HoYoverse has detailed the next major update for Genshin Impact. Version Luna VIII, titled “Sunny Summer Fontinalia,” is scheduled to release on 1 July, and it is built around two main additions: the availability of the Fatui Harbinger Sandrone as a playable character, and the opening of the moon as a permanent area to explore.
Sandrone, the Seventh of the Fatui Harbingers, returns after the events at Nod-Krai, where players watched her sacrifice herself in the battle against The Doctor while helping Columbina and the Traveler secure the win. Her reappearance is centred on how she came back, and the update is set to explain the circumstances behind her resurrection. As a playable character, she is a 5-star Cryo unit who fights with a Claymore.
The update also introduces Stellar-Conduct, a new reaction between Cryo and Electro. When it is triggered by certain Cryo and Electro characters, the nearby area briefly turns into a Polestar Field. That field stores surplus Cryo and Electro energy and converts it into buffs, raising Stellar-Conduct, Cryo, and Electro damage for every character inside while lowering the Physical resistance of enemies. A number of existing Cryo and Electro characters also receive their own bonuses while they remain in the field.
Sandrone’s combat design leans on this mechanic. Through the Polestar Field, she can raise Stellar-Conduct damage for the whole party. She is paired with Fagio, an autonomous construct that deals Stellar-Conduct damage on each Charged Attack and builds up Decoding Power; once Fagio hits its firing limit, the gaps between its attacks grow longer. Her Elemental Skill lets her move around the Polestar Field while firing at enemies and lowers Decoding Power so that Fagio does not overload. Her Elemental Burst brings down artillery fire, and any beam damage dealt inside the Polestar Field is treated as Stellar-Conduct damage.
On the wish schedule, Sandrone headlines the first half of the Version Luna VIII Character Event Wishes alongside a rerun for Citlali. The second half features the return of Columbina and Raiden Shogun.
The moon arrives as a permanent region in the same update. Players board a spacecraft and travel beyond the skies of Teyvat to land on the lunar surface, where a large new area opens up. It includes a glowing but dangerous lunar sea and a space station set in outer space, from which players can look back at Teyvat rotating in the distance. Ancient ruins on the moon connect to further story details about the ancient dragon race, while an old power running through the surface lets players move across different kinds of terrain and adjust local gravity. Both the moon and Teyvat maps gain a layered display that shows the player’s current level in real time.
A new event, the Fontinalia Film Festival, takes place aboard a vessel called the Wingalet in Fontaine, where Charlotte, Citlali, and other returning characters gather for a midsummer water festival. Sandrone joins the trip, and Columbina arrives with a film crew for a shoot. The event story will be permanent as well, so no need to fret about it potentially being lost content in the future. Players can help run the ship’s aquarium and draw in visitors to join the celebration, and finishing the event lets them add Charlotte to their party for free along with a new outfit for her. Citlali’s new outfit is offered at a limited-time discount – conveniently timed with her banner rerun. The update rounds this out with a dance challenge in Natlan, more pieces for the Repertoire of Myriad Melodies, and new cards for Genius Invokation TCG.
Miliastra Wonderland shall also receive a summer-themed lobby and summer-themed outfits, with free rewards available through various activities, including Prismatic Crystals and a 4-star set. For Craftspeople, the Editor gains several upgrades along with new environment assets intended to widen the options for interactive gameplay and visual design.
Also, for those after the redemption codes for the 300x Primogems and assortment of usual goodies, they are:
- Marionette
- TotheMoon
- TeaPartyTime
