Genshin Impact is due for another major update, and the 5.2 special program has finally revealed details for the upcoming patch. Here’s everything new coming to Genshin Impact in Version 5.2, titled Tapestry of Spirit and Flame, which releases on November 20.

Genshin Impact 5.2 Trailer

Genshin Impact 5.2 livestream Primogem codes

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Each code grants 100 Primogems, along with some other useful materials. Redeem them either in-game or on Genshin Impact’s official redemption page. Act fast; speci????al program redemption codes expire quickly!

Genshin Impact 5.2 Banners

The first half of Genshin Impact Version 5.2 will feature character banners for Chasca (5-star Anemo Bow) and Lyney (5-star Pyro Bow). They will be accompanied by the 4-star Electro Bow character Ororon. The weapon banners will feature Chasca’s 5-star signature Astral Vulture's Crimson Plumage, as well ??as Lyney’s signature The First Great Magic.

The banners in the second half of Genshin Impact 5.2 will rerun Zhongli (5-star Geo Polearm) and Neuvillette (5-star Hydro Catalyst). The weapon banner will include Neuvillette’s signature Catalyst Tome?? of the Eternal Flow. The other 5-star weapon will probably be Staff of Hom?a, though there’s a small chance for Vortex Vanquisher instead.

Two new 4-star weapons will make their debut on the weapon banners: Waveriding Whirl (Catalyst) and Flower-Wreathed Feathers (Bow). It’s still unconfirmed whe??ther they will run in the first half or the second.

New characters: Chasca and Ororon

Chasca and Ororon have featured prominently in Genshin Impact’s story in Natlan, and now, they? join the playable roster. The special program revealed some new information about how these characters will pla?y.

Chasca is a 5-star Anemo Bow character who’s really neither Anemo nor a Bow user. Her attacks infuse different elements based on Pyro, Hydro, Electro, and Cryo teammates, so Chasca deals mixed-element “rainbow�damage instead of just Anemo. And although she equips a Bow, Chasca actually summons a giant revolver which she rides like a flying steed and fires like a shotgun. Chasca looks to be a unique on-field DPS ?who focuses on mixed-element damage.

Ororon is a 4-star Electro Bow character who deals off-field Electro damage using his Skill and Burst. His kit incentivizes Electro-Charged teams utilizing Electro and Hydro characters. It sounds like he’ll be a possible alt?ernative to Fischl in Electro-Charged teams that require Nightsoul mechanics. Ororon has the ability to leap high into t??he air before gliding slowly to the ground, and if you enter aiming mode while in the air, Ororon can hover in place.

Genshin Impact’s Xbox release and special wings

With Version 5.2, Genshin Impact will be available to play on Xbox Series X|S. Travelers logging into Genshin Impact on Xbox will receive a new pair of green wings (Wings of Fate's Course Intertwined), as well as two Intertwined Fates and a Northlander Billet Trove. Going forward, Xbox users will receive additional exclusive goodies with each patch, consi??sting of Fates/Primogems and other upgrade materials.

Users on other platforms won’t receive the Fates and other materials, but they can still get the Xbox wings! During Version 5.3, everyone logging into Genshin Impact on any platform will receive the Xbox wings in their mailbox. This only lasts t??hrough Version 5.3, going away once 5.4 rolls around. However, Xbox users will be able to claim the wings anytime by logging in on their Xbox Series X|S.

The post Genshin Impact?? 5.2 new characters, banners, and ??release date appeared first on Destructoid.

Burnice, Zenless Zone Zero's newest five-star pyromaniac, has finally touched down with quite the explosive hype behind her. If you're planning to pull her, or a??lready have and are looking to build from scratch, here's e??verything you need to know to ensure Burnice can utterly cremate your enemies.

Best Burnice Build in Zenless Zone Zero

Starting with some surface-level details, Burnice is a Fire Anomaly character with a huge focus on Fire DoT (Damage over Time) and Off-field damage. You read that correctly: Burnice deals a large portion of her damage while not on the field, contrasting with every other character in Zenless Zone Zero. That isn't to s??ay she isn't capable of playing like a standard DPS, however, as all of her abilities have very high damage scaling. This means that Bunrice is very flexible with her role, and has several teams and gear setups w??here she can excel.

Burnice's Gameplan

Burnice's most fundamental game plan is to come on-field and apply Burn and her unique Afterburn mechanic to as many enemies as possible. Enemies afflicted with Afterburn take additional Burn Build-up and Fire Damage when hit by any of her allies, allowing her t??o fight off the field while taking up as little field time as possible.

Afterburn can only be applied when Burnice has enough Heat, which is her secondary resource that determines how long Afternburn can stay applied. When she has more than 50% Heat, she will enter Nitro-Fuel Cocktail State, which, while active, allow??s her to apply Afte??rburn to enemies.

When Afterburn is triggered, Burnice uses a portion of her Heat gauge. To regain Heat, she must use Energy by using EX Specials, crea?ting a constant need to balance both her Energy and Heat gauges. If her Heat is fully drained, she loses her Nitro-Fuel Cocktail State, drastically weakening her overall abilities. Without Heat, she can no longer activate Afterburn or use her Enhanced Basic Attacks, making careful resource management crucial to maintaining her strength.

Best Drive Disks for Burnice in Zenless Zone Zero

Since Burnice is an Anomaly character, she values ATK% and Anomaly Proficiency (AP) above all other stats, thanks to Burn being such a large part of her damage. However, because of her overall stat scaling, can she be built viably with Crit, Crit DMG, PEN Ratio, Anomaly Mastery (AM), and Energy Regen (ER) as? secondary stats to?? look out for on Drive Disks.

• Disk 4 - AP or ATK%. Note that ATK% should only be used if you have good AP sub-stats on it.
• Disk 5 - ATK% or Fire DMG%. PEN Ratio% is an option if you have other sources of the stat already.
• Disk 6 - ATK%, AM, or ER.

The Drive Disk sets you should use on Burnice depend on how you p????lan to build her and how much investment you're willing to put into her.

Sub-DPS Burnice

Burnice is at her strongest when she is played with ATK% and AP as her focus while serving as a Sub-DPS for team compositions. With this in mind, Burn?ic??e has a few options.

• 4p-Chaos Jazz / 2p-Piece Freedom Blues - This provides a walloping 60 AP to Burnice while also boosting the power of her EX-Specials when swapped in from being off-field. For a majority of roles, this is Burnice's best setup.
• 4p-Chaos Jazz / 2p-Swing Jazz - Instead of the 30 extra AP, Burnice will gain more Energy Regen, making it easier to maintain her Heat Gauge. Only use this if you're having issues with Energy.
• 4p-Chaos Jazz / 2p-Puffer Electro - Puffer Electro offers Burnice some extra PEN Ratio for ignoring enemy defenses. I only recommend this if your Burnice already has additional sources of PEN Ratio from weapons, buffs, or Cinemas/Mindscapes.

Hypercarry Burnice

If you plan to play Burnice on-field as your main DPS character, then there are a few more options open to her for Drive Disks outside of Chaos Jazz. However, as a warning, Hypercarry Burnice is very expensive to build optimally, as she wants ATK%, AP, CRIT Rate, and CRIT DMG on as many Discs as possible to be truly effective. Note: I don't recommend this setup unless you're prepared to invest significant time farming for Burnice's gear.

• 4p-Inferno Metal / 2p-Chaos Jazz or Freedom Blues - Gives free 28% CRIT Rate to Burnice when any target is Burning, while providing 30 additional AP.
• 4p-Inferno Metal / 2p-Swing Jazz - On-field Burnice may need additional energy, which Swing Jazz will provide.
• 4p-Inferno Metal / 2p-Puffer Electro - As before, the additional PEN Ratio from Puffer Electro will be more effective if Burnice already has additional sources of the stat.
• 4p- Chaos Jazz / 2p-Inferno Metal - Provides Burnice with the largest amount of Fire DMG% she can possibly get. You will also still want to swap characters on occasion to gain the full benefit from Chaos Jazz.

Best W-Engines for Burnice in Zenless Zone Zero

Unsurprisingly, Burnice's best W-Engine is her signature Flamemaker Shaker, as it provides Burnice with everything she needs to be a strong DPS in any team role. That said, Electro-Lip Gloss(R5) and Fusion Compiler are strong competitive options that allow Burnice to dish out large sums of damage. Fusion Compiler??, in particular, works exceptionally well if you can stack Bu?rnice with other sources of PEN Ratio %.

Beyond these three options, I don't recommend using anything else outside of ni?che situations.

Best Mindscapes for Burnice in Zenless Zone Zero

It’s important to note that Burnice is already fully viable and highly effective in the current meta, even at M0. She doesn’t require any of her Mindscapes to excel. However, her Mindscapes amplify her existing strengths and role options, making them even more potent. If you aim to invest in a few, M2 is the ideal stopping point for most players. Fo?r your convenience, here’s a breakdown of how each of Burnice's Mindscapes enhances her effectiveness.

• Kindred Flames (M1) - Burnice's M1 is highly potent, as it allows her more leniency on how much Heat you can use, while simultaneously increasing the damage multiplier of Afterburn by a massive 100%. Said Afterburns also accumulate 25% more Burn status. This is a silly strong M1 and is worth the investment if you can get it.
• Extra at No Additional Charge (M2) - This M2 is strong by default, effectively giving Burnice and her allies a free 20% PEN Ratio at all times if playing around Afterburn correctly. However, this Mindscape gets considerably more powerful if running with additional, outside sources of PEN Ratio %.
• Optimistic by Nature (M3) - An across-the-board multiplier boost to most of Burnice's kit. Nice, but not worth the investment if you're planning to stop here.
• Ultimate Fuel Supply (M4) - This Mindscape enhances Burnice's ability to dish out direct damage by giving her Assist and EX Special Attacks a free 30% CRIT Rate at all times. Honestly, this is a really strong Mindscape if you're playing CRIT, but if your focus is on AP, then this is, at best, a nice little extra. It's... okay.
• Dance of Fire and Ice (M5) - This Mindscape is exactly the same as her M3, just even more of a boost.
• Burning Invitation (M6) - M6 is a game-changer for Burnice as it allows her to 'proc' her own special version of Afterburn that doesn't consume Heat and without the need of her teammates. Additionally, using EX Special Attack Double Shot causes Burnice's special Afterburn, Double Shot, and Burn effects to ignore 25% Fire Resistance. If that wasn't insane enough, Double Shot's end fireblast will deal a colossal 1800% additional DMG to Burning Targets, once every 20 seconds. Needless to say, this Mindscape is ridiculously strong, if you can get it.

Best Team Comps for Burnice in Zenless Zone Zero

Burnice has several strong team compositions that she works very well fo??r thanks to her versatile build op??tions.

Burnice/Jane/Caeser

This is Burnice's strongest team composition, and it functions with Burnice herself acting as sub-DPS for Jane Doe. The team's goal is to cause Disorder, a status effect tha??t occurs when two different Anomalies are applied to an enemy. Ideally, you want Burnice to inflict Burn first and then have Jane 'pop' the Burn with an Assault, which trigge??rs Disorder for massive damage. Caeser's part in the team is for the additional 1000 flat ATK she gives to the on-field Agent, which will mostly be Jane in this composition.

Burnice/Piper/Lucy

This composition is also powerful and has the same goal as the Jane team previously mentioned: Disorder. The main difference is that both Burnice and Piper will be playing the sub-DPS role together, and you'll switch back and forth b??etween them far more often than the Jane team. Lucy and Caeser are largely interchangeable in this team, though M6 Lucy offers more damage output specifically for Piper and Bu??rnice because of the continuous nature of their EX Specials.

Burnice/Caeser/Lucy

If you're playing Burnice as a Hypercarry, this is the strongest composition she has access to thanks to the considerable ATK buff both Caeser and Lucy can consistently provide. This results in a Burnice that will dish out massive damage through her Afterburn, Burn statu?s, and direct damage abilities. Caeser's shield also protects her while she is channeling her flamethrower, and flamethrower hits also activate Lucy's M6, simultaneously.

