A whole host of new content is coming to Genshin Impact with Version 1.4, including Mondstadt's spring-celebrating Windblume Festival.
On the official PlayStation Blog, Zhenzhong Yi, miHoYo's Studio Technical Director, revealed more about what players can look forward to, alongside a lengthy trailer, ahead of a livestream showing them off in more detail.
miHoYo also revealed the release date for the 1.4 update — March 17, 2021.
Read on for what you can find in Genshin Impact 1.4!
Genshin Impact 1.4: The Windblume Festival
Similar to the Lantern Rite festival that has just concluded focusing on the Chinese New Year, the Windblume Festival celebrates the coming of spring.
According to the lore, the festival's origin stems from the liberation of Mondstadt 2,600 years ago, and over time has evolved to 'a cultural celebration of romance and passion'.
In order to access the Windblume Festival, you must have reached at least Adventure Rank 20, and have completed the "Song of the Dragon and Freedom" Archon Quest (Prologue: Act III).
Genshin Impact 1.4: Windblume Festival - Festive Anecdotes & Festive Challenge Minigames
The story part of the Windblume Festival sees players offer flowers to the Anemo Archon, Venti and discover more about the Festival.
During the event, players can take part in 'numerous mini games with tons of rewards and prizes'. These include:
- Bullseye Balloons, an archery event
- Floral Freefall, a glider-based event
- Ballads of Breeze, a rhythm game
The events come with four difficulty levels, and award Festive Tour Tickets. These can be exchanged for Talent Level-Up materials and two new gadgets — the Windblume Festival Commemorative Balloon and the Windsong Lyre — which lets you play original music from the game at any time..
Genshin Impact 1.4: Windblume Festival - The Peculiar Wonderland
This special Domain makes an appearance as part of the Windblume Festival, and is a series of challenges which 'demand both mind and muscle from even the most experienced of adventurers'.
Players will face three random challenges, and depending on performance, will receive buffs for a final boss fight.
Challenges include memorising platforms that disappear, not falling when platforms collapse, and more.
Completing the domain grants players Peculiar Collab Coupons, which can be exchanged for Weapon Ascension materials and the new 4-star event-limited bow, the Windblume Ode.
Genshin Impact 1.4: Rosaria
The newest character to join the Genshin Impact roster in 1.4 is Rosaria, the Thorny Benevolence. You've already encountered her before — she's the Sister of the Church of Favonious who harbours suspicions of Albedo in Dragonspine.
A 4-star character, Rosaria is aligned with the Cryo element and wields a Polearm.
Her Elemental Skill, Ravaging Confession, allows you to instantly shift behind enemies, piercing and slashing for Cryo damage. However, she cannot travel behind large enemies (i.e. bosses).
Her Elemental Burst, Rights of Termination, slashes for massive Cryo damage, summoning an Ice Lance that slams into the ground. While it remains, it deals continuous Cryo damage to nearby enemies.
Genshin Impact 1.4: New Archon Quest & Abyss Herald
Naturally, a new update adds a new branch of the main storyline. This new Archon Quest sees you pair up with the Bough Keeper, Dainsleif, to investigate a creepy domain, complete with corrupted Statue of the Seven. It promises twists and turns aplenty.
This will lead to an encounter with an all new boss, the Abyss Hunter. While you won't be able to repeat this battle (a la Childe), it serves as a showcase of this Hydro-based titan.
You'll also discover secrets about the first ever Ruin Guard in Stormterror's Lair.
Genshin Impact 1.4: Event Wish Banners Preview & New Weapons
As well as the Rosalia banner, which will kick off Genshin Impact 1.4, we can also expect banners featuring Venti and Tartaglia/Childe.
There are also four brand new weapons being added in Genshin Impact 1.4:
- Elegy for the End — 5* Bow
- The Alley Flash — 4* Sword
- Alley Hunter — 4* Bow
- Wine and Song — 4* Catalyst
Genshin Impact 1.4: Contending Tides
This colosseum-style event held in Dadaupa Gorge's Meaty Arena sees players doing battle with a series of tough enemies in Teyvat.
There are three different difficulties, with varying rewards on offer. Each battle has three criteria for completion, which you have to achieve in order to complete the challenge. You'll also get different buffs in each challenge.
A new challenge will appear each day of the event.
Genshin Impact 1.4: Wishful Drops
This special event sees you team up with an adorable little Oceanid named Endora to explore areas and help it absorb Oceanid creatures. Similar to the recent Seelie event, this quest will add the Oceanid to your inventory, so you can travel together afterwards!
You'll also be able to take on an enhanced form of the regular Oceanid boss, in an event challenge called "Rhodeia's Rage".
This time, instead of having to defeat Rhodeia's watery animals, you'll take her on directly! You'll get character XP as a reward, which can be unlocked with Original Resin.
Each time you help Endora absorb Oceanid creatures, you will earn a Heart of the Spring. Use this to unlock even more rewards!
Genshin Impact 1.4: Hangout Events
These permanent events take a different form to usual quests — they actually look more like a dating sim!
Using Story Keys to unlock, characters will send you an invitation to 'hang out', which means getting to know them via multiple-path stories. The choices you make have a direct impact on how things go — with some choices even leading to no endings!
You can replay these as many times as you like, and you'll get more rewards the more endings you unlock. You'll also earn little postcard-like images for each ending.
The first four of these are Barbara, Noelle, Chongyun, and Bennett, and they won't disappear after a limited time. More Hangout Events will also be added in future updates.
Genshin Impact 1.4: Other Events & Changes
- Marvelous Merchandisewill make a return at an unannounced future time.
- Condensed Resin capacity increased from 3 to 5.
- Cooking may now be done manually at all times, even after unlocking auto-cook.
- Optimising production so characters that provide buffs can be set as default for an action, instead of constantly having to scroll.
- Spiral Abyss changes allow players to exit in-between floors through the Character Select screen, see Elemental Resonance when floors diverge, and exit mid-combat.
- New profile changes to allow players to show off namecards.
- World Level able to be decreased by 1. Unlocks at World Level 5, can be done once per 24 hours and reverted at any time.
Genshin Impact x KFC
Revealed during the Chinese broadcast, miHoYo are teaming up with Kentucky Fried Chicken for a special promotion, in which players can receive a special glider in KFC colours.
No details have been made official in English just yet, but the promotion is said to be heading west sometime in July.
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