Everything Coming In Genshin Impact's Next Update

Genshin Impact is the latest gaming craze sweeping the internet. What was once thought as a shameless Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild clone has captured the hearts and minds (and wallets) of gamers. In less than two weeks, Genshin Impact accrued over 17 million downloads and $100 million in revenue, blazing past Breath of the Wild in short-term success. And, like any gacha-based live service, development has yet to cease, as demonstrated by the most recent Genshin Impact announcement.

Recently, IGN broke the news of the game's upcoming Version 1.1 update, complete with a trailer. As you might expect, the video is flashy and full of hints of what's to come. It ends with a release date — starting Nov. 11, players can experience a new chapter of Genshin Impact, as well as control new characters.

The trailer teased four new collectible heroes: Childe, Zhongli, Xinyan, and Diona. Childe, a five-star hydro hero, sets himself apart from the rest with the ability to swap between the bow and polearm. Meanwhile, Zhongli is a defensive five-star geo character who can stab enemies with a polearm or petrify them, as well as crush opponents with meteors. As for Xinyan and Diona, they are slightly weaker four-star characters. Xinyan has a fiery temper and a devastating claymore to match, and she can melt faces with her pyro skills and sizzling guitar. As for Diona, she's a tiny cat girl with cryo skills and a bow.

IGN's video also teases some new story content that will take place in the city-state of Liyue. While the trailer doesn't go into any specific details, it hints at plenty of action, explosions, and maybe a few surprise deaths. Moreover, IGN received a hot scoop from miHoYo CEO Hugh Tsai, who claimed Version 1.1 will add more character-centric side missions.

Given the trailer's short nature, you might expect that to be the end of the upcoming Genshin Impact news. But in a blog post, miHoYo stated what else players can expect in Version 1.1. The article detailed quite a few changes and additions to the game's item systems, the biggest of which revolves around Original Resin. The update will decrease the resin requirements in Battle Pass missions from 1600 to 1200, and players will be able to store up to 160 resin. Gamers can also expect a new custom waypoint item to ease the pain of traversing the world, as well as the ability to filter artifacts and quickly check what characters have equipped without wading through a sea of menus.

This blog post also included one Version 1.1 addition that is out of place in the list of item improvements: key bindings. Once the update goes live, players can create their own custom key bindings, and this system won't be limited to just keyboards. If you don't like the default controller options, you can also modify which buttons do what.

According to sites such as IGN and GamesRadar, some new items will be locked behind a new reputation system. Once players reach Adventure Rank 25, they can start grinding the good graces of Genshin Impact's cities for new, exclusive rewards. These will include gliders, recipes, and even a portable stove.

And what is a free-to-play game update without an event? The official miHoYo forums revealed that Version 1.1 will mark the start of the Unreconciled Stars event. According to IGN, the event will include numerous quests and co-op challenges. Depending on how far you get, you can earn tons of fabulous rewards, including the electrifying four-star character Fischl.

Since Version 1.1 will release on Nov. 11 and the PlayStation 5 will hit store shelves one day later, you might wonder if the timing was intentional. We don't know for sure, but IGN can confirm the update will provide backward compatibility for the game, which will allow early PS5 adopters to download and play Genshin Impact day one, complete with better graphics and improved load times.

According to miHoYo, Version 1.1 is only the start of things to come. The company will try and stick to a six-week update schedule, with Version 1.2 launching on Dec. 23 and Version 1.3 following sometime in February 2021. Each update will also feature new additions such as events and locations. Version 1.2, for example, will have the new Dragonspine area and a related event, while Version 1.3 will mark the start of the Lantern Rite event.

If miHoYo can keep to this schedule, Version 1.1 will mark the start of a very impressive future for Genshin Impact.