The Dendro element will once again be the main focus of Genshin Impact’s next major update because both featured characters will wield this element.
HoYoverse confirmed Yaoyao’s release in a video for the 3.4 update during The Game Awards last night to celebrate being nominated for the “Players’ Voice” game of the year (as well as in the Best Mobile game and Best Ongoing game categories). The devs also posted the character’s identity cards on Twitter.
Two Dendro characters to be featured in 3.4
Alhaitham is an NPC who appeared in Chapter Three of Archon quests and was included in Sumeru teasers ahead of the region’s release. Although players already know the character, his gameplay is still shrouded in mystery.
He was seen as wielding a sword in leaks and in a promotional video, but it has yet to be confirmed. He will be a five-star Dendro character and will be released alongside the 3.4 update next month.
Alhaitham serves as a scribe and scientist in the Sumeru Akademiya. He’s depicted as a strong-minded and individualist character.
While leaks targeted Alhaitham as an upcoming character a few weeks ago, Yaoyao has been waiting for much longer. She appeared in data mines two years ago.
Back in February, many fans speculated she was an upcoming Dendro character, even before the official release of the Sumeru region. Some even thought she would be the first Dendro character to release in the game. And now, she is officially confirmed to release next month.
The video showcases the game’s characters and regions, as well as the content released with the recent 3.3 update. It only hints at Yaoyao’s release in the last scene.
Yaoyao will be a four-star Dendro character from Liyue. She was a martial arts disciple who later became Ganyu’s assistant.
Since she isn’t an NPC in Genshin Impact, players have very little information on her and her gameplay is still unknown. Previous leaks suggested she was a Catalyst user, but it’s still uncertain.
The Game Awards: Genshin Impact featured for the third consecutive year
Genshin Impact was voted as the Players’ Voice game of the year, which was decided solely by players’ votes. The game didn’t win in the other categories, however.
The developer is giving away a total of 800 Primogems to all players to celebrate the event, distributed in the span of the next few days.
The release date of the 3.4 update has yet to be confirmed by HoYoverse. Since its beta was delayed by a week, it’s also difficult to make assumptions based on the developer’s usual patch schedule. It’s expected to release before the end of January 2023.
