The next iteration of Genshin Impact, Update 2.1, is set to release on September 1. The new update is pretty heavy with new material, as it introduces new characters, new islands, new bosses, and even new game mechanics. It’ll also wrap up the Inazuma story, and most of the playable characters introduced in this update will be major characters in that arc. Players will also be able to attend a festival in Liyue.
The biggest addition to the game is the conclusion of the Inazuma Archon storyline, which began in the previous update. The Traveler will join with the Sangonomiya Resistance on Watatsumi Island after being thrashed by the Raiden Shogun at the end of the boss battle. Says the announcement: “Will the Traveler confront the Almighty Shogun again? Will the Traveler stand a chance to shake the Shogun’s imposing will to pursue eternity and turn the situation around in Inazuma?”
Players will be able to visit the beautiful Watatsumi Island, the home of the resistance, and Seirai Island, a “bleak, eerie, and gloomy [island] … shrouded in perpetual violent storms, leaving the ruins, abandoned shrines, and withering trees to tell a sad story of the past.” (Isn’t that the island Lara Croft crashed on in Tomb Raider 2013?) The three playable characters added in this update are the Raiden Shogun herself, resistance leader Kokomi, and Shogun loyalist Sara.
Other updates include the addition of fishing mechanics, in which Travelers can catch fish for food and profit. There will also be a Moonchase Festival in Liyue that will feature the return of Xiangling and Keqing. PlayStation players will also get access to crossover hero Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn early with this update, and she’ll be available to players Level 20 or higher. She rolls out to all other platforms in the next update.