Image: HoYoverse
Genshin Impact Version 4.4 drops this month, celebrating Teyvat’s New Year with a new region called Chenyu Vale.
HoYoverse has announced that Genshin Impact’s Version 4.4 update, titled ‘Vibrant Harriers Aloft in Spring Breeze’, will launch on January 31 with a host of new content and free goodies to celebrate Teyvat’s New Year. Liyue will celebrate the Lantern Rite with a new region called Chenyu Vale for players to explore, and there will be various rewards up for grabs including a free four-star character.
Here’s a trailer for Version 4.4:
Genshin Impact’s Lantern Festival adds a bunch of new stuff
Genshin Impact’s annual Lantern Festival returns this year with an all-new kite theme, as well as new events, mini-games and items to redeem for anyone who plays the Chinese New Year-themed update. A limited-time daily login event will give you 10 Intertwined Fates for example, and an extra 3 Intertwined Fates and 2 Fragile Resin(s) will appear in your mailbox upon login. Ganyu and Shenhe will also get new outfits at a discount in the game’s shop.
This update adds two new playable characters, though they might be familiar to some: the NPC Xianyun players met in previous storylines will now be a five-star character who’s an Anemo catalyst wielder in combat. Xianyu can buff teammates by boosting their jumps and Plunging Attacks, and provide healing. Gaming, on the other hand, is a four-star Pyro character who wields the claymore and weaves his knowledge of the Wushou arts into his combat style.
If you’re just jumping into the game to run around and explore, good news: there’s plenty to do on that front as well. Version 4.4 introduces Chenyu Vale, an expansion to Liyue that adds mist-shrouded hills, waterfalls, prosperous villages and more. A new settlement called Qiaoying Village is famous for its methods of tea cultivation, imparted to them by the adepti. Towards the west of Chenyu Vale, you’ll find a key trading nexus between Fontaine and Liyue called Yilong Wharf.
However, when you’re not talking to folks about tea cultivation, you’ll do most of your exploring as a fish. No, really. With the blessing of the adepti, players will now be able to transform into a special carp to reach otherwise inaccessible areas by flying through the skies. They can also encounter less-than-friendly residents of the valley while exploring, however. One of these legendary beasts, the ‘Solitary Suanni’, will be a boss.
Genshin Impact Version 4.4 drops on January 31.