Burnice/Koleda/Lucy

This team comp also features Burnice as the main damage dealer, aiming to make use of Stun windows for the highest possible Burn damage. As a mono Fire team, her Burns will be diluted between all three characters, which is why you want to ensure that Koleda and Lucy are built with damage in mind (CRIT sub-stats, etc...). ?Additionally, having CRIT? sub-stats on Burnice will also help.

Burnice/Rina/Lucy or Caeser

If you're running Burnice with Fusion Compiler and/or are using her M2, then PEN?? Ratio becomes a highly competitive stat for her to stack. Rina provides a large amount of additional PEN Ratio, and large amounts of it make it stronger overall. Lucy/Caeser continues to provide competent levels of damage while still providing Burnice with her large ATK buff. Ideally, Rina should be M1 and Lucy should be M6 ??for this team to be competitive with the other comps mentioned.

The post Best Burnice build in Zenless Zone Zero �Best Drive Discs, W-Engines, Mindscape?s, and Team Comps appeared first on Destructoid.

Genshin Impact has several gacha banners that change on a three-week basis. Read on for an analys?is of the current and upcoming banners and see wher?e you should spend your wishes!

Current Banners in Genshin Impact

Current banners end on:
October 29, 2024

Genshin Impact’s current rate-up 5-star characters are Xilonen (Geo Sword) and Chiori (Geo Sword). They are accompanied by the 4-star characters Collei (Dendro Bow), ??Candace (Hydro Polearm), and Dori (Ele??ctro Claymore).

Genshin Impact’s current rate-up 5-star weapons are Peak Patrol Song (Sword) and Uraku Misugiri (Sword). They are accompanied by the 4-stars Mountain-Braci?ng Bolt (Polearm), Rust (Bow), Sturdy Bone (Sword), Sacrificial Greatsword (Claymore), and Favonius Codex ??(Catalyst). Of the 4-stars, Mountain-Bracing Bolt and Sturdy Bone are exclusive to the weapon banner and cannot be obtained via standard wishes.

There is currently no Chronicled Wish banner in Genshin Impact.

Upcoming Genshin Impact Banners

Genshin Impact 5.1 banners

The second half of Genshin Impact 5.1 will feature Nahida, a 5-star Dendro Catalyst character, along with Hu Tao, a 5-star Pyro Polearm character. We can expect Nahida and Hu Tao's banner?s on October 29.

Genshin Impact 5.2 banners

There are two new characters coming to Genshin Impact in Version 5.2. They are the Anemo Bow user Chasca and Electro user Ororon.

How good are the current Genshin Impact banners?

Disclaimer: There is no pity for a specific 4-star character or weapon. Do not pull for a specific 4-star unless you are prepared to pull several 5-stars along the way. The weapon banner is even more punishing than the character banners. Do not pull unless you are okay with receiving at least one of each featured weapon.

How good is Xilonen?

Xilonen is a strong support who debuffs enemies and provides healing. Geo characters usually synergize poorly with other elements, but Xilonen breaks the mold by actively encouraging Pyro, Hydro, Electro, and Cryo teams. With the Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City artifact set, Xilonen provides additional buffs when she triggers Crystallize. Unless you play primarily Anemo, Dendro, or Geo teams, Xilonen will be a valuable pickup. Her kit functions differently depending on which elements are present in her team, though, so be sure you know how she will work in your team before you decide to pull.

How good is Chiori?

Chiori is a decently strong off-field Geo DPS unit. She hasn't had a particularly strong presence in the meta since her release, primarily because Geo teams just aren't that popular. Still, even if Chiori is rarely the best option for a team, she's never the worst option either. If you like Chiori, be sure to play her in a Geo team where she can synergize with other characters' Geo constructs. If you don't play Geo teams, and?? you're not in love with Chiori, then she's an easy skip.

4-Star Characters

The featured 4-star characters are Collei, Candace, and Dori. None of them are particularly exciting. If you're thinking about pulling for Xilonen or Chiori's Constellations, you might want to hold off until they rerun with less tragic 4-??stars you'll actually want to play.

Of the three 4-stars, Collei is the strongest. She's?? a Dendro Bow user with decent (if unreliable) Dendro ??application. Every player gets Collei for free upon clearing Floor 4 of the Spiral Abyss, but her Constellations improve her ability to deal damage and apply Dendro. If you want to play Collei, I recommend getting as many Constellations for her as you can.

Candace and Dori are both niche support characters. Neither of th??em see much play, simply because so few characters want what they offer. Candace converts melee attacks to Hydro damage and buffs Normal Attacks. Dori heals and provides Ener?gy generation. Most teams that can use either Candace or Dori will be better off replacing them with someone else. Constellation 6 Candace allows her to apply some extra Hydro, though, which can enable some unique Vaporize or Bloom teams.

5-Star Weapons

Peak Patrol Song is Xilonen's signature weapon. This 5-star Sword has a DEF% secondary stat and allows Xilonen to buff teammates even more than she already does with the Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City artifact set. Peak Patrol Song is the only weapon in Genshin Impact that? fully synergizes with Xilonen's kit. 4-star alternatives include Favonius Sword for some bonus Energy, or Flute of Ezpitzal to improve her healing.

Uraku Misugiri is Chiori's signature weapon, but you can use it on DPS Xilonen or Albedo too. For the very few characters can take advantage of its passive, it's a significant DPS upgrade over their 4-star options. Even with Uraku Misugiri, though, it's hard for me to recommend playing?? DPS Xilonen ??without at least Constellation 2.

4-Star Weapons

The 4-star weapons, in general, are quite good. Rust is useful for Normal Attackers, Favonius Codex can be a good for supports, and Sacrificial Greatsword has its uses on the likes of Chongyun. Sturdy Bone is a new banner-exclusive 4-star Sword that increases Normal Atta??ck damage after sprinting. Mountain-Bracing Bolt is a banner-exclusive 4-star Polearm that increases Skill damage. Neither of these new weapons are game changers, but the Polearm could be an interesting option for Kachina, Emilie, or Cyno.

The post Genshin Impact current and upcoming banners (5.1) appeared first on Destructoid.

Genshin Impact is infamous for its incomprehensible ability descriptions, and the new character Xilonen takes this wordiness to the next ?level. If you don’t want to spend an evening reading the novel that makes up her kit, here’s a quick run-down on how to play Xilonen as both a support and DPS. You’re welcome.

Is Xilonen a DPS or support?

Xilonen’s kit enables her to function as either an on-field DPS or an off-field support. Despite this flexibility, Xilonen is far more effective as a support than a DPS. You can still play Xilonen as an on-field DPS, but I recommend obtaining at lea?st Constellation 2 and a 5-star CRIT weapon if you choose to g??o this route. 

DPS Xilonen uses different combos than support?? Xilonen. Scroll down to the relevant section based on how you want to play her.

How to play support Xilonen

As an off-field support, Xilonen requires a team with at least two characters that are Pyro, Hydro, Electro, or Cryo. This team element requirement is critical since it significantly alters how Xilonen functio??ns. You can see whether your team qualifies by using Xilonen’s Skill and looking at the colors of the three triangles next to her Nightsoul meter. Only one triangle is allowed to be yellow. If at least two triangles are orange, blue, purple, or light blue, then your team will work with Xilonen.

Once you have your team, you need to figure out your rotation. Xilonen should take the field before your on-field DPS in order to activate her buffs. Switch to Xilonen, use her Burst, then Skill, then two Normal Attacks. After two Normal Attacks, her Nightsoul meter should fill up and disappear. If your combo is interrupted, you may need an additional Normal Attack to fill up the meter, since it passively drains over? ti?me.

Xilonen’s Burst heals the on-field character over time, and filling up the Nightsoul meter activates her debuffs. After you’ve finishe??d her Normal Attacks, you can switch Xilonen for your on-field DPS, who will then deal increased damage and enjoy some healing.

How to play DPS Xilonen

I don’t recommend building Xilonen as a DPS unless you’re either a whale or just really dedicated. Her damage isn’t amazing for a 5-star, but it’s still good enough for most content. For reference, in similar teams, my DPS C0 Xilonen with Uraku Misugiri does about 20-30% more damage than my C6 Noelle with?? Redhorn Ston??ethresher. Your results may vary.

DPS Xilonen requires at least two Geo teammates. I recommend Gorou and either Albedo or Chiori. If you lack any of those, Navia, Zhongli, and Yun Jin are also potential options. Once you ha?ve your team set up, try using Xilonen’s Skill. At least two of the triangles next to her Nightsoul meter should b??e yellow.

Having two Geo teammates changes how Xilonen’s kit?? functions. Instead of Normal Attacks filling up her Nightsoul meter, the meter will constantly drain over time. Since Xilonen’s Normal Attacks deal increased Geo damage while her Skill is active, they will be her main source of damage.

To play Xilonen as an on-field DPS, first rotate through your supports to set up their abilities. Then, switch to Xilonen and use her Burst, then Skill. Follow up with as many Normal Attacks as you can before her Nightsoul meter completely drain??s. This will usually be ??three sets of four Normal Attack combos, for a total of 12 hits.

The post How to play Xilonen in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

Genshin Impact has never seen a character like Xilonen before. She’s a Geo character, but she can buff multiple elements and hea??l her teammates. With such strong supportive abilities, will Xilonen affect the meta, or can you afford to skip her??

Is Xilonen worth pulling in Genshin Impact?

Xilonen is shaping up to be an incredibly strong support for Pyro, Hydro, Electro, and Cryo teams. Xilonen’s flexibility and ease of use in Genshin Impact teams definitely make her worth your pulls. Even at Constellation 0 with 4-star weapons (Favonius Sword or Flute of Ezpitzal), she can e?nable your team to hit for bigger nu??mbers while simultaneously keeping them alive.

Xilonen’s role in teams is similar to that of Kazuha, an Anemo unit who provides similar elemental b??uffs and debuffs. Xilonen can’t replace Kazuha’s crowd-control and sustained elemental application, but she can provide healing instead. If you’re looking for a buffer for your elemental teams, Xilonen is a good optio?n and an alternative to Kazuha.

Outside of meta reasons, Xilonen is just nice to have for exploration. She skates faster than Kachina’s Turbo Twirly and saves stamina?? when climbing cliffs. She also generates some Phlogiston when other characters trigger their Nightsoul Transmission traversal abilities. There’s also the sheer cool factor of a DJ cat woman on rollerblades ?who can transform into a glittery ocelot. Her trailer theme is an absolute banger, too, if you haven’t checked it out already.

Are Xilonen’s Constellations worth it?

Xilonen is already strong at C0, but her Constellations further improve her abilities to various degrees. You don’t need Constellations for Xilonen to perform well against most enemies. I only recommend pulling? for Constellations if you’re not saving up for future characters and/or you have the disposable income for extra wishes.

It’s not worth pulling for Xilonen’s first Constellation on its own. It improves her exploration perks by allowing her to skate for ?longer. Constellation 1 can mostly be considered a stepping stone on the way to Constellation 2.

If you do choose to pull for Constellations, Constellation 2 is my recommended stopping point for Xilonen. Constella??tion 2 improves Xilonen’s buffs based on the elements present in her team. It also allows her to support Geo DPS teams.? If you want to play Xilonen specifically with Itto, Noelle, Albedo, or Chiori, Constellation 2 is a must-have.

Constellations 3 through 5 improve Xilonen’s supportive capabilities, but to a lesser degree. Constellation 6 allows Xilonen to become an on-field DPS. These higher Constell??ations exist for whales who want to hyper-invest into their Xilonen. 

Is Xilonen’s signature weapon worth it?

