We’ve been waiting for this one! After a few teasers, including as recently as gamescom – featuring a very hot anime man, MiHoYo has finally lifted the veil off the major upcoming Genshin Impact chapter.
This is what you may have been expecting would be called version 6.0. Its official name was revealed to be Version Luna 1, which could signal a change in what these will be called going forward.
Song of the Welkin Moon: Segue is the name of this particular episode, and it’s only the first part of what the developer says will be a year-long Song of the Welkin Moon saga.
Version Luna 1, or Song of the Welkin Moon: Segue, will arrive in Genshin Impact globally on September 10. If you’ve been following the action RPG with any regularity, you’ll no doubt be aware that it introduces the new Nod-Krai region.
After you install the update, you’ll be able to sail north towards the new region – provided you’ve completed Mondstadt’s main story and and reached AR 28. Nod-Krai is made up of three islands. This kicks off the new Archon Quests, where you’re going to accompany Lauma of the Frostmoon Scions and learn more about the conflict with the Fatui. The same quest can be started after finishing Liyue’s storyline.
Hot boy Flins is the second ally in this story, who, with your help, may resist the Wild Hunt. There’s a major story thread about a plot to claim the moon’s power (!) by the Fatui, and that’s where Fatui Harbinger, Marionette, comes in. There’s another Harbinger in this story, too, one who’s retreated to her birthplace in Nod-Krai. She’s referred to as The Damselette, and she’s worshiped as the Moon Maiden. And you do want to meet her, because you may get a buff or two to help you out.
Nod-Krai is home to an elemental force called Kuuvahki, which you can draw upon. It can sometimes take the firm of the Kuuhenki, an elemental lifeform. Kuuvahki, of course, can be used in combat, with the big new special being Lunar Reactions.
Three new companions, who hail from the same region, will join the roster. Lauma is a 5-Star Moonchanter and Catalyst wielder. She’s the first to utilise the new Lunar-Bloom reaction, which grants her her Verdant Dew that she uses to boost the team’s Bloom damage.
The recently-teased Flins is another 5-Star companion. A Polearm wielder, Flins fires Lunar-Charged strikes that can either be delivered in a massive single attack, or turn into a storm of smaller spear attacks. If you bring him along with you as you explore, he may lead you to some discoveries, thanks to his ability to hear the whispers of the Wild Hunt
The third and final new addition is Aino, a 4-Star Hydro Claymore wielder. Aino is something of a genius, with her mechanical contraptions doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The list includes a duck-shaped device she calls Knuckle Duckle, which is just delightful. Aino will join your team for free if you progress the new Archon Quests in Nod-Krai.
Did we mention that this is a stacked update? Meeting Points is one of the new features arriving with Version Luna 1. MiHoYo says it will let you “step into the daily lives” of your companions, which sort of sounds like royalty missions from Mass Effect and other RPGs.
Lauma will be available immediately upon the update’s release, who will arrive with the rerun of Nahida in the Event Wishes. The update’s second half is what’s going to add Flins, Aino, and bring back Yelan.
Elsewhere in this episde, you can look forward to a few big tweaks to Adventure EXP, which can now be earned from more sources. MiHoYo is adding materials to the battle pass rewards, too. It will also now be possible to preview the locked affix of any Artifact in advance. If you have too many parties already, you’ll be happy to learn that you can save more team presets. One of the biggest additions is a new item – Masterless Stella Fortuna – which lets you use any extra 5-Star Stella Fortuna you might have acquired over the years — available retroactively from when you opened your account! — to push a character beyond the cap and up to level 100.
If you log in when the update arrives, you’ll find a host of freebies waiting for you, such as a free 5-Star character of your choice (from the Standard Wish Pool), Primogems, and more.
HoYoverse also took this opportunity to reveal more details about Miliastra Wonderland, which brings UGC gameplay elements into Genshin Impact. Creators can create stages using the Miliastra Sandbox editor for all players to enjoy.
You can pull from the game’s many existing assets to create your content. We’ll have to wait until Version Luna 2 before we can get our hands on it, but the trailer above shows off some of what’s possible.