Highlights
- Genshin Impact 4.0 will introduce the Fontaine nation on August 16.
- Three playable characters, Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet, will be introduced in the 4.0 version of the game, each with unique abilities and weapons.
- The update will also include new bosses, an underwater adventure, improved loading times and graphics on PlayStation consoles, and quality-of-life features for all platforms.
Following much anticipation, HoYoverse has unveiled the 4.0 version of Genshin Impact and its including Fontaine nation, confirming its release date and detailing some of the content that players can expect from the incoming update. The new info was shared as part of an hour-long Genshin Impact 4.0 Special Program event which was live-streamed via YouTube and Twitch.
The original version of Genshin Impact that released in September 2020 offered two giant nations to explore, Mondstadt and Liyue, inspired by Germany and China, respectively. Since then, HoYoverse has been adding one new region to the game on annual basis, always during summer. The last such update expanded Genshin Impact's map with the Sumeru region, which debuted on August 24, 2022.
Less than a year later, Genshin Impact is now set to introduce the Fontaine nation on August 16, HoYoverse has confirmed. The Chinese developer also shared an extended trailer for the upcoming update, offering a mixture of gameplay and story cutscenes that will take place in the so-called "Nation of Justice" that's home to Genshin Impact's hydro Archon.
The trailer also serves as an introduction to the first three playable characters—who all happen to be sisters—launching in the 4.0 version of the game: Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet. The eldest sibling, Lyney, is a five-star archer and Pyro user who can weaponize fireworks and shape-shift into a Grin-Malkin Cat during combat. The middle child, Lynette, is a speedy four-star Anemo sword wielder, as well as the only member of the trio that will be recruitable as part of an upcoming seasonal event by any Genshin Impact player who reaches Adventure Rank 25. Freminet is another four-star character, but one that prefers claymores and freezing Cryo attacks in combat.
The 4.0 Special Program event also offered a glimpse at two new bosses, Icewind Suite and Emperor of Fire and Iron. The former is a clockwork-like robot with a tendency to dance around the player's attacks, while the latter takes the form of a giant crab capable of burning everything in its vicinity with Pyro abilities.
Not only is the France-inspired nation of Fontaine surrounded by water, but the 4.0 version of the game will also introduce Genshin Impact's first-ever underwater adventure. Additionally, HoYoverse revealed that the incoming update will improve loading times and graphics on PlayStation consoles, as well as debut several quality-of-life features across all platforms. While the new region will technically be reachable by anyone who manages to complete the early-game Mondstadt quests, the developers are strongly recommending that Genshin Impact players also fulfill the story requirements for entering Fontaine.
Genshin Impact is available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5, with a Switch port also being in development.