Xilonen’s signature 5-star Sword is the Peak Patrol Song. It has a DEF% secondary stat with a passive that buffs your team’s elemental damage based on the equipping character’s DEF. In short, it improves Xilonen’s buffing abilities, making it Xilonen’s best weapon overall. Peak Patrol Song is worth it if you want a weapon that synergizes well with Xilonen’s kit.

Xilonen has perfectly usable 4-star options. Favonius Sword takes care of her Energy Recharge needs while providing more energy for the entire team. Flute of Ezpitzal can be crafted using billets and improves Xilonen’s healing. There aren’t any 4-star weapons that directly improve Xilonen’s unique kit, though. If you want a weapon that actually feels like it belongs on Xilone??n, you’ll need Peak Patrol Song.

Don't worry too much about how your weapon looks on Xilonen. During normal team rotations, you won't?? actually see?? her weapon. Xilonen prefers to kick enemies with her rollerblades instead.

Should you pull for Xilonen’s C2 or her signature weapon?

Mayb?e you have the extra wishes for either Constellation 2 or Peak Patrol Song, but not both. Which one?? is better for your Xilonen?

For most teams, Xilonen’s Constellation 2 is better than R1 Peak Patrol Song. However, with the recent changes to Genshin Impact’s weapon banner, Constellation 2 can be about twice as expensive as a 5-star weapon. If you’d rather save some pulls for future Natlan characters like Chasca or Mavuika, Peak Patrol Song ??is the cheaper option. You can always obtain C2 Xilonen when she r?eruns.

If you plan to play Xilonen primarily with an Electro DPS, keep in mind that her C2 bonus for Electro is finicky. 25 energy is nice, for sure �and it affects the whole team, not just your Electro characters. But you won’t be able to take advantage of the extra energy or the 6s Burst cooldown reduction unless you specifi?cally build your team for it.

The post Is Xilonen good in Genshin Impact? appeared first on Destructoid.

Genshin Impact has released preview images (known in the community as “drip marketing� for its next cohort of upcoming characters.?? This round of drip marketing f??eatures the peacekeeper Chasca and the enigmatic Ororon. Here’s what we know about them so far.

Chasca the Anemo archer

If you’ve played through the first couple of Archon Quests in Natlan, then you’ve already met Chasca. She’s a Bow user from the Flower-Feather tribe, which represents the Anemo element. Apparently, Chasca was raised by Saurians, resulting in a combative nature. When she was found and a?dopted by a human family, Chasca had to learn how to navigate human interactions in a more peaceful manner. Now, Chasca embraces her role as Peacemaker, resolving tribal conflicts wherever they may arise.

As for Chasca??’s playable kit, we’ve seen her use a Bow during cutscenes, and her Anemo Vision is clearly visible at her hip. Other than her weapon and element, though, we don’t know how Chasca will actually play. Given Chasca’s story involvement and how her element matches her tribe’s theme, it’s likely that Chasca will be a 5-star character. More details should be on their way in a few weeks.

Ororon the enigmatic traitor?

We never actually saw Ororon during the Archon Quests in 5.0, but we did hear him speak a few lines. He appears to be from the Masters of the Night-Wind �the Natlan tribe symbolizing the Cryo element. Despit?e his tribal affiliation, though, Ororon is shown to have an Electro ??Vision. The Archon Quest reveals that Ororon is collaborating with the shady Fatui Harbingers, though it's unclear whether he’s being coerced or acting of his own free will. Aside from his brief involvement in the Archon Quests, we don’t know much else about Ororon.

Ororon officially has an Electro Vision, but his weapon type remains unknown. We haven’t even seen him in-game yet, hindering speculation about his playable kit. Fun fact: Ororon is only the fourth male Electro character to join the Genshin Impact roster. All ten other Electro characters in Genshin Impact are female, resulting in the most skewed gender rati?o of all? elements.

When are Chasca and Ororon coming to Genshin Impact?

Going by past release trends, we can expect Chasca and Ororon to become playable sometime during Genshin Impact Version 5.2. Our roadmap puts 5.2 at a November 20 release date. The two newcomers should make their debut either on that date ??or three weeks later on December 11, depending on how HoYoverse staggers their banners.

??While we wait for Chasca and Ororon, Geo Sword user Xilonen is releasing very soon on October 9. Be sure to check back then for more r?esources on Xilonen’s builds and if she is worth pulling!

The post Chasca and Ororon to soar into Genshin Impact’s playable roster in 5.2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Genshin Impact recently celebrated its fourth anniversary since its launch in September of 2020. In addition to a plethora of other anniversary rewards, there’s a web event where you can grab ??some extra goodies, including Primogems and an event-exclusive recipe. Here are all of the puzzle answers so you can breeze through and claim all of the prizes!

Genshin Impact’s fourth anniversary web event, titled Teyvat’s Special Delivery, can be accessed via its official webpage. Be sure to log into your Genshin Impact ??account before starting, since your prizes wi?ll be delivered directly through your in-game mail.

Click through the ??tutorial until you get to a list of locations. For each loc??ation, you’ll have to deduce the correct package recipient based on a brief description. 

Before you submit an answer, you’ll need to complete some missions to gain stamina. These missions include various activities within Genshin Impact?, as well as clicking some social media links. You don’t consume stamina for wrong answers, but solutions for each location and description are below.

1. Mondstadt

This is a delivery to Mondstadt. Recipient: Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius
Answer: Albedo

2. Liyue

This is a delivery to Liyue. Recipient: “Famous�poet of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor
Answer: Hu Tao

3. Inazuma

This is a delivery to Inazuma. Recipient: Divine Priestess and Strategist
Answer: Sangonomiya Kokomi

4. Sumeru

This is a delivery to Sumeru. Recipient: Botanical expert and Amurta researcher
Answer: Tighnari

5. Fontaine

This is a delivery to Fontaine. Recipient: “Angel of Salvation�and head nurse
Answer: Sigewinne

6. Natlan

This is a delivery to Natlan. Recipient: Veteran guide of the People of the Springs
Answer: Mualani

Once you’ve delivered packages to all six nations of Teyvat, claim your event rewards. Your prizes will appear in your Genshin Impact mailbox, including a cooking recipe you can only earn through this event. Be sure to log into your Genshin Impact?? account and collect? these rewards before they expire! Happy anniversary!

The post Genshin Impact 4th anniversary web?? event solutions appeared first on Destructoid.

With the release of Zenless Zone Zero version 1.3, Caesar and Burnice make their official debut as rate-up characters on the game's character banner. While Caesar is already available?, Burnice will be coming in just a few weeks, but as they are both rather expensive to pull, which one should you prioritize over the other?

Caesar King vs Burnice - Zenless Zone Zero

There are many factors involved when deciding which of these two five-star characters to pull, but if you're looking for a quick and dirty answer: Caesar King offers the biggest bang for your buck, thanks to her incredibly universal kit. This ??is not to say Burnice is any sort of slouch, but breaking down both characters and their roles will give a clearer picture as to why.

Caesar King

Caesar King has one of the most overloaded kits I've ever seen in Zenless Zone Zero. Despite being a Physical Defense character, she's the ultimate "Jack-of-all-trade?s, Master-of-One," able to thrive in every team role, seamlessly fitting into any team composition, while also offering the best team defense buffs in the entire game.

She provides an almost unbreakable team-wide sh?ield, a 25% damage debuff on enemies with nearly constant uptime, and a massive 1000 ATK buff to allies, also with near-permanent uptime. Her stunning capabilities and ability to parry attacks without characte?r swapping add to her absurd versatility, all while she can deliver constant viable DPS.

These factors a??llow her to easily serve as both the main DPS and stunner on any team, which is something no other character in Zenless Zone Zero can currently claim. Mind you, this is all Caesar King at C0, without additional Cinemas. Needlessly to say, her insane versatility makes her one of the easies??t pull recommendations I can give.

Burnice

Burnice, on the other hand, is much more specialized, the norm for most characters in Zenless Zone Zero. She is a Fire Anomaly character whose main role is to dish out as much Fire DoT (damage over time) as possible. Her goal is to burn everything to the ground with her dual flamethrowers, and she excels at doing this? without question.

In terms of raw damage, Burnice will vastly outperform Caesar because she can be ??played in dual Anomaly teams, allowing Discord procs to utterly destroy her foes. Additionally, because Burnice does so much da??mage on her own, she can be your main on-field DPS while running with two supports.

What's more, Burnice's actual kit allows her to dish out massive Fire damage while she is off-field, too, thanks to her Afterburn mechanic. Afterburn is a debuff she can apply that will allow her teammates to 'proc' additional Fire damage when they strike the afflicted foe. This means that Burnice will also excel in teams where she is the sub-DPS instead, as she does?? not need much field time to set up her debuff on every enemy on screen.

Beyond that, Burnice does not offer much else for a team. She is a tried-and-true damage dealer, and she is designed around that concept, pigeonholing her into that role. While Burnice's damage is very impressive, Caesar offers so much more than just damage that will allow her to remain r?elevant long into Zenless Zone Zero's life. Burnice is far less versatile than Caesar, which is why Caesar is the one you should invest in if you have to pick just one of these characters.

The post Should you pu?ll for Caesar or Burnice in Zenless Zone Zero? appeared first on Destructoid.

It feels like just yesterday that Genshin Impact had a massive update that introduced Natlan. But the team at HoYoverse isn’t done, and we now have details for Genshin’s next major update: Version 5.1, titled The Rainbow Destined to Burn.

Genshin Impact Version 5.1 releases on October 9, 2024. Check back later for even more detail??s, as well as? pre-install information and maintenance rewards.

Genshin Impact 5.1 trailer

Genshin Impact 5.1 livestream Primogem codes

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Each code awards 100 Primogems on top of various other materials. To redeem, visit the official webpage or enter the code in-game. These cod?es expire?? soon after the special program premiere, so get going!

Genshin Impact 5.1 Banners

The first half of Version 5.1 will feature Xilonen (5-star Geo Sword) and Chiori (5-star Geo Sword). They will be accompanied by their signature 5?-star Swords, Peak Patrol Song and Uraku Misugiri.

The second half of Version 5.1 will feature reruns of Nahida (5-star Dendro Catalyst) and Hu Tao (5-star Pyro Polearm). Their 5-star signature weapons are A Thousand Floating Dreams and Staff of?? Homa.

In addition to these 5-stars, three new 4-star weapons will be available on the weapon banners. These are Sturdy Bone (Sword), Mountain-Bracing Bolt (Polearm), and Fruitful Hook (Claymore). Mountain-Bracing Bolt, in particular, appears to be Kachina’s preferred weapon, at least in cutscenes. There's no information yet on ?which banners will include these weapons.

Xilonen

There’s one new 5-star character coming to Genshin Impact in 5.1: Xilonen. Xilonen is a famous smith from the Children of Echoes whose handiwork can be seen in everything from the Pyro Archon’s sunglasses to Kachina’s Turbo Twirly. She’s a DJ on the side, and she’s crafted herself a special pair of earbuds so she can? listen to music on the go. Xilonen uses her special rollerblades to skate around Natlan, even traversing sheer cliffs.

There are two ways to play Xilonen. If you have two or more Pyro, Hydro, Cryo, or Electro characters in your team, Xilonen will be?? able to support them by reducing enemy RES to those elements. Give her the new Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City artifact set, and she’ll provide DMG buffs, too! If your team is primarily Geo, though, Xilonen will function more as a damage dealer.

Events

The flagship event for Genshin Impact 5.1 is Chromatic Ode of Candies and Roses, aka the Sabzeruz Festival. Travelers will return to Port Ormos and collaborate with Sumeru characters to plan a birthday surprise for Nahida. Given all that she’s been through, Nahida deserves a proper birthday celebration. This event will feature several minigames, including a flower carriage rhythm game, a spot-the-anomaly game, and some combat trials. Completing the event rewards players with the usual Primogems and Ascension materials, as well as a free Candace.

