Big news, Genshin Impact fans! The incredibly popular free-to-play game released its long-awaited 2.0 “The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia” update today. The update promises new lands to explore, characters to recruit, and weapons to obtain. Catching up on all the new content is sure to be an overwhelming task, so we're here to provide you with a breakdown of the most exciting new features.
New Region: Inazuma
After what feels like an eternity of being hinted at, Genshin Impact players finally have the opportunity to set foot on Inazuma. The massive new area, inspired by Japan and its folklore, looks to be like nothing players have seen thus far. The Traveler will continue their search for their missing brother in Inazuma. Doing so, however, will inevitably ruffle the feathers of the closed-off nation's god, the Electro Archon, Baal.
The journey to Inazuma is a treacherous one for any ship and its crew. Between violent storms summoned by Baal and a governing body wary of outsiders, there are sure to be some exciting events in store for players. The six islands of Inazuma are rumored to rival the existing continent of Liyue in combined size. If this is true, it means Inazuma will make up roughly one-third of all traversable land in the game.
The Heron's Court Event Wish
With a new region comes new characters, starting with the “Frostflake Heron,” Kamisato Ayaka. If you couldn't guess already, Ayaka is a Cryo character, and a five-star, sword-wielding one at that. Ayaka's limited event banner boosts her drop rates, along with Ninguang's, Chongyun's, and Yanfei's. The Heron's Court banner will be available immediately when the 2.0 update drops.
More New Characters!
Maybe you're like me and you are perfectly happy with the Cryo characters you already have. If that's the case, hold onto your Primogems, because two other characters are on the way as well. Yoimiya is a Pyro archer (say sayonara to Amber) who is ready to set her enemies ablaze as she accompanies the Traveler on their journey through Inazuma.
Sayu is an Anemo character whose diminutive size and cute tanuki outfit belie her ability to wield a claymore sword twice her size. Sayu's ninja skills look to grant her quite a bit of versatility, and darting around enemies using wind and sword attacks should be ridiculously fun.
New Weapons
There's no denying that characters are the big draw (pun intended) in Genshin Impact, but the 2.0 update gives weapon fanatics plenty to be happy about as well. The Epitome Invocation Event Wish banner immediately gives a boost to an impressive new weapon. Mistsplitter Reforged is a sword perfectly suited for Ayaka, but should allow any sword-wielder to slice their way through Inazuma.
The Thundering Pulse bow releases sometime in the near future, but appears to be a suitable weapon for Yoimiya. Each new weapon is accompanied with a previously-released five-star weapon as well. I'll certainly be trying to obtain both new weapons, but if I can get an older five-star spear for Hu Tao instead, I won't complain. Five additional four-star weapons are also being added in the 2.0 update, ensuring that all weapon types are represented.
New Artifact Sets
Stat-improving artifacts are an incredibly important aspect of Genshin Impact, and version 2.0 introduces two new sets. The Shimenawa's Resistance set boosts Attack with two pieces and trades energy for an Attack buff with four. The Emblem of Severed Fate set boosts Energy Recharge with two pieces and scales an Elemental Burst boost based on the overall Energy Recharge percentage. The new artifact sets are a great way to supplement basic DPS or Support characters.
New Bosses
Inazuma plays host to three bosses, with more to come in the future. The first, Maguu Kenki, should be familiar enough to anyone who participated in the recent Golden Apple Archipelago events. The clockwork samurai may not boast any new abilities, but he remains a fun challenge regardless.
A shapeshifting Ruin Sentinel is a new boss that will force players to constantly adapt in order to avoid its attacks. Finally, the Pyro Hypostasis is a new-yet-familiar threat that will provide plenty of Pyro-related rewards.
Gardening and More!
That's right – gardening. Don't expect anything on the level of Stardew Valley, but it's nice to have something else to do in the Traveler's Serenitea Pot besides placing houses and rocks. Phantom Flow is a new event that allows players to compete in various challenges.
If you don't have Beidou yet, you can get her through the Thunder Soujourn event. Theater Mechanicus and Leyline Overflow are returning activities with the latter offering a temporary boost in rewards.
A Bright Future
Genshin Impact‘s surpassed expectations to provide an immediately rewarding free-to-play experience. The new content in the 2.0 update should provide more than enough to entertain players who exhausted the first two continents' worth of content. It's an exciting time to be a Traveler (whether beginner or veteran) in the world of Teyvat!