It’s that time of year again! Genshin Impact’s biggest update of 2024 has arrived: here’s our rundown!
New Region: Natlan
The main focal point of Genshin Impact’s Version 5.0 Update will of course be the brand new region, Natlan! This vibrant landscape is the home of the Pyro Archon, Mavuika. You’ll be able to make your way over here and explore immediately after downloading the update - simply make your way West through Sumeru’s desert, and you’ll eventually find yourself in Natlan. Once there, you’ll be greeted with some cutscenes and an adorable new friend!
We’ve had a massive amount of fun exploring Natlan so far, and visually it might be the most incredible region the game has ever seen. The new areas are jam-packed with vibrant, unique creatures and colorful landscapes, and all of the towns really leave an impression. Natlan also has some of Genshin Impact’s best music to date: the battle themes made us audibly gasp! Natlan also introduces extremely adorable Capybaras to the game, which kind of speaks for itself, but they are an incredibly welcome addition.
New Archon Quest
Accompanying a new region is of course a brand new Archon Quest! In ‘Chapter V: Act I: Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn’, players will meet the various tribes of Natlan and learn about the nation’s culture and history. They will also meet the Pyro Archon, Mavuika, and learn about the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame.
You’ll be able to access this new Archon Quest by reaching Adventure Rank 40 and completing ‘Chapter IV: Act VI: Bedtime Story’. However, starting with Version 5.0, players will be able to Quick Start new Archon Quests! As long as they are at least Adventure Rank 28 and have completed the main Liyue story with ‘Chapter I: Act III: A New Star Approaches’, players can start the new Archon Quest without completing any of the Inazuma, Sumeru or Fontaine quests.
New Characters
Much like every X.0 patch, Version 5.0 is a big one for new characters! We have two brand-new 5-star characters hailing from Natlan in this update, as well as a new 4-star who players will be able to obtain for free.
Mualani is a 5-star Hydro Catalyst-wielder from Natlan, and part of the Meztli tribe, also known as the People of the Springs. She owns a Watersports shop and is an avid surfer, with this forming a considerable part of her kit in combat too.
Kinich is a 5-star Dendro Claymore-wielder who is part of Natlan’s Huitztlan tribe, also known as the Scions of the Canopy. He is accompanied by an 8-bit style dragon called K’uhul Ajaw, who claims to be the ‘Almighty Dragonlord’.
Kachina is a 4-star Geo Polearm-wielder that players will earn for free during the first Act of the new Archon Quest. She is part of the Nanatzcayan tribe, also known as the Children of Echoes. She is a young warrior and yearns to become strong despite failing consistently.
We really like all of the new characters in this version, and we’re excited to see how they interact with the rest of the game’s cast and how they all fit into the broader story of Natlan. Players can pull for Mualani on the first half of the version’s banners, and Kinich during the second half, paired with Kaedehara Kazuha and Raiden Shogun respectively. Kachina will be rate boosted on Mualani and Kazuha’s banners.
New Weapons
Version 5.0 introduces a ton of new weapons! This includes the two new 5-star banner weapons for Mualani and Kinich, as expected, but also a new 4-star event weapon and a full set of new craftable weapons too.
Mualani’s signature weapon, ‘Surf’s Up’ is a super cute, shark-inspired Catalyst, boosting its holder’s Crit Damage. The effect gives the holder a 20% HP boost, as well as allowing them to earn Scorching Summer stacks which empower Normal Attacks. These stacks can be earned through using Elemental Skills or triggering Vaporize reactions. Kinich’s weapon is a 5-star Claymore called ‘Fang of the Mountain King’ - we don’t know what this one does yet.
The new event weapon is a 4-star Catalyst, ‘Ash-Graven Drinking Horn’. It boosts the holder’s HP, and every 15 seconds allows an attack to deal AoE damage equal to 40% of the holder’s Max HP. You’ll be able to pick this one up for free during the Traces of Artistry event, but you’ll want to hurry, as this event ends on September 16th.
Version 5.0 also adds a full set of five new craftable weapons, which can be forged using Borderland Billets. These each have unique effects, ranging from simple Defense boosts to scaling an Attack boost with the number of unique elemental Natlan characters in your party.
New Artifacts
Genshin Impact’s new version also adds two brand new Artifact sets, ‘Obsidian Codex’ and ‘Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City’. ‘Obsidian Codex’ interacts with the new Nightsoul mechanic found on some of the Natlan characters, boosting Damage dealt by characters in Nightsoul’s Blessing by 15%. The four-piece bonus increases Crit Rate by 40% for 6 seconds when a Nightsoul point is consumed by the holder while on the field.
The other set, ‘Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City’ also interacts with Nightsoul mechanics, this time restoring 6 Elemental Energy to the equipped character when a Nightsoul Burst occurs. The four-piece bonus boosts Elemental Damage when a character triggers an Elemental Reaction, with this damage boost being increased if the equipping character is in the Nightsoul’s Blessing state.
Quality of Life
Genshin Impact’s 5.0 Update also adds a ton of useful quality of life changes, making the game easier for travellers to progress in and removing some tedious grinding. Here’s a quick list of some of these changes:
- Artifacts can now be salvaged into Artifact EXP Materials
- Artifacts can now be customized with the Artifact Transmuter (requires Sanctifying Elixir)
- The Weapon Banner Epitomized Path mechanic now only requires 1 point instead of 2
- ‘Captured Radiance’ can now trigger on 50/50 5-star pulls, instead making the odds a consolidated 55% for the rate-up 5-star character
- Added 8 Artifact sets to the Strongbox
We’re very excited about these changes, especially the Artifact tweaks - this should hopefully make building characters a lot easier.
4th Anniversary
With Genshin Impact’s 4th Anniversary just around the corner on 28th September 2024, players will be able to claim a 5-star Standard Banner character for free between now and October 8th! You’ll be able to pick between Jean, Diluc, Qiqi, Mona, Keqing, Dehya and Tighnari, and will receive that character instantly. There will also be a login event awarding 10 total Intertwined Fates during this version to celebrate the anniversary.
That concludes our rundown of all the new content in Version 5.0 of Genshin Impact! We’ve absolutely adored this patch so far, and hope you have too!