The other events in this patch consist of Aphid Treasure Trace (use Xilonen’s net to capture corrupted aphids), Feast of Pursuit (a high-difficulty combat event), and Reminiscent Regimen: Thr?ill (a co-op combat event). Liben will also be making a return to the city of Mondstadt, trading various valuable goods in exchange for odds an??d ends.

Other additions to Genshin Impact 5.1

We can expect new Archon Quests that continue Natlan’s storyline. Acts 3 and 4 of Natlan’s Archon Quests?? will feature some new characters: Citlali and Ororon. Neither of them is playable in Version 5.1, but they probably will be added to the roster in future updates.

A new world boss will be available in Natlan: the Secret Source Constructor. This is a mysterious ancient machine that looks like a larger version of the Secret Source machines in Natlan’s open world. Xilonen will likely use the Secret Source Constructor’s boss ma??terials to Ascend.

Exploration rewards will be added for the existing regions of Natlan. Complete exploration objectives before the end of Version 5.2 to receive?? Primogem rewards. Future regional releases will also have exploration rewards for the two Versions following their introduction.

New Envisioned Echoes trails will be added for Zhongli and Keqing. Zhongli’s Echo looks like golden dragon scales, while Keqing’s has little purple flowers. Use Keys of Echoes to unlock their respective trials and unlo?ck these cosmetics.

If you’ve been regularly clearing the Spiral Abyss, your experience will now be streamlined. Completing Floor 12 with full stars will allow you to skip Floors 9 and 10 in the next cycle, claiming their rewards directly from the Abyss screen. Completing Flo?or 11 with full stars only allows you to skip Floor 9.

The crafting experience will receive an overhaul, allow?ing you to sort by character at the ??crafting bench. No more scrolling through pages and pages of items �just select the character you’re trying to level up and see the materials they need.

5.1 appears to be a lighter patch for Genshin Impact, adding no new regions and only one new character. Still, I'm grateful for the opportunity to catch up on exploration, and ?I'm excited to see how Natlan's story will continue.

The post Genshin Impact 5.1 rel?ease date, Primogem codes, banners, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

After some cheeky teasing on Twitter/X, Genshin Impact has revealed more details on its collaboration event with McDonald’s. Here’s everything we know about Genshin Impact’s first fast food collab in the United States.

The Genshin Impact x McDonald’s collabor?ation event is limited to participating locations in the United States from September 17 through 29. That’s less than a two-week duration to get your tasty food and in-game goods.

Genshin Impact x McDonald’s rewards

So what do you get from this event? There are two McDonald’s menu items related to the event: the Genshin Impact Apple Pie and Genshin Impact Deluxe McCrispy�Meal. The apple pie comes in a special Genshin-themed box featuring special art of Kazuha and Beidou. The Deluxe McCrispy�Meal also has the limited-edition apple pie, along with a crispy chicken sandwich, fries, and a drink. Each item comes with different reward?s, delivered via a redemption code.

How to participate in the event

The Genshin Impact x McDonald’s collaboration event only runs from September 17 through 29, 2024. You’ll need to be in the United?? States near a participating McDonald’s location. If you (or a friend) can make it to a participating McDonald’s within this time period, here’s how to get your rewards.

1. Download the McDonald’s app. Make sure you’re registered in the McDonald’s Rewards program and enable email notifications.
2. Open the McDonald’s app and tap on the Genshin Impact x McDonald’s collaboration event banner.
3. Select the item(s) you want. You can only get one of each reward package per order.
4. Check your email for the redemption code(s).
5. Redeem your code(s) either in-game or on Genshin Impact’s official redemption page. The rewards will be sent to your in-game mailbox.

The fine print states that you can only get one redemption code per apple pie or meal purchase. If you want multiple of each reward package, you’ll need to make multiple orders. Redemption codes will work for all global servers, so if you live outside the United States, you can still redeem the rewards if a friend grabs you a code. Each reward package can only be redeemed once per Genshin Impact account, so you can’t hoard Golden? Apple Pastry items by buying apple pies in real life.

The post Get exclusive rewards through the Genshin Impact x McDonald’s collaboration event this month appeared first on Destructoid.

Genshin Impact could be teaming up wit??h fast food giant McDonald’s, going by an unusual post on Twitter/X. 

The tweet features an image with nine items from Genshin Impact laid out in a row. From left to right, they are Mora, Cecilia, Dandelion Seeds, Onigiri, Noctilucous Jade, Apple, Lakelight Lily, Dandelion Seeds, and Silk Flower. The first letter of each name spells out �strong>MCDONALDS.�nbsp;

For its part, McDonald's has made its own Twittter/X post with a "quest" to text a certain number. From the account's bio, it looks like there will be more quests to come. They've also changed their profile picture and banner to feature images from Mondstadt, which is a nice touch. In turn, the Genshin Impact account responded with a picture of Paimon wearing a McDonald's service vi?sor.

Genshin Impact has partnered with fast food chains before, like KFC, Dominos, and Pizza Hut. Each collaboration event came with in-game goodies like Primogems, Se?renitea Pot furnishings, and exclusive wind gliders. However, these collaboration events have been limited to east Asian locations. The cryptic post on the English-language Twitter/X account could mean there’s a McDonald’s collaboration event coming to North America.

A McDonald’s collab would be a great opportunity to hand out the fancy red Wings of Delicacies, an exclusive wind glider that was previously only available in China and South Korea. Genshin Impact tweeted back in July that the wings would become available in more regions, with more details revealed by the end of the year. For those outside of Asi?a??, this could be the event we've been waiting for.

Or not. The previous two fast food gliders (Wings of Feasting and Wings of the Starlit Feast) were distributed globally via a Twitch event and Amazon Prime, respectively. If the new Wings of Delicacies are given out via a McDonald’s collab, it would mark the?? first time a special glider is distributed via an actual fast food chain in North America.

If you’re looking to get your hands on a fancy red wind glider in Genshin Impact, or just curious to see what comes next, keep an eye out for another announc?ement from HoYoverse. Maybe grab a few friends to share some burgers with.

The post Genshin Impact teases McDonald’s collab in cryptic tweet appeared first on Destructoid.

The Silk Flower in Genshin Impact can be spotted in two different areas of Teyvat. They're among the required ascension materials for characters like the book lover Xingqiu and fu??neral parlor director Hu Tao.

Silk Flower Genshin Impact location

You can spot Silk Flower in Genshin Impact by heading to the Wangshu Inn area. It's located within the Bushui Plain area within the Liyue region. Head west of the Mingyun Village and south of Dihua Marsh to find it. There are two main areas within this section. Near the inn, look for red bushes on t??he groundfloor outside.The Silk Flowers are harvested from these small red bushes.

Once you've spotted them all, head across the bridge, and you'll find more S??ilk Flowers growing near the umbrellas an?d yellow plants of this section.

That's not all, however. Fast travel to Liyue Harbor. Within the temple section west of the city, you'll spot plenty of Silk Flowers to grab. This is where Madame Ping is located, and it's near a waterfall. Go to the grassy spots, and you'll find these pretty flowers. Most are nestled in nearby trees. Others are hiding behind rocks. It's arguably easier than finding Sprayfeather Gills and Wolfhook.

Other ways to get Silk Flowers

Silk Flowers can be bought from three different shopkeepers in Liyue. Fen??gtai sells them at Yilong Wharf, Ms. Bai is at Qingce Village, and Verr Goldet is located in Wangshu Inn. Quiwei isn't actually in Liyue but still sells Silk Flowers; she's in Por??t Ormos in Sumeru. They'll each have five Silk Flowers. You can buy this resource again three days later.

You can get Silk Flower seeds from Tubby's Realm Depot in the Serenitea Pot and then plant them. You can only ge??t five per week. You can also use the seed dispensary and gather them from the wild.

How many Silk Flowers do you need to ascend Xingqiu?

To ascend Xingqiu, you'll need a total of 168 Silk Flowers, which is quite a lot. You'll also have to get 46 Cleansing Hearts. You can get these by defeating the repetitive Rhodeia of Loch. This boss spawns annoying water-based enemies, some of which require you to have a ranged character like Venti. You'll need to get the following as well:

• 1 Varunda Lazurite Sliver
• 9 Varunda Lazurite Fragments
• 6 Varunda Lazurite Gemstones
• 9 Varunda Lazurite Chunks
• 18 Damaged Masks
• 30 Stained Masks
• 36 Ominous Masks

The masks can be gathere??d by taking down hilichurls all across Teyvat. The Varunda Lazurite materials can be obtained by defeating the Hydro Hypostasis, Hydro Tulpa, and Rhodeia of Loch.

The post Where to find Silk Flower in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

Kachina is a free 4-star Geo character in Genshin Impact. Depending on how you want to play her, Kachina’s build will be slightly different. Here’s an overview of the different builds you can use on Kachina depending on your playstyle.

Best Kachina build for exploration

If you don’t intend to use Kachina in difficult combat scenarios, her build isn’t too important. Her damage scales with her DEF stat, so equip a Polearm that gives her CRIT, DEF, or Energy Recharge. Natlan’s craftable 4-star Polearm, Footprint of the Rainbow, is an easily obtainable option. Participate in Genshin Impact’s Natlan web event to get one for free in your mail.

Kachina’s artifact sets are flexible for overworld exploration. 4pc Noblesse Oblige or 4pc Tenacity of the Millelith will allow Kachina to grant teammates a 20% ATK buff. You can also use the 4pc Scroll of the H??ero of Cinder City set to grant team buffs when Kachina triggers Crystallize. S??ince the latter is a new artifact set in Version 5.0, though, you may just want to stick with whatever support set you already happen to have.

As for Kachina’s artifact stats, aim for DEF or Ene??rgy Recharge sands, Geo DMG goblet, and CRIT circlet. Her artifact substats should prioritize CRIT, DEF, and Energy Recharge. I like to have at least 150% Energy Recharge, just so I can use Kachina’s Burst more often, but don’t worry too much about Energy Recharge.

Best Kachina support build

As an off-field unit, Kachina should try to maximize her DPS while still maintaining support capabilities. Favonius Lance single-handedly takes care of Kachina’s Energy Recharge needs while providing Energy f?or the team. If you don’t have Favonius Lance, the Natlan craftable Footprint of the Rainbow is a good second choice.

If playing Kachina in actual teams with proper rotations, her artifact set should be 4pc Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City. You can use 4pc Nobles??se or 4pc Tenacity of the Millelith as interim sets, but the new Scroll artifact set should be your end goal.

Kachin??a’s artifact main stats should be DEF sands, Geo DMG goblet, and CRIT circlet. Prioritize CRIT and DEF substats. Try for at least 120% Energy Recharge, but it’s okay to just use Kachina’s Burst every other rotation.

Best Kachina build for DPS

Kachina doesn’t make for the best on-field DPS unit, but you can absolutely play her as one! Be sure to prioritize CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG as much as possible. This means equipping her with a CRIT or DEF?? polearm, like Staff of Homa, Staff of the Scarl?et Sands, White Tassel, or Footprint of the Rainbow.

As for artifact sets, DPS Kachina should use 4pc Obsidian Codex, which gives her 40% CRIT Rate while on-field in her Nightsoul’s Blessing state. No other set comes close in terms of DPS.

DPS Kachina’s artifact main stats should be DEF, Geo DMG, and CRIT DMG. She shouldn’t need additional Energy Recharge if paired with Gorou or another Geo support, but you can build some if you l??ike. As an on-field DPS, Kachina will be able to gain more Energy for herself, anyway.

The post Best Kachina builds in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

Starting from Version 5.0, Genshin Impact has a new way to create artifacts with custom stat loadouts. Of course, there are limitations. Here’s everything you need to know about the Artifact Transmuter in Genshin Impact, including how to obtain and use it.

How to get the Artifact Transmuter in Genshin Impact

Before we get started, you need to own the Artifact Transmuter. This gadget can be obtained from the Adventurerâ€??™s Han??dbook.

