Genshin Impact version 2.0 — Inazuma, Ayaka, and more characters revealed

Today is quite special for developer miHoYo. It marks the official reveal of Genshin Impact‘s version 2.0, a massive update that introduces the nation of Inazuma, as well as new characters like Ayaka, Yoimiya, and Sayu. Although many players have known about these details owing to official tweets and unofficial leaks, it’s great to see a glimpse from the perspective of developers.

Indeed, a key discussion in today’s Twitch livestream for Genshin Impact‘s version 2.0 is the design philosophy behind the Inazuma region and the update aptly named “The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia.” Most notably, Inazuma is the game’s depiction of Japan, and it also happens to be the domain of the Electro Archon, Baal.

Genshin Impact version 2.0 livestream – The Inazuma region, Ayaka, Yoimiya, Sayu, and more

In Genshin Impact‘s version 2.0 update, areas in Inazuma that are affected by the Electro Archon’s power emanate a purple glow, streaks that are akin to lightning. Hazy luminescence contrasts with dark shadows, creating an atmosphere that’s partly serene and partly filled with foreboding tension.

Mind you, we’ve seen a few hints about this upcoming destination given the recent events in the campaign. In various quests, the Traveler spoke about heading to Inazuma next in search of his/her wayward sibling. Likewise, the Golden Apple Archipelago is filled with hints. There are murals depicting the struggle of lost seafarers and scattered shipwrecks that made you wonder about what happened to them. Also, there’s a meeting with Kaedehara Kazuha, a wandering samurai (aka. “Rurouni Genshin”) who ended up as part of Beidou’s crew.

In fact, it’s this particular instance in the “Autumn Winds, Scarlet Leaves” quest which nudged players to this direction. We learned about Kazuha’s friend who tried to challenge the ruler’s Vision Hunt decree and the island nation’s mistrust of visitors (i.e., there are multiple documents to obtain and protocols to observe just so you could step foot on Inazuma’s shores). But, since we won a mini-tournament, it looks like we’ll be heading to this realm thanks to our pirate pals.

So, what exactly can we expect once we head to Inazuma in Genshin Impact‘s version 2.0? Well, for starters, we know that it’s an island nation located in the middle of the ocean. It’s not connected to Mondstadt or Liyue at all. It’s possible that we’ll get a separate world map just like the Golden Apple Archipelago (which could mean an abundance of map pins for us to use). It could also mean that we’ll sail on the Waverider again since Inazuma has seven major islands for us to visit.

There are zones filled with dark void, akin to the aforementioned areas affected by the Electro Archon’s power and an unyielding concept of “Eternity.” Likewise, there are others with brighter and more vibrant hues, emphasizing serenity and tranquility in the midst of conflicts. As one developer put it, we’re bound to see some Studio Ghibli-esque colors and art design too. There are even locales filled with cherry blossoms (where inhabitants celebrate with fireworks), villages that dot the countryside, and a teahouse managed by a Shiba Inu. (Now, that’s just awesome! I would definitely want to see a cat cafe owned by a cat in a future update, and, no, Diona’s bar doesn’t count.)

Naturally, there are a lot of threats for us to consider. For one thing, we’re going to see the Maguu Kenki samurai construct somewhere in a particular destination. This should let you continue farming for its materials.

There are also new enemy variants, such as the Perpetual Mechanical Array (contraptions that are related to the Ruin Guards/Hunters). Additionally, we’ll find a Mirror Maiden (an elite member of the Fatui organization), and the Pyro Hypostasis. There are hostile fighters everywhere, too, such as deadly ronin roaming the open world.

To help you in the next stage of your adventure, Genshin Impact‘s version 2.0 will introduce several characters. The first one is Kamisato Ayaka, the daughter of the Yashiro Commission’s Kamisato Clan. Ayaka is a 5-star Cryo sword-wielder and she’ll be the first featured banner once the new update is live. As of now, we don’t know who the supporting 4-star randoms will be. Later, we’ll also see the featured banner for Yoimiya, a 5-star Pyro archer with devastating attacks. Yoimiya’s banner includes Sayu, a 4-star Anemo healer who likes to roll around and pounce on foes.

To be clear, these three warriors are just the tip of the iceberg. The recent reveal also showed glimpses of several characters from Inazuma. Cameos included the likes of Kokomi, Gorou, Kujou Sara, and Tohma (seen in the image below where he’s talking to the Traveler and Ayaka). It seems that Genshin Impact‘s Inazuma arc will involve them, and there’s a strong focus on the power of Baal, the Electro Archon. Since we’ve been able to recruit Venti and Zhongli, the Anemo and Geo Archons respectively, there’s no doubt that we’ll get an opportunity to have Baal in our roster. We’ll encounter the remaining characters in succeeding updates (i.e., version 2.1).

Multiple features and quality-of-life improvements are also expected, like the cross-save feature that will be present across all platforms. There’s even a farming/planting activity that’s part of the Serenitea Pot player home, something that miHoYo addressed in a previous blog post.

Furthermore, we know that five 4-star weapons will be available via forging: the Hamayumi (bow), Kitain Cross Spear (polearm), Amenoma Kageuchi (sword), Hakushin Ring (catalyst), and Katsuragiriki Nagamasa (claymore). Similarly, a couple of 5-star weapons will be part of an upcoming wish banner: Thundering Pulse (bow) and Mistsplitter Reforged (sword). The good news is that there’s a mechanic called the Epitomized Path. It involves accumulating a resource called Fate Points if you’re unable to get the weapon that you want from wishes. Then, once you have enough Fate Points, the next 5-star weapon you receive from a wish banner will be the one that you selected via the Epitomized Path mechanic.

Additionally, we’ll have two artifact sets. There’s the Emblem of Severed Fate:

• 2-piece bonus – +20% energy recharge.
• 4-piece bonus – Increases elemental burst damage by 25% of your energy recharge stat. You can have a maximum of 75% bonus damage through this method.

Then, there’s the Shimenawa’s Reminiscence set:

• 2-piece bonus – +18% ATK.
• 4-piece bonus – When casting an elemental skill, if you have 15 or more energy, you’ll lose this value and increase normal, charged, and plunging attack damage by 50%.

Mind you, these are just bits and pieces of what we can expect once Genshin Impact‘s version 2.0 Inazuma update arrives on July 21. It’s bound to be the game’s biggest update yet, and we’ll have more details in the coming days. For now, you can watch the trailer for “The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia” below. Moreover, you can visit our Genshin Impact guides and features hub, as well as our version 1.6 overview.

Lastly, don’t forget to use these redemption codes for various goodies: LS6T4L9ZZ7TH (primogems and gold), AS6BQKLY9GLD (primogems and ores), and GBNA9J5H9Y4H (primogems and hero’s wit).