Genshin Impact is the game that never stops growing, and that means there’s tons to look forward to in the title’s imminent 3.6 update. As an overview, you can look forward to new character banners, events, minigames, and even an entirely new area to explore – yeah, we hope your backlog isn’t bulging, because it’s about to put on the backburner.

First up, there’s the debut of the Akademiya Extravaganza: “Booths will be set up at the Gala and six different minigames will be offered, each designed by one of the Six Darshans to showcase their research interests and achievements. For example, Layla’s Rtawahist Darshan applies the study of stars to a minigame involving an astrolabe, in which players control it to form special constellations and light up the stars.”

But perhaps of greater interest to long-time players will be the new area: “Far beyond the grand celebration in Sumeru City, a new area consisting of wastelands and an oasis has been revealed deep within the desert. This area has been damaged by Gray Crystals and corruptive Purple Mists. According to the legends, this place was one of the main battlefields during the Khaenri’ah cataclysm five hundred years ago. Fortunately, visiting Travelers are accompanied on their visit by Pari, creatures unique to the oasis. Using their ability to fly, Travelers can reach unreachable areas and thereby discover mysteries.”

Of course, there’ll be a couple of new Banners with brand new characters to boot: Baizhu and Kaveh. “The five-star Catalyst wielder, Baizhu, is a benevolent doctor with the power of Dendro, capable of driving wandering sprites and raising a Seamless Shield to heal the team,” the blurb explains. “Another new playable character, Kaveh, is a four-star Dendro Claymore wielder. Known as the Light of Kshahrewar, Kaveh is a talented architect in Sumeru. His architectural toolbox, Mehrak, will trigger all Dendro Cores and cause them to burst by scanning the battlefield. This enhances Kaveh’s combat efficiency with Dendro damage.”

And that’s all in addition to some new battles, too. Apep, the Dragon of Verdure, will be available as a weekly boss in the Trounce Domain, while you’ll find new Hilichurl foes to contend with as well. There’s tons to dig into here, then – almost too much, to be honest – and with Honkai: Star Rail right around the corner, well, RIP your free time.

[source youtube.com]