, Fontaine. Sumeru ramped up the game’s plot in many ways, giving us some answers while adding even more questions to the pile.
Who are the descenders? Why does the Fatui know about them? How many Irminsul retcons have happened? What do all the fairy tales and fanciful stories in the game mean? Of course, there’s also the burning question of ‘why is the Traveler’s twin not considered a descender, but they are?’ The voice at the end of the Interlude chapter is a mystery worth unraveling, too.
With that in mind, the Fontaine Archon Quests should be similarly (or even more) gripping. Since we’re coming about halfway through the Traveler’s journey, there should be more revelations. It’ll likely come with even more questions, but hopefully, the former outweighs the latter.
At any rate, Fontaine is just around the corner. That means a new exploration area, treasure chests to find, oculi to collect, and region-unique mechanics to master. We also can’t forget about the new characters to meet. We’ll see the Fontaine representatives from the trailer, Lyney and Lynette, the Hydro Archon, and more.
There are rumors of a new diving mechanic, but who knows if that will come true? It will be an exciting feature for sure. See the next section for an estimated release date.
Another Midsummer Event
A new region release comes after the Midsummer event judging from the previous years’ patterns. Inazuma (version 2.0) came after the Midsummer Island Adventure update (version 1.6). Later, Sumeru (3.0) goes live after Summertime Odyssey (2.8). From this pattern, we can infer that version 4.0 will be released during or shortly after the summer.
This will happen around June to August. For reference, 2.0 was released on Jul. 22, 2021, and 3.0 on Aug. 24, 2022. Barring another delay due to extenuating circumstances, we can expect a Fontaine release in the latter half of the year.
As for the event itself, the Golden Apple Archipelago features in the past ones, so it should be safe to expect it again. However, we are still determining how HYV will spice it up this time. Considering that it connects to the next region we’ll be traveling to, it will reveal a mechanic or aspect of the new country. It is an archipelago like Inazuma, and the second time we visited, dreams were the event’s theme. Nahida used the dreams to watch over them and connect to the Traveler by the end.
If the diving feature ever becomes real, we can dive in the GAA as a test run! How cool would that be? We can search for shipwrecks and treasure under the sea. Unfortunately, this could prove false later, so don’t get your hopes up too much. Still, we can use this event to preview the incoming new region.
Incoming Events Happening Soon
On Jan. 18, version 3.4 will kick off 2023’s Lantern Rite Festival. This time, Hu Tao is finally able to join the festivities. Current and future Hu tao account holders now have a reason to celebrate! Also, since it’s a music festival, everybody’s favorite Mondstadt bard will come to Liyue. Will there be Archon interactions soon? We hope so, and this festival is a perfect excuse for it.
There are several other events in 3.4, such as the Inazuman Parry-and-Counter event, Itto’s Beetle Battles, and a Lisa-centric one that will award her skin.
Characters to Look Forward to
In version 3.4 (out on Jan. 18), we get Alhaitham and Yaoyao. Since there’s drip marketing for Dehya and Mika, they’ll be next in 3.5. Leaks are vague past that, but one suggested Baizhu and even Alice would be coming out this year. Still, with that kind of information still subject to change, take it with a grain of salt.
Even More Vague Rumors and Other Speculations
From this point on, nothing is verified or guaranteed.
Future TCG cards are Kokomi, Kujou Sara, and Eula. There are also cards for new artifact sets, Emblem of Severed Fate and Tenacity of the Millelith.
There are leaks of new enemies, a Geo-based Husk, and a Cryo Abyss Herald.
3.5 will likely feature the Windblume Festival in Mondstadt. It will feature a free 4-star Claymore. There might also be an event that mixes the Theater Mechanicus and the Fungi Catch-and-Raise event.
More to come as the days pass. However, the leakers are being cautious after the whole thing with the Fontaine lineup fiasco. There are fewer than usual, so the information flow is sluggish.
Patience is A Virtue
While these good things are coming, they will take their time. After all, they do come to those who wait, and that’s all we can do. Still, there’s so much we can do while waiting; if all else fails, there’s the TCG. Besides, right now is the Lantern Rite Festival, and that should tide us over until the next version update.
