Genshin Impact’s next major update, due out on 13th March, will be a bit breezier than recent incarnations, and will focus on a new event in Monstadt involving an alchemy shop you’re tasked with running. The business management sim will put you in charge of every stage of production, as you cultivate ingredients, concoct potions, and flog them to customers.

The official blurb reads: “As revenue increases, players can expand the scale of the business by purchasing more operational facilities and exquisite potion bottles to increase the business areas and number of potions that can be sold. Players can also meet familiar faces and strike a deal with them.” As you’d expect, there are rewards up for grabs, including a 4-star polearm.

But that’s not all there is to look forward to: two new minigames, one inspired by a cat café, will see you doing a spot of interior decorating and tending to the needs of your feline companions. The other looks a little bit like Puzzle Bobble, as you fire coloured Slimes from a cannon in order to trigger various chain reactions. The higher your score, the better your rewards.

All of this is in addition to the arrival of new 5-star character Chiori, the fashion designer who’s been spotted around Fontaine in recent events. She’s a Geo-based sword wielder who’s able to summon an automaton to battle alongside her. One cool feature is that when she’s in your party, if you equip one of her allies with an alternative outfit, you’ll get a 10 per cent movement speed.

She’ll headline the first phase of the update alongside Arataki Itto, while Neuvillette and Kaedehara Kazuha will follow in the second half. Elsewhere, a new event wish will allow you to chart a path for past 5-star characters and weapons, with Albedo, Eula, Mona, Klee, Diluc, and Jean all available initially. Meanwhile, a new Training Guide feature will help onboard new players, demonstrating the best weapons to use for certain characters, as well as how to level them up.

[source youtube.com]