The Genshin Impact update you’ve been waiting for, Fontaine, is less than two weeks away: 16th August is the all-important date for the addition of the fifth region in HoYoverse’s hit gacha game. The upcoming 4.0 update, named As Light Rain Falls without Reason, will add a ton of new content to the already enormous game, including underwater exploration, stories, and, yes, playable characters.

“Located northeast of the Sumeru desert, Fontaine is now ruled by Focalors, the Hydro Archon and the God of Justice,” the blurb explains. “Under her influence, trials have become important public events at the Opera Epiclese, where magic, farce, tragedy, and various sorts of performances also take place. The latest chapter of the Archon Quest also takes place here, and players will witness a masterful magic show by Lyney and Lynette as well as an ongoing trial.”

This is the Hydro region, so in addition to a sprawling aquatic city, you’ll also be able to dive underwater in a gameplay first. You can also expect to encounter new boss types, including a balletic clockwork duo in the Icewind Suite and an armoured crablord in the Emperor of Fire and Iron.

As for new character banners, you can look forward to five-star archer Lyney and four-star sword user Lynette, the latter of whom you’ll be able to add to your party for free as part of a seasonal event. Meanwhile, four-star diver Freminet, who wields a Claymore, will feature in the update’s second-half. Elsewhere, Zhongli and Tartaglia will get long-awaited reruns as well.

Of note, HoYoverse is upgrading the experience on PS5, adding in global illumination, motion sensor support, and even faster loading times. “Other optimisations include the multi-layered map and the new Party Setup backgrounds and animations intended to provide players with practical and interesting details in their adventures,” the press release adds.

A pretty epic update, then, with potentially hundreds of hours of content on offer. It’s worth noting that you will be able to visit Fontaine if you’ve completed Monstadt’s Prologue Act III quest, but you’ll need to have finished all of Sumeru’s content to unlock the new Archon Quests.

In other news, the Chinese developer is also marking the occasion with an art gallery event in New York, Paris, Taipei, and Tokyo. This will feature hundreds of never-before-seen concept art, sketches, draft designs, developer notes, models, miniatures, and figurines. Entry will be free, but the studio encourages pre-registering through here, as demand is likely to be high.

[source youtube.com]