Now that Genshin Impact’s official Special Program livestream has happened, the 5.6 update is confirmed to arrive on May 7. Based on all the latest leaks, rumors, and official reveals, players should know what to expect from this massive, upcoming update for Genshin Impact.
While new playable characters in Genshin Impact often steal the spotlight from the game’s version updates, this might not be the case in version 5.6. Instead, the next Archon Quest and new Genius Invokation TCG features arguably seem like the most notable changes to look forward to, but players will soon get to decide for themselves when this update releases.
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Every Leak, Rumor, and Official Reveal for Genshin Impact’s Version 5.6 Update So Far
5.6 Archon Quest and Leaked Map Expansion
The 5.6 Archon Quest will take players back to Mondstadt to solve a murder mystery where Albedo is the main suspect. The official Special Program reveal mentioned some major name-drops of characters who will appear throughout this quest, including Dahlia, an upcoming playable character who is the Deacon of the Church of Favonius, Grand Master Varka, and an Elder of the Hexenzirkel.
Recent leaks from Uteyvat predict that a new map expansion will also be introduced in version 5.6. More specifically, this location is said to be located southwest of the Great Volcano of Tollan, and it’s also believed to serve as the future entrance to the Mare Jivari subregion of Natlan.
5.6 Character Quest
The new character quest coming in this update will spotlight one of the new playable characters, Escoffier. During this quest, players will get to meet Escoffier firsthand as they participate in a cooking competition in Fontaine.
5.6 New World Boss
Secret Source Automaton: Overseer Device is a new world boss coming to the Natlan region. When defeated, this boss will reward character Ascension materials for Escoffier, the new five-star character.
5.6 Events
- Whirling Waltz
- Operation Downpour Simulation
- Legends Ablaze: Cross-Border Brawl
- Chronicle of Shifting Stratagems
- Ley Line Overflow
In the Flagship event for the version 5.6 update, Whirling Waltz, an amusement park, will open up in Fontaine with a new management-sim mini-game. As usual, outside the Flagship event and the return of Ley Line Overflow, there will be a new mini-game event, a competitive multiplayer event, and a combat-focused event for players to participate in throughout version 5.6.
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5.6 New Playable Characters and Weapons
- Escoffier (five-star character)
- Ifa (four-star character)
- Symphonist of Scents (five-star Polearm)
- Sequence of Solitude (four-star Bow)
Once the head chef of the Hotel Debourd in Fontaine, Escoffier is a new five-star playable character who uses a Cryo vision and a Polearm. Overall, Escoffier serves as a sub-DPS/support unit. More specifically, her kit focuses on off-field Cryo application and shredding enemies’ Cryo and Hydro Elemental damage resistance, making her ideal for Freeze Elemental Reaction team comps.
- Escoffier EN Voice Artist: Emily Cass
- Escoffier JP Voice Artist: SATO Satomi
According to leaks from Seele_Leaks, Escoffier’s signature weapon, the Symphonist of Scents five-star Polearm, will provide ATK with CRIT damage scaling, while its passive will temporarily increase players’ ATK after they receive healing.
Players who have completed the version 5.5 Archon Quest might recognize the other new playable character coming in version 5.6, Ifa and his Saurian companion, Cacucu. This Saurian vet from Natlan’s Flower-Feather clan uses an Anemo Vision and a Catalyst weapon. Ifa serves as a healer/support unit, and his kit has specific synergies when paired with other Natlan characters or on Electro-Charged and Swirl Elemental reaction team comps.
- Ifa EN Voice Artist: Johny Loquasto
- Ifa JP Voice Artist: TERASHIMA Junta
- Cacucu EN Voice Artist: Dominic Catrambone
- Cacucu JP Voice Artist: KOMATSU Shohei
Players who participate in the Whirling Waltz flagship event will be able to unlock a new four-star Bow, Sequence of Solitude. According to leaks from Seele_Leaks, this weapon scales with ATK, and it can trigger a Physical damage AoE.
5.6 Event Wish Banners and Leaked Four-Star Character Reruns
Phase one
- Escoffier
- Navia
- Ifa
As Fontaine characters, Escoffier and Navia’s Arkhe alignment will allow them to naturally interact with environmental puzzles and enemies throughout Fontaine. Navia is known to be Ousia-aligned, while Escoffier is believed to be Ousia-aligned as well.
Phase Two
- Kinich
- Raiden Shogun
Leaked Four-Star Character Reruns
- Lynette
- Layla
- Kujou Sara
- Thoma
As usual, the rerunning four-star characters in the version 5.6 Event Wish Banners haven’t been officially revealed yet. In the meantime, leaks from HomDGCat suggest Lynette, Layla, Kujou Sara, and Thoma will get reruns in 5.6, but it’s unclear which phase of the Event Wish Banners each of these characters will be included in. Meanwhile, there’s still one rerunning four-star character that remains a mystery.
5.6 Chronicled Wish Banner Characters
- Kamisato Ayaka
- Kamisato Ayato
- Yoimaya
- Chiori
- Yae Miko
- Aritaki Itto
- Sangonomiya Kokomi
- Kaedehara Kazuha
Once again, the Chronicled Wish Banner will return to Genshin Impact for a limited time. This new Chronicled Wish Banner will feature five-star Inazuma characters, along with their signature weapons.
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5.6 Genius Invokation TCG Updates
- New Character and Action Cards will be available in regular mode
- Reworked Elemental Reaction Effects
- New Card Refresh feature
- New Mechanisms for Character Card enhancement and replacement
Of the new cards that will be available in version 5.6, the only two that have been officially confirmed so far are Character Cards for Sethos and Xilonen. Overall, it seems like Genshin Impact’s Genius Invokation TCG is due for some major changes in the 5.6 update, as the reworked Elemental Reaction effects, new Cards, and new gameplay mechanics could permanently shake up this game mode.
System Optimizations
- New UI for Character Talents and Constellation upgrades
- New UI for Imaginarium Theater Brilliant Blessing upgrades
- New rewards for the Imaginarium Theater Star Challenges will be available during the new Season in June
- New Stellae rewards for the Imaginarium Theater will be available, leaked via HomDGCat.
- Improved detection for Treasure Compasses based on players’ exploration progress in a given region
- The final Act of the Imaginarium Theater can be restarted immediately after completing it
- Custom map pins of the same type can now be deleted in batches
- File size optimization on mobile platforms, updated Domain daily rotation rewards previews in the Adventurer Handbook, and Intertwined and Event fates can be purchased with Genesis Crystals without needing to convert to Primogems, leaked via PlumTeamLeaks
Genshin Impact
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 28, 2020
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Publisher(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unity
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