1. Open the Adventurer’s Handbook (F1 on PC).
2. Click the Embattle tab toward the bottom left.
3. Use the arrow keys toward the top to turn to Chapter IV.
4. Claim your Artifact Transmuter at the top of the list.

You need to have obtained at least 25 5-star artifacts before you can claim the Artifact Transmuter. This shouldn’t be an issue if you’ve been playing Genshin Impact for any length?? of time. If you don’t meet this requirement, don’t worry. Yo??u can farm 5-star artifacts fairly easily once you reach Adventure Rank 45, but you’ll start earning them naturally before that.

How to use the Artifact Transmuter in Genshin Impact

The process of creating an artifact is called Defining. You can Define one artifact of each artifact set per Version. For example, if you Define a Viridescent Venerer p??iece, you must wait for the next Version update to Define another Viridescent Venerer piece. But you can Define a Marechausee Hunter piece right away.

To use the Artifact Transmuter to Define a custom artifact, follo?w the steps below.

1. Go to your inventory and use your Artifact Transmuter in your Gadgets bag.
2. Choose your desired artifact set from the list on the left.
3. Choose the piece you want to create. Flowers and feathers cost one Sanctifying Elixir, sands cost two, circlets cost three, and goblets cost four.
4. Choose your desired main stat and two substats.
5. Select “Define�to consume your Sanctifying Elixir(s) and obtain your custom artifact!

As long as you pick different artifact sets, you can Define as ?many artifacts as you like, provided you have enough Sanctifying Elixirs. These are a limited resource, though, with precious few available through repeatable ?means.

How to get Sanctifying Elixirs in Genshin Impact

Now that you know how to use the Transmuter, you need Sanctifying Elixirs to?? start crafting? custom artifacts. The most reliable way to obtain those is to extract them from your existing leveled artifacts. Take these steps to convert your artifacts into a Sanctifying Elixir.

1. Go to your inventory and use your Artifact Transmuter in your Gadgets bag.
2. Select the Artifact Extraction tab at the top.
3. Select the artifacts you want to consume. They can only be 5-star artifacts of level 4 or higher, and each artifact grants a different amount of points.
4. Once you reach 100 points, select Extract to create your Sanctifying Elixir.

You can only convert artifacts into a Sanctifying Elixir once per Version. More Sanctifying Elixirs can be earned by exploring Natlan’s open world or re?aching level 26 on the premium Battle Pass (Gnostic Hymn). There may also be Sanctifying Elixirs included in event rewards, like the anniversary rewards that will be mailed to all players during Version 5.0.

The post How to use the Artifact Transmuter in Genshin Impact �Sanct??ifyi??ng Elixirs explained appeared first on Destructoid.

Just like Fontaine characters had Arkhe, Natlan characters in Genshin Impact have a new mechanic called Nightsoul. Here’s everything you need to know about Nigh??tsoul and how to take advantage of it!

Nightsoul’s Blessing state

All Natlan characters so far can enter a “Nightsoul’s ?Blessing�state, usually by using their Elemental Skill. This results in a stance change. You can tell when a character is in their Nightsoul’s Blessing state by looking for a colorful, ?glowing outline, along with some glowing markings on their body.

Nightsoul’s Blessing manifests differently for each character. Kachina hops into Turbo Twirly and rides it around. Mualani summons an inflatable shark and surfs across terrain. Check your character’s Talent information?? to see what their Nightsoul’s Blessing does.

Nightsoul points

While in their Nightsoul’s Blessing state, Natlan characters generate and consume Nightsoul points. The specifics vary by character. In general, Nightsoul points influence how long a character can stay in their Nightsoul’s Blessing state.

For example, Mualani gain??s 60 Nightsoul points when she enters her Nightsoul Blessing state, and she consumes them at a steady rate. She can gain 20 points back when she picks up a Pufferfish from one of her passive abilities, essentially extending how long she can stay on her shark.

Nightsoul Burst

When you have one or more Natlan characters in your party, dealing Elemental damage triggers Nightsoul Burst. You can tell when this happens when a white sun symbol appears over your screen. Having more Natlan characters in your party lets you trigger Nightsoul Burst more often. A character does not have to be from Natlan to trigger Nightsoul Burst. They just need to deal Elemental damage.

Nightsoul Burst in and of itself does no??t deal damage, nor does it increase your character’s damage. It’s just an event that can be used to trigger o??ther effects. 

Some Natlan characters or artifacts have passives that trigger upon a Nightsoul Burst. For example, Kachina gains 20% Geo DMG when a party member triggers Nightsoul Burst. ?The 2pc set bon??us for the Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City artifact set generates some Energy when Nightsoul Burst is triggered.

Nightsoul Transmission

Nightsoul Transmission refers to Natlan characters�ability to smoothly transition into their traversal skills in Natlan. While your active character is sprinting or in certain states of ??movement, swappi??ng to a Natlan character causes them to automatically enter their Nightsoul Blessing state. You can tell when a character’s Nightsoul Transmission is ready by an orange glow around their name in your team sidebar.

Those are all the Nightsoul-related terms in Genshin Impact. Hopefully, this glossary was helpful to you. It will be interesting to see how future Natlan characters will incorp??orate Nightsoul mechanics into their ?kits.

The post What is Nightsoul in Genshin Impact? N??atlan mechanics explained appeared first on Destructoid.

Welcome to Natlan, the nation of Pyro in Genshin Impact! With a new nation comes a new set of 4-star craftable weapons, some of which are actually quite good. Here’s where to find the blueprints? for? Natlan’s weapons so you can craft as many as you need.

Natlan Smithy location: Stadium of the Sacred Flame

All of Natlan’s craftable weapon blueprints can be purchased from Alom at Natlan’s Smithy. The Smithy is located in the southern section of the Stadium of the Sacred Flame. From the teleporter at the entrance to the Stadium, walk forwa?rd until you see a small set of ?stairs to the left. Go up the stairs and through the door. Head down the corridor, and you should be face to face with the Smithy.

Talk to Alom and ask to buy some weapons. He has the forging blueprints for Natlan’s craftable weapons for sale. They ?don’t cost Mora, though. Instead, ?you’ll need to trade various Natlan regional materials as well as Condessence Crystals.

Once you have the blu?eprints, the weapons can be forged using Condessence Crystals, White Iron Chunks, and Borderland billets. If you don’t have Borderland billets, you can convert billets of another type at an? Alchemy bench. Before you spend your precious billets, though, you might be able to get some of them for free.

Get some Natlan weapons for free

At the time of writing, Genshin Impact has a web event with three of the craftable weapons as prizes. All three weapons have been unlocked as rewards, so all you need to do is click through the web event to receive them. This only takes a few minutes, and your rewards should be delivered instantly via in-game mail. The web event runs until September 24, so if you haven’t participated yet, do it now!

The post How to get Natlan crafta??ble weapon blueprints in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

The new nation of Natlan is here in Genshin Impact, and with it comes a new Reputation system. Natlan??’s Reputation system works a bit differently from other nations� and it requires a few steps to unlock in the first place. Here’s a brief overview of Natlan’s Reputati?on system and how to unlock it.

How to access Natlan Reputation boards

??Natlan’s Reputation system is split across the six major tribes of the region. As of Version 5.0, only three tribes are accessible: the Children of Echoes, Scions of the Canopy, and People of the Springs. The central hub for each tribe has its own NPC in charge of Reputation.

You can’t just run up to them and talk to them, though. To unlock the Reputation system in general, you need to progress through Natlan’s first Archon Quest. It took me about three ho?urs from starting the Archon Quest to get to the point where I could access the Reputation system. You’ll receive a pop-up? notice in-game alerting you that Natlan’s Reputation system is unlocked for you.

Once you’ve unlocked the Reputation system, talk to the Reputation NPC for each tribe, identified by a triangle icon above their head. For the Children of Echoes, that’s Cauich. A little boy named Aclla manages Reputation for the Scions of the Canopy, and Kahuna is in charge for the People of the Springs. Once you see the triangle-shaped Reputation icons on your map, you can click the Reputation icons to teleport to the Reputation NPCs immediately.

Natlan’s Reputation system, explained

Each tribe has its own Reputation board. Complete the T?ribal Chronicles quests, explore the region, and participate in some World Quests to earn Reputation EXP. Each tribe has its own list of Reputation rewards.

Once you’ve maxed out ??Reputation levels for each tribe, you can earn additional rewards based on how many tribes you’ve helped. The rewards here are more valuable, including Natlan’s treasure compass, Pyroculus resonance stone, and Natlan’s wind glider.

How to get Natlan’s wind glider in Genshin Impact

Natlan’s wind glider, Wings of Soaring Flame, is red and black, with a distinct fiery flair. In order to obtain this rare red set of wings, you’ll need to reach maximum Reputation level with five different tribes of Natlan. Version 5.0 only features three of the six total tribes, so the Wings of Soaring ??Flame are unobtainable as of Natlan’s debut. Keep working on each tribe’s Reputation level, though, and you shou??ld be able to claim them eventually.

The post How to unlock Natlan Reputation in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

So, you’ve got your free Natlan 4-star character. Congrats! Kachina is a Geo character in Genshin Impact who is incredibly helpful for exploring Natlan. Here’s how to play Genshin Impact's Kachina, both fo????r overworld traversal and in combat.

How to ride in Kachina’s drill

Kachina’s Skill summons a little drill car called Turbo Twirly. Simply tapping the Skill button summons it as a separate entity. Kachina can ??then swap to other characters, leaving Turbo Twirly to deal AoE Geo damage periodically.

If you want to keep Kachina on-field, hold the Skill button to summon Turbo Twirly and hop inside. You can then ride around using norm??al directional inputs. Running into a wall will cause Turbo Twirly to latch on and start climbing. This is a great way to scale large vertical surfaces while saving stamina!

Using a Normal Attack while riding Turbo Twirly will deal an instance of AoE Geo damage. Use this to damage enemies or to interact with the puzzle elements scattered around Natlan. Kachina and Turbo Twirly is basically an alternativ??e to using a Tepetlisaur. Anytime you can use a Tepet?lisaur to climb walls or break ores, you can use Kachina to do the same thing.

While Turbo Twirly is on the field, Kachina can use her Skill again to mount or dismount Turbo Twirly. This is a good way to? reposition Turbo Twirly, if you need to.

How to play Kachina in a team

Kachina has great overworld utility, but you might also want to use her in a team. Kachina does well with other Geo teammates like Navia, Noelle, or Itto. In these teams, Kachina will be in an off-field role. Tap Kachina’s Skill to summon Turbo Twirly, use her Burst, then switch to teammates. Turbo Twirly will deal a small amount of damage while g??enerating Geo particles for your teammates. 

In a more active role, you can use Kachina’s Burst, then hold Skill. You ca??n then ride around spamming Normal Attacks to deal Geo da?mage to nearby enemies. Kachina’s damage might not be particularly high, but you can supplement it with off-field DPS units like Albedo and Xiangling. 

The post How to play Kachina in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

Mualani is a hard-hitting 5-star DPS character in Genshin Impact who deals damage while surfing on a shark. Now that you have the whole new region of Natlan to explore, here are Mua??lani’s best weapons and artifacts to get you started!

Mualani’s best weapons

Mualani’s best weapon is her signature 5-star Surf’s Up. It gives her a good amount of CRIT DMG and HP, as well as a buff to her Normal Attacks. It is a 5-star weapon, though, so you’ll have to rely on the gacha system to obtain it. If you happen to have A Thousand Floating Dreams or Tome of the Eternal Flow, those are good 5-star options too, though not as s?trong as Surf’s Up.

The 4-star Ring of Yaxche is an effective, accessible weapon for Mualani. It has an HP secondary stat and its passive increases its wielder’s Normal Attack damage by a portion of their HP. As an HP-scaling Normal Attacker, Mualani can take full advantage of this weapon. Best of all, Ring of Yaxche can be obtained for free. Go to the Natlan Smithy to obtain its blueprint and craft as many copies as you have the billets for. You can also get one in your mail for free by participating in the Natlan web event.

