MiHoYo unveiled a first look at Genshin Impact’s upcoming version 2.6 “Zephyr of the Violet Garden” update in a trailer today, highlighting many new features including a new five-star character and area for players to explore.
There is a lot of exciting content featured in this trailer, so here is a complete breakdown of everything it revealed for version 2.6 of Genshin Impact.
Kamisato Ayato’s arrival
Five-star Hydro Sword character Kamisato Ayato made his first official debut in the version 2.6 trailer. Players have known his arrival was imminent for quite some time as his sister, five-star Cryo Sword user Kamisato Ayaka, brought him up in the storyline frequently.
The head of the Kamisato Clan will be the first five-star Hydro Sword user in Genshin Impact and the second Hydro sword user overall with four-star character Xingqiu being the only other one. New elemental and weapon combinations are always exciting, and as such Ayato’s arrival has been highly anticipated since he was first leaked.
The Chasm
An area in Liyue that has been marked on the map but inaccessible since Genshin Impact launched, the Chasm was showcased and will become an area that players can finally explore in the version 2.6 update. The secrets of the Chasm run deep, and players will face many dangers while exploring it.
The trailer highlighted many threats and mysteries surrounding the Chasm. The Abyss Order have their eyes on the Chasm, Hilichurls are continuously disappearing and never coming back out, strange powers lie within, formidable new foes wander the tunnels, and an entire city floats upside down within the air of the Chasm.
The scenes the trailer highlight within the Chasm also feature the return of Dainsleif. He appears alongside the Traveler, so players can expect he will accompany them throughout the Chasm’s storyline.
A crossover of characters
For the first time since players arrived in Inazuma, characters from their past travels through Mondstadt and Liyue will join them in Inazuma. The trailer highlighted non-Inazumans Klee, Venti, Albedo, and Xingqiu exploring Inazuma alongside Inazumans Arataki Itto, Thoma, and Sayu.
Finally getting to see characters from the past arrive in Inazuma is exciting and will likely play a role in both the upcoming events as well as the next chapters of the main storyline. It is the crossover of players’ dreams to see their favorite characters traveling the world as they do and getting to interact with the new characters and areas they uncover along the way.
Other additions
The end of the version 2.6 update trailer also highlighted many smaller additions coming in this update, including new events, a five-star weapon, and two new artifact sets.
- A four-part “Hues of the Violet Garden” event that includes a series of quests as well as smaller events. These events are as follows:
- A new photo-centric event called “The Moon and Stars Inscribe,” where players will need to take photos to help inspire poetry.
- Another “Theater Mechanicus: Stage of Brilliance,” tower-defense style event, where players must rely on Wondrous Stick buffs and place Mechanici to take down enemies.
- “Clash of Lone Blades,” a sword-fighting event centered around perfecting the art of parrying with sword masters.
- A flower-arranging event called “The Floral Courtyard,” where players can completely customize a floral design to complete various floral theme challenges.
- “Spices From the West,” a cooking-centric event that looks more challenging than any cooking players have done thus far.
- Another event focused on battle called “Vibro-Crystal Research,” where players set up parties, can choose to play as any available character including those they have not unlocked, add Vibro-Crystals to gain unqiue buffs, and take down enemies.
- “Outside the Canvas, Inside the Lens,” a second photography-oriented event where players will have to meet specific conditions in various locations when taking photos around Teyvat.
- Another round of “Ley Line Overflow,” where players can gain an increased quantity of item drops from the Ley Line Outcrops around Teyvat.
- A new five-star sword designed for Ayato called “Haran Geppaku Futsu” that increases the users Elemental damage, Elemental skills, and stacks an effect called Wavespike for further attack damage.
- Two new artifact sets, one, “Echoes of Offering” centered around building attack damage, and two “Vermillion Healer” centered around attack damage and Elemental abilities.
The Genshin Impact version 2.6 “Zephyr of the Violet Garden” update is set to release for all players on March 30.
