Paimon, the talkative sidekick in Genshin Impact, serves as a guide to the free-to-play RPG's world of Teyvat. She's also a bit annoying at times, which is why some players don't really like her. The new 1.2 update for Genshin Impact is arriving soon, and part of the content involves new pets that players can acquire to follow them around. Paimon's voice actor, Corina Boettger, joked that the sidekick was being replaced, but is that actually a possibility?
The new 1.2 update for Genshin Impact will come with a lot of new events. One of these new events, Lost Riches, allows players to obtain a pet Mini-Seelie. These are miniature pet versions of the Seelie, the magical floating creatures found across Teyvat that look like Will-o'-the-wisps. Upon getting a Mini-Seelie, the pet will follow players around like a loyal sidekick.
Pets are pretty common in MMOs and free-to-play RPGs, so it makes sense that Genshin Impact would implement them at some point. These loyal companions will follow players around Genshin Impact's map, and there will be three Mini-Seelie to choose from when the 1.2 update arrives. However, it's unlikely these pet sidekicks will actually replace Paimon, even if Paimon's voice actor is joking about the possibility.
Why Genshin Impact's New Pets Won't Replace Paimon
During the 1.2 livestream on YouTube, Paimon's voice actor, Corina Boettger, joked that Paimon was being replaced by these new Mini-Seelie pets. And while the Mini-Seelie will follow players around in a similar fashion to Paimon, Genshin Impact's main sidekick probably isn't going away anytime soon. This may be bad news for players annoyed by Paimon, but Paimon is just too important to the main story to be swapped out with a variety of new pets.
The Mini-Seelie are also silent, something players hoping for a Paimon mute button will probably be thankful for. However, they're mostly just a companion for players to see on screen that serves only cosmetic purposes. Much like new characters routinely coming to Genshin Impact, pets are probably something that will continue to be added into the game over time, likely giving players more options to choose from in the future. Because of her role in terms of the main story and being players' guide (NOT emergency food) in Genshin Impact, Paimon is probably here to stay.
Even if the Mini-Seelie don't really replace Paimon, they're still a fun new addition to Genshin Impact. The new pets, as well as the Lost Riches event to acquire them, will come with the 1.2 update on December 23rd.