The Battle Pass exclusive Sacrificial Jade is a risky play. It is possible for Sacrificial Jade to outperform Ring of Yaxche under some circumstances, but it is difficult to build around. Since Mualani gets so much CRIT Rate from her Ascension stat and artifact set (see artifact section below), Sacrificial Jade can result in too much CRIT Rate a??nd not enough CRIT DMG. Unless you’ve somehow gotten very lucky with your artifacts, or you have an R5 Sacrificial Jade lying around, I recommend just sticking with Ring of Yaxche.

Best artifact sets for Mualani

Mualani’s best artifact set is 4pc Obsidian Codex. This is a new artifact set in the Natlan region whose passive centers around the Natlan-exclusive Nightsoul mechanic. Mualani is able to trigger the artif??act buffs through normal play, gainin??g up to 15% DMG and 40% CRIT Rate. No other artifact sets come close to Obsidian Codex. Your end-game goal for Mualani’s build should be a 4pc Obsidian Codex set.

While you’re farming for Obsidian Codex,? though, what can you use in the meantime? If you happen to have 4pc Gilded Dreams or 4pc Heart of Depths, those can serve as interim artifacts. Otherwise, try combining 2pc set bonuses that increase Normal Attack DMG, Hydro DMG, or HP. 

Artifact stat priorities for Mualani

HP Sands will usually be better th??an Elemental Mastery, but they’re fairly similar, depending on your weapon. A CRIT Rate circlet is not recommended, since Mualani has so much CRIT Rate baked into her kit and artifacts. Go CRIT DMG if at all possible.

As for substats, prioritize CRIT DMG, CRIT Rate, HP, and Elemental Mastery. Energy Recharge is nice to have, but don’t go out of your way to build more than abou??t 120%. Mualani’s Burst damage is roughly on par with one of her fully-charged Normal Attacks. It’s okay to forgo casting her Burst every rotation if it means you can build more offensive stats overall.

Mua??lani can be extremely strong when built with the above specifications. She’s plenty of fun, too, so I hope you en?joy playing her as much as I did!

The post Best Mualani DPS builds in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

With the release of Natlan, there’s a lot of interest in the first 5-star character from the new nation. Mualani is an on-field Hydro DPS, but how does she stack up against other DPS options? Is Mualani strong enough to redefine Genshin Impact’s meta?

Is Mualani worth pulling?

Mualani is available in the character event banner for the first half of Version 5.0. She’s the first character in Genshin Impact who can truly take advantage of the Vaporize reaction with a Hydro trigger. With the proper Pyro teammates, Mualani is incredibly strong. If you do decide to pull for Mualani, then you wo?n’t be disappointed by her damage.

In terms of raw damage, Mualani in a Vaporize team is roughly on par with Neuvillette in a mono Hydro Furina team. Ne??uvillette is still unique for his ability to sustain himself with his own healing. Muala??ni can’t heal herself, but she can be useful for open-world exploration.

Only pull for Mualani if you like her. If you’re pulling for meta reasons alone, there are plenty of other strong DPS options to choose from. While Mualani may be the only character specializing in forward Vaporize teams, very?? few scenarios will cal?l for that specific strategy.

Are Mualani’s Constellations worth it?

Mualani’s Constellations increase her damage to varying degrees. Her first two Constellations both provide noticeable increases. If you choose to pull for Mualani’s Constellations at all, I recommend stopping at C1 or C2. However, if you have ??to choose between Constellations and her signature weapon, the signature weapon might be a bette?r value.

The rest of her Constellations provide smaller damage increases, with the exception of C6, which is a massive damage boost. Only pull for C6 Mualani if you have the budget and you really like her; there’s no content in Genshin Impact that’s hard enough t??o require ?C6 5-star characters.

Is Mualani’s weapon worth it?

Mualani’s signature 5-star weapon, Surf’s Up, is her best weapon by a sizable margin. When compared to Ring of Yaxche, the damage increase from Surf's up is slightly higher than Constellation 1 alone. However, Constellation 1 and 2 together result in? more?? damage than Surf’s Up alone. 

Especially with the recent changes to the weapon banner, Surf’s Up provides better value for your Primogems. You only need one Fate Point to guarantee your desired weapon, and the weapon banner has a more generous pity system. If you have the Primogems to spare, I ??recommend prioritizing Mualani’s weapon over her Constellations.

Mualani is a complete unit at C0 with free-to-play weapons. Her Constellations and weapon make her stronger, but she’s plenty strong already. D?on’t feel pressured to spend Primogems you don’t have, and engage with the gacha system responsibly.

The post Is Mualani good in Genshin Impact? appeared first on Destructoid.

Mualani is the first 5-star DPS charac?ter from Natlan, and her kit contains some new Natlan mechanics. Her in-game skill descriptions can be pretty confusing, so here’s a summary of what you?? need to do when playing Mualani!

Mualani’s kit and Nightsoul explained

Nightsoul Blessing is the state that Mualani enters when you use her Skill. When Mualani is riding her shark, she is in her Nightsoul Blessing state. In this state, Mualani will continuously consume points and drain the meter to her left. The meter?? is a handy way of visualizing how much time Mualani can spend in her Nightsoul Blessing state.

You’ll see three fish icons next to the meter, too. The??se icons represent Wave Momentum stacks, which increase the damage of Mualani’s next Normal Attack. Ideally, all three fish icons should be glowing when you use a Normal Attack.

Mualani’s best rotation in Genshin Impact

Start by setting up your teammates�abilities. Ideally, this includes a Pyro character like Xiangling to keep a Pyro aura on enemies. You can also supplement with a Dendro character to induce Burning, and maybe a shielder to keep Mualani safe. As long as there’s consiste??nt Pyro application, though, Mualani will be happy.

Swap to Mualani and immed?iately use her Skill. Ride through enemies three times to mark them and gain stacks of Wave Momentum. You can ride through different enemies or the same enemy three times. It’s better to mark different enemies if you can, but you need to be quick, so don’t go too far out of your way to travel to an enemy.

Once all three fish icons are glowing, use a Normal Attack. Mualani’s shark will deal a powerful hit of ??Hydro damage on the nearest character. At the same time, several missiles will be launched toward other marked enemies.

You should be able to repeat this combo three times. Ride through enemies to apply a mark and gain stacks, then use a Normal Attack. If you see a pink Pufferfish on the field, try to pick it up. It will give you more time to ride your shark. Otherwise, you might run out of time during your third combo. If y?ou see your meter running low but you only have two stacks, just use a Normal Attack and consume the stacks while you still can. It’s better to deal reduced damage with two stacks than to miss out on the attack altogether.

After Mualani hops off of her shark, if she has t??he Energy for it, cast her Burst. Depen?ding on your team and how much Energy Recharge Mualani has, you might not be able to use her Burst every rotation. This is totally fine! Just use her Burst at the end of her combo if it happens to be available.

F??rom here, you can swap back to Mualani’s supports and restart your rotation. Good luck ??in your battles!

The post How to play Mualani in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

Kachina, a 4-star Geo character, is coming to Genshin Impact as part of a free event wish. There’s no catch. No gambling. Just follow a few simple steps to have Kachina join your party as you journey through Natlan. Here’s exactly what you need to do to get your free Kachina in Genshin Impact.

How to get Kachina in Natlan

All Travelers will receive Kachina for free as they progress through the Natlan Archon Quests, titled “Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn.�Archon Quests are the main story quests in Genshin Impact, and you’ll want to prioritize them wherever possible. If you’re not caught up on Genshin’s Archon Quests??, though, you can skip forward to the Natlan Archon Quests via a Quick Start function in the events menu. The Quick Start function will only be available until Version 6.0. If you want to skip forward in the Archon Quests to get Kachina, you’ll need to do it before Version 6.0.

You can only receive one copy of Kachina this way. If you want Kachina’s Constellations, you’ll have to pull for them on one of Genshin’s myriad banners.

Is Kachina good in Genshin Impact?

Most of Kachina’s value comes from her exploration?? utility. With Kachina in your party, you have a convenient means of scaling cliffs and interacting with puzzles, even if there are no Tepetlisaurs nearby. If you’re looking for an off-field Geo DPS, Albedo and Chiori will deal far more damage. The Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City artifact set has the potential to make Kachina a good support for elemental teams, though, since it provides a significant buff to teammates when she triggers Crystallize.

Since Kachina ?can be obtained for free, I can’t complain about Kachina’s value. She’s a decent enough 4-star character, and I suspect she will only become more popular as we discover?? more synergies with teammates.

Are Kachina’s Constellations worth it?

Kachina’s Constellations improve her damage and make her kit?? smoother. They are completely unnecessary if you just want to use Kachina for exploration. If you want to build your Kachina for difficult combat scenarios, then I definitely recommend pulling for Constellations.

The 4-star characters on Version 5.0’s first set of character banners aren’t great. Mualani and Kazuha are great units, but Xinyan isn’t, and you? probably already have a maxed-out Bennett. Kachina’s ??Constellations are welcome if you’re pulling for either of the two 5-stars, but don’t pull on the event banners specifically for Kachina.

The post How to get Kachina for free in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

Kaedehara Kazuha made his Genshin Impact debut in 2021, becoming one of the most powerful 5-star Anem??o characters on the roster. Now, with the release of Natlan in 2024, are Kazuha and his Constellations still worth it?

Kazuha is great with no constellations at C0

Kazuha is a strong unit without any Constellations. Kazuha’s Constellations? improve his crowd control, Energy Recharge, and buffing capabilities, but the on?ly one that significantly changes his gameplay is Constellation 6.

If you do decide to pull for Kazuha’s Constellations, I recommend stopping at Constellation 2. C2 lets Kazuha b??uff his teammates�Elemental Mastery, making him an upgrade over Sucrose in teams that would otherwise prefer her.

Kazuha’s Constellations explained

Kazuha’s Constellation 1 shortens his Skill cool?down and allows him to cast his Skill again after he Bursts. This gives him an extra charge of his crowd control ability and?? allows him to generate more energy for himself. It also means he takes a few more seconds of field time, though.

Kazuha’s Constellation 2 buffs your team’s Elemental Mastery by 200 for the duration Kazuha’s Burst is active. This is a significant buff to reaction teams who rely on Elemental Mastery. This is also a good stopping point for most play??ers.

Constellation 3 adds three levels to Kazuha’s Sk??ill talent??. This has minimal impact if Kazuha is primarily built with Elemental Mastery.

Constellation 4 allows Kazuha to regenerate some energy for himself when using his?? Skill. He’ll also passively regenerate energy while gliding, though this rarely comes into play dur?ing combat.

Constellation 5 adds three levels to Kazuha’s Burst talent. It’s better than Cons??tellation 3, but you shou??ld only get this if you intend to go for Constellation 6.

Constellation 6 infuses Kazuha’s Normal Attacks with Anemo after using a Skill or Burst. He also gains a DMG bonu??s on his Normal Attacks based on his Elemental Mastery stat. This Constella?tion allows Kazuha to be played on-field.

Is Kazuha still good in Genshin Impact 5.0?

As we enter the new nation of Natlan, Kazuha remains a powerful unit in many teams. His ability to Swirl, buff, debuff, and gather enemies is still unmatched. If you don't have C0 Kazuha already, he's one of the few Genshin Impact characters I recommend with no caveats.

Kazuha's Constellations are still optional. They haven't decreased in value, but you might want to save your Primogems for upcoming Natlan characters.

The post Genshin Impact: Are Kazuha’s Constellations worth pulling? (Updated 5.0) appeared first on Destructoid.

Genshin Impact comes with several banners you can wish on to obtain rare characters and weapons. Each bann?er is a different type of slot machine, and u??nderstanding their probabilities is key to avoiding disappointment.

This article is part of a series on Genshin Impact’s convoluted gacha system. It’s important to understand exactly what you’re getting into when you engage with predatory gambling mechanics like these. By knowing your chances, you can get a realistic idea of what to expect from your pulls and make smarte??r decisions when spending your precious Primogems.

Genshin Impact wishes, explained

The standard banner is a great place to start learning about Genshin Impact’s complicated wishing system. The character and weapon banners function similarly, with small differences. The Chronicled Wish banner is the most unique, and it’s only available on rare occasio??ns. You can read about these special banners on their own pages.

Genshin Impact’s standard banner uses blue Acquaint Fates as its pull currency at a rate of one Fate for one pull. No other banner uses Acquaint Fates. You can spend Primogems on the standard banner, but doing so is a mistake. Save your other pull currencies for the event banners. Only use Acqu?aint Fates to pull on the standard ba??nner.

When you make a wish?? (or “pull�, you’ll usually receive a blue-rarity 3-star weapon. I recommend keeping at least one Refinement Rank 5 copy of these weapons in your inventory. Some of these 3-star weapons, like Harbinger of Dawn or Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers, are actually worth using.

Occasionally, you’ll get a rarer purple 4-star prize. On the standard banner, this can be either a character or a weapon. The 4-star prize pool is massive, and?? you can see exactly what’s in it from the banner details in-game. The base rate for getting a 4-star on any given pull is 5.1%.

Very rarely, you’ll?? get an orange 5-star prize. On the standard banner, the 5-star prize pool includes both characters and weapons. The base rate for getting a 5-star on any given pu??ll is 0.6%. There is no way to home in on a specific 5-star of your choice; it’s always random. As of Version 5.0, the list of standard 5-star characters and weapons is as follows:

Genshin Impact soft and hard pity

All banner types in Genshin Impact have a pity system. This means that after a certain number of wishes (or “pulls�??, the game will take pity on you and give you a rare item. The base probabilities for 4-star and 5-star prizes are pretty low, but the pity sy??stem effectively bumps up those rates to achieve a more consistent pulling experience.

After a certain number of pulls without a 4 or 5-star prize, your chances of pulling a rarer prize will gradually increase. This is called soft pity. As you continue to pull on the standard banner, the probability for a rarer item keeps increasing until i??t reaches 100?%.

Hard pity is the absolute maximum number of pulls you have to make in order to get the rare item. If you reach hard pity, you are guaranteed to pull a rare prize. The number of pulls you have to make in order ??to reach soft and hard pity is different for 4-stars and 5-stars.

Genshin Impact’s standard banner rates and pity

From your last 5-star pull, you’ll need to do 74 pulls to reach the soft pity range. Additional pulls from here on out h??ave increased chances of getti?ng a 5-star prize. Your 90th pull is guaranteed to be a 5-star. When you see the golden shine indicating a 5-star, your prize can be any of the standard 5-star characters and weapons from the table above. 

From your last 4-?star pull, your 9th pull has an increased chance of being a 4-star prize. If this fails, then your 10th pull is guaranteed to be a 4-star.

Does the standard banner guarantee pulling a weapon after a character?

There is a slight weighting system that ensures y??ou don’t get too many 5-star characters in a row with no weapons and vice versa. It’s definitely possible to pull three Jeans one after the other, but your?? next 5-star will probably be a weapon. Your 4-stars are also weighted, so you don’t get too many characters or weapons in a row. I've never pulled more than three consecutive 4-star characters or weapons.

Additions to Genshin Impact's standard banner

Occasionally, new 4-star and 5-star characters are added to the standard banner's prize pool. All new 4-star characters make their way to the standard banner in the Version after their debut. Dehya and Tighnari? are the only 5-stars to be added to the standard banner, and HoYoverse made this clear when the characters were first announced. Unless you're waiting for a specific 4-star character to be added to the standard banner, there's no real reason to hoard Acquaint Fates without spending them.

Now that you understand the standard banner, try looking at some of the special event banners that are Genshin Impact’s bread and butter.

The post Genshin Impact wishes ex??plained: the standard bann?er appeared first on Destructoid.

A new web event for Genshin Impact takes us o?n a delightful tour of the new nation of Nathan. In addition to the usual Primogems, however, this web event offers an opportunity to win some brand-new Natlan weapons. Here’s how you can get in on the action.

How to participate in Genshin Impact’s Natlan web event

The Natlan-themed web event, titled “Off We Go to the Nation of Pyro!�lasts until September 24 and can be accessed via its official webpage. Wait for the page to load, then click or swipe through the animations to reach the end. You can also skip this initial showcase with a button in the top left corner. After getting through the sh?owcase, there are t??wo things you need to do to claim all of the web event rewards.

Cheer for the Natlan weapons

Scroll down or click on the middle t??ile to Cheer for the Sacred Flame Pilgrimage. This part of the web event will award the new Natlan weapons. To participate, log into your Genshin Impact account and press the Cheer button at the bottom. You’ll add anywhere between 1-8 Cheers to the total Cheer count. When the web event counts 30 million Cheers across all servers, all participants will receive three of the new craftable Natlan weapons at the start of Version 5.0, as well as some materials.

A little tip: You can Cheer once per UID. This means that if you used your account to create characters on multiple servers, y??????????????????????????ou can Cheer again for each additional character you have.

Once Version 5.0 is live, all participants should receive their prizes via in-game mail. Be sure to log in after the Natlan update on August 28 to c??laim your prizes and ch?eck out the new content.

Are the Natlan weapons good?

The three weapons featured in the web event ar?e 4-star craftable weapons from Natlan. The Polearm, Earth Shaker, has a DEF secondary stat and gives its wielder additional DEF when casting a Skill. The Catalyst, Ring of Yaxche, has an HP secondary stat and improves Normal Attack damage based on its wielder’s maximum HP. The Claymore, Earth Shaker, has an ATK secondary stat and gives its wielder additional Skill damage when triggering a Pyro reaction.

Given the weapon types, it’s likely that the Polearm, Catalyst, and Claymore will be good options for Kachina, Mualani, and Kinich, respectively. If you want to save some Primogems and billets, it’s a good idea to try to snag these weapons early. These weapons are especially nice since, even though they're four-stars, the materials used to craft them are quite rare. Genshin Impact has ne?ver given o?ut weapons as web event rewards before.

If you miss out on this web event, you can still obtain these weapons by playing Genshin Impact. After Version 5.0 releas?es, these weapons will be craftable at any smithy using weapon billets. Just be sure to buy the blueprints from Alom at Natlan’s smithy.

Free Primogems

Of course, no web event is complete without Primogems. From the main page, click on the right tile for the Version 5.0 Preview. Scroll until you get to the page showcasing three new Elite enemies. Click a button at the bottom of the screen to claim your Primogem rewards. Your Primogems will arrive in your Genshin Impact inbox immediately �no need to wait for 5.0!

The post PSA: Participate in Genshin Impact’s web event to earn free Natlan weapons (and Primogems) appeared first on Destructoid.

Envisaged Echoes is a method of obtaining cosmetic particle effects for certain characters in Genshin Impact. If you want to unl??ock a fiery feat??her trail for Diluc, the 5-star Pyro character, here’s what you’ll need to do.

Unlock Diluc’s Envisaged Echoes challenge

In order to even qualify for the challenge, your Diluc must be level 90 and Friendship level 8. You can earn Friendship levels by having Diluc in yo?ur team whenever you spend Resin, or by placing him?? in your Serenitea Pot.

Once your Diluc has reached these level requirements, you can unlock his challenge from the colorful easel in the Imaginarium Theater room. Head downstairs in the Knights of Favonius library, enter the Imaginarium Theater room, and the easel will be to your left. Unlock Diluc’s challenge using two Keys of Echoes. Keys can be earned by completing Imaginarium Theater cycles, which reset on the first of every month.

Best Diluc build for Envisaged Echoes

Before you enter the challenge, review your Diluc’s build. Though Diluc is usually built to take advantage of teammates, he will be on his own during the challenge. If you have a meta build with the 4pc Crimson Witch set and high Elemental Mastery, you may want to consider temporarily swapping out some gear. Focus on raw CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG and try for a roughly 1:2 ratio of CRIT Rate to CRIT DMG. His artifact main stats should be ATK, Pyro DMG, and CRIT Rate or DMG. You can try for 2pc artifact sets that boost Pyro DMG, Nor??mal Attacks, or ATK, but just having enough CRIT stats should be sufficient for clearing the challenge.

How to complete Diluc’s Envisaged Echoes challenge

When you begin the trial, you’ll see a set of five Pyro monuments. These all need to be l?it in quick succession, and you don’t have time to run around and hit them all individually. There are multiple solutions to this puzzle, but this one was the easiest for me:

1. Place Diluc right in front of the center monument closest to where you spawn. 
2. Aim for the farthest monument in the back, and cast Diluc’s Burst.
3. Quickly turn around and use a Normal Attack on the monument to your right that wasn’t hit by the Burst.

Once the portcullis opens, head for?ward into the second part of the chal??lenge �a combat trial. There are three waves of enemies to contend with:

1. 4 Hilichurls and 1 Dendro shield Mitachurl
2. 2 Hilichurls and 1 Cryo shield Mitachurl
3. 2 Cryo Abyss Mages

Fight your way through each wave. Use Diluc’s Burst to temporarily infuse his Normal Attacks with Pyro, allowing him to deal increased damage with his Pyro Normal Attacks. His Skill has three charges too, all of which deal Pyro damage. Spam Diluc’s Burst, Normal Attacks, and Skills as often as you can. Diluc’s Pyro attacks should be pretty effective against the enemies�shields, even if it takes a few hits to burn the Dendro shie??ld down.

Defeat all 10 enemies within the time limit, and you’re done! Equip Diluc’s E?nvisaged Echo from the Dressing Room in his character screen, and show off your achievement.

The post How to get Diluc’s Envisaged Echoes in Genshin Impact appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a new way to collect free Primogems, as Hoyoverse just added more third-party integration to Genshin Impact accounts. If you use Discord, you can?? now link your Discord and HoYo accounts to earn in-game rewards.

For Travelers looking to save even more toward the next Genshin Impact banner, you can s?core 30 Primogems by linking the two accounts together, in addition to a few other perks of convenience.

What does linking Genshin Impact and Discord do?

When you link your Genshin Impact account to Discord, you’ll be able to display in-game stats on your Discord profile. For now, this just includes your in-game nickname, Adventure Rank, server, and how long you’ve been playing your current session. HoYoverse has teased more features in the future, but as o?f now, this is pretty much it.

There are two links in addition to your in-game stats, but these just take you to the download page for Genshin Impact and the page where you can link your accounts. Contrary to what the ?announcement's wording implies, you can't actually invite your?? friends to join your world through Discord.

As for your Genshin account, you’ll receive the one-time in-game mail containing 30 Primogems. After you link your accounts, click the button to send the rewards to your account. Make sure you log into Genshin Impact and collect your mail before it expires.

How to link Genshin Impact and Discord accounts

To link your Genshin Impact and Discord accounts, visit HoYoverse’s official webpage. 

1. Scroll down a bit, and you’ll see prompts to log into your accounts. 
2. Log into your Genshin Impact account, and make sure your UID is correct. 
3. Then, log into Discord. Authorize Katheryne to access your information.
4. Once your accounts are linked, click the button to claim your in-game rewards!

Troubleshooting

If you’ve gone through the steps above, and you don’t see your Genshin Impact ?information on your profile, there are a couple of steps you can take to remedy the problem.

First off, the linking was probably successful, even if you don’t see your own fancy profile. I wasn’t able to see the additional information on my profile in Discord’s desktop app, but my friends were able to see it just fine. I was also able to see the information when viewing my profile on Discord’s mobile app or in Discord’s browser version. If you got your in-game mail with? your 30 Primogems, the process probably worked.

If you or your friends still can’t see your in-game information when you play Genshin Impact, go to your Discord user settings, then Authorized Apps. Check to see if Katheryne has the authorization she needs to work. If all else fails, try unlinking and re-linking your account. You can also try updating Disc??ord by force-closing and restarting the app. 

The post PSA: Link your Genshin Impact an??d Discord accounts for free Primogems appeared first on Destructoid.

The long-awaited nation of Natlan is finally coming to Genshin Impact! In case you missed it, here’s a summary of all the new content announced in Genshin Impact’s Version 5.0 special program. Whether y??ou’re here for new characters or new Natlan content, there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy.

Genshin Impact Version 5.0, titled "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojurn," releases very soon on August 28, 2024 for free on all platforms.

5.0 livestream Primogem codes

2SMTYV59TLFD
7SMTGV59BLXH
8T4TGDLRA5E5

Each code can be redeemed for 100 Primogems and various other character level-up materials. Redeem them by clicking on the links above, or enter them manually in-game or on Genshin Impact’s official website?. These codes expire within hours of the special program, so act fast!

New Natlan characters

There are three new characters coming to Genshin Impact in Version 5.0. We’ve seen them in previous teasers, but here’s a ?proper introduction to Mualani, Kachina, and Kinich.

Mualani

Mualani is a 5-star Hydro Catalyst user from the People of the Springs. She’s able to hop onto the back of a shark to surf over water and lava alike. As an on-field damage-dealer, Mualani uses her shark companion to bite her opponents, dealing big hits of Hydro damage. Her slow Hydro hits could make Mualani the first Genshin Impact character who can fully take advantage of the Vaporize reaction. We’ll hav??e to see which Pyro teammates are best for enabling Mualani as an on-field DPS.

Kachina

Kachina is a 4-star Geo Polearm user from the Children of Echoes. She summons a drill-shaped vehicl?e which can deal periodic Geo damage in an AoE �or she can hop inside it to ri??de around. The drill can traverse sheer cliffs, making Kachina a great teammate for exploring the jagged landscapes of Natlan. Kachina can also attack while inside her drill car, dealing AoE Geo damage. It looks like you’ll be able to play Kachina either off-field or on-field as desired. Travelers will receive Kachina for free as they begin Natlan’s questline.

Kinich

Kinich is a 5-star Dendro Claymore user from the Scions of the Canopy. Together with his dragon companion Ajaw, Kinich deals damage by grap?pling onto enemies and shooting them with Dendro projectiles. His grappling skill is useful in the overworld,?? too, allowing him to propel himself through the air like Spider-Man. With the right team, Kinich’s uniquely mobile playstyle could make for a very fun experience.

Genshin Impact 5.0 banners

The first half of Genshin Impact 5.0?? will feature Mualani (5-star Hydro Catalyst) and Kaedehara Kazuha (5-star Anemo Sword). The 4-stars will include Kachina (4-star Geo Polearm). We can expect the weapon banner to include Mualani and Kazuha’s signature weapons: Surf’s Up (5-star Catalyst) and Freedom-Sworn (5-star Sword).

The banners in the second half will feature Kinich (5-star Dendro Claymore) and Raiden Shogun (5-star Electro Polearm). The weapon banner will include their respective signature weapons: Fang of the Mountain Ki??ng (5-star Claymore) and Engulfing Lightning (5-star Polearm)

Natlan

Version 5.0 introduces a whole new region to explore: Natlan, the nation of Pyro. Unlike other countries in Teyvat, Natlan is a conglomerate of six tribes who both cooperate and compete with one another. Version 5.0 includes three of the six tribes: the Children of Echoes, Scions of the Canopy, and P??eople of the Springs.

The people of Natlan live along??side dinosaur-like creatures called Saurians, and we’ll be able to use each Saurian species�unique skills to aid us in traversal. Tepetlisaurs dig underground, Yumkasaurs use their tongues as grappling hooks, ?and Koholasaurs are swift swimmers.

The main story of Genshin Impact will also continue with the Natlan Archon Quests. Acts I and II ??of the new story arc will be available with the new update, and ?completing them soon results in additional Primogem rewards.

Along with the Archon Quests, we can look forward to new World Quests, Story Quests, and Reputation Quests. Genshin isn’t just ?about exploration; there are quests and stories too!

Genshin Impact 4th anniversary rewards

Version 5.0 of Genshin Impact coincides with its fourth anniversary since its release in September 2020. To celebrate, all players will receive ten Intertwined Fates and 1,600 Primogems by logging in over the course of several days. There are additional goodies, too, ??like an exclusive Firstborn Firesprite pet, a Kaboom Box gadget, and a new item that lets you obtain an artifact with custom stats.

Most importantly, you’ll get to choose a 5-star character on the standard banner for free. The list of selectable characters includes Diluc, Jean, Mona, Keqing, Qiq??i, Tighnari, and Dehya. Choose wisely!

System optimizations

There are quite a few miscellaneous changes to existing Genshin Impact system?s. Here are the most important ones to take note of.

1. The 50/50 pity system for character banners is effectively being adjusted to 55/45 in favor of the rate-up 5-star character.
2. For the weapon banner, the fate points required to guarantee your desired weapon are being reduced from 2 to 1. You’ll only get the wrong weapon once before you get what you want.
3. The Battle Pass will be updated to let you choose three out of four reward options: Mora, Artifact EXP, Character EXP, and Weapon EXP. If you buy the premium Battle Pass, you’ll also be able to choose Talent Books from any region, not just the two most recent.
4. The max World Level will be raised from 8 to 9. Complete the relevant Ascension Quest to raise your World Level. The World Level increase also corresponds to increased drop rates from monsters and bosses.
5. A system is being added to craft a custom artifact from your desired set with your specified main stat and two substats. This system will consume new Sanctifying Elixir materials.

The post Here’s everything new coming to Genshin Impact in Versio?n 5.0 (Na??tlan) appeared first on Destructoid.

Encountering the 'Failed to load il2cpp' error in Zenless Zone Zero can be ?frustrating, but it's a common issue that players can resolve with a few troubleshooting steps. This article will guide you through the necessary fixes to get you back into the game quickly.

How to fix il2cpp Loading Error in Zenless Zone Zero (Solution)

Errors like this are annoying, and this one seems most prominent with the recent Zenless Zone Zero 1.1 update s??pecifically on PC. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do that may fix your issue.

Restart your computer

The most basic solution out of the bunch,? sometimes a simple system restart is enough to correct a?nomaly errors that appear out of thin air. Failed to load il2cpp qualifies, so I recommend starting with this solution first. If it doesn't work, try some of the following potential solutions below.

Launch the HoYoplay Repair Tool

Since the error seems most common following the download of Zenless Zone Zero update 1.1, it is possible that data corruption occurred during the process, preventing the game from starting up. Since this is the case, one?? possible fix is to use the HoYoPlay Repair Tool, built right into the game's launcher.

To do this, open HoYoplay and look for the three-line button sitting to the right of the Start Game button. Click on this dropdown and select Repair Now. This process will take considerable time, bu?t the result should fix the Failed to load il2cpp error and have? your game functional once more.

Add an Exception to your Anti-Virus program

An??other reason you may be getting the failed to load il2cpp error is that your anti-virus program is flagging a file (or files) as problematic, preventing them from functioning or even being downloaded. Since new files are being downloaded in the 1.1. update, this a very real possibility to consider.

The fix for this is to add the HoYoplay folder to your exceptions list for the anti-virus program that you use. I recommen??d also adding it as an exception for Windows Defender, as any false flag can cause a file to not be downloaded, leading to the pesky il2cp??p error on game launch.

H??opefully one of these solutions fixed the problem for you, so you can jump back into the game. If not, sometimes problems like this can only be fixed from the? developer side of the spectrum. Allow Hoyoverse some time to iron out the issue, and you should be good to go after that. Happy gaming

The post How to fix Failed to load il2cpp error in ??Zenless Zone Zero appeared first on Destructoid.

After a strong launch, Zenless Zone Zero has revealed details for its first major content update. Here’s a summary of ZZZ’s 1.1 special programs, including new charact??ers, events, and a whole new game mode! 

Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.1, titled "Undercover R&B," releases on August 14. It will continue Wise and Belle’s journey in New Eridu a?s they team up with N.E.P.S to?? take on the infamous Mountain Lion Gang. 

ZZZ 1.1 Polychrome code

There was one redemption code revealed during the stream: UNDERCOVERRNB. Redeem it either in-game or on the official redemption page. Make sure you’re logged in on the correct account, and act fast! T??his code expires on August 4 at 10:59 a.m. ??CT.

New characters in 1.1

There are three new playable characters coming to ZZZ in Version 1.1: Qingyi, Jane Doe, and Seth Lowell. 

Qingyi is an S-Rank Electric Stun agent in Zhu Yuan’s security squad. We met her as an NPC during ??the main story missions, and now, she will be playable. She appears to be a melee unit, strik??ing quickly to build up Daze in an AoE. When she deals Electric damage, Qingyi gains stacks of “Flash Connect Voltage,�which allows her to use stronger attacks.

Jane Doe is a high-ranking member of the Mountain Lion gang?, though her introduction card enigm??atically says “Faction Unknown.�She is an S-Rank Physical Anomaly unit who unleashes a flurry of quick strikes to build up her Attribute Anomaly on enemies. Jane will use a Passion Stream mechanic to enter the Passion State, allowing her to unleash a series of fast attacks.

Seth Lowell is another member of Zhu Yuan’s security?? squad. As an A-Rank Electric Defense unit, Seth confers a shield to his teammates, preventing them from taking damage. He can also strike enemies with a sword, though, dealing Electric damage. He protecc, but he also attacc.

There will also be a new Bangboo in ZZZ Version 1.1: Officer Cui Bangboo. When there are two or more N.E.P.S officers in your team, Officer Cui will perform follow-up attacks as part of your attack chain. Officer Cui will be added to the Bangboo lineup on the Signal Search page, where you can select him as?? your targeted rate-up Bangboo. 

ZZZ Version 1.1 banners

The first half of ZZZ Version 1.1 will feature the Qingyi (S) with her signature W-Engine Ice-Jade ??Teapot (S).

The banners in the second half will feature Jane (S) and Seth (A). Their respective W-Engines will also be available for Signal Searches: Sharpened Stinger (S) and Peacek??eeper Specialized (A).

ZZZ Version 1.1 events

The Camellia Golden Week event will feature a variety? of minigames and puzzle levels. Delve into a new Companion Hollow to earn Polychromes and an event-exclusive A-Rank W-Engine: Camellia.

First-Class Customer Service is another event that focuses on the video store. Complete a series of QTE-type act?ivities to help customers tune their video players.

Daily Life of a PubSec Officer takes players through, well, the daily life of a Public ?Security Officer. Talk to the citizens of New Eridu and take on a series of small commissions to help them out.

Scene One, Shot One! is a photo-taking event. Pose yo??urself and other characters, apply new filters, and get the perfect shot. 

Login events - free pulls

There will be two login events in the upcoming Version of ZZZ. The first, All-New Program, awards a total of 10 Encrypted Master Tapes over a series of seven days. The second, “Eh-Nah�Into Your Lap, awards a similar 10 Boopons over seven days. In total, we will receive 20 free pulls just for logging into the game.

New game mode: Inferno Reap

A new game mode called Inferno Reap will be available starting with the 1.1 update. It looks to be a challenging boss fight where Proxies take on Nineveh directly. There’s no TV-screen Hollow navigation, just pure combat. To access Inferno Reap, you need to have cleared th??e Withering Garden stage in Hollow Zero. There’s no limit to how many times you can take on this challenge, so pick your favorite teams?? and put them to the test!

The post Everything new?? in Zenless Zone Zero 1.1 �banners, chara?cters, and free pulls appeared first on Destructoid.