The Genshin Impact 2.5 Special Program livestream revealed which characters, events, and story quests were coming in the new update, which is set to arrive on February 16, 2022. As with previous events, a lot of the announcements were already rumored thanks to Genshin Impact 2.5 beta leaks and miHoYo's own social media posts. However, this update's livestream also featured a concert that highlighted the game's impressive music and original soundtrack. Still, the Genshin Impact 2.5 livestream was not without a few surprises.
As usual, the livestream also gave away codes for free Primogems. In addition to the latest news and announcements, the Special Program broadcasts have given plenty of fans an incentive to watch since codes for free Primogems in Genshin Impact aren't always easy to come by. However, playable character reveals are still the biggest draw for viewing these broadcasts, even if beta leaks and miHoYo have taken away some of the suspense in that past year.
From new playable characters to returning events, the Genshin Impact 2.5 livestream, which aired on Twitch with a YouTube upload expected later in the day, revealed everything fans can expect in the next update. The story will mark a return to Inazuma, something the 2.4 content and the Lantern Rite Festival moved away from by having players go back to Liyue. Once again, the focus here will return to characters like Raiden and Kokomi while also giving a bigger spotlight to characters like Yae Miko. The Electro element is also a major part of the 2.5 update, from the characters and weapons to the events and story quests.
What Character Banners Are In Genshin Impact 2.5
The new character in Genshin Impact 2.5 is Yae Miko, owner of the Yae Publishing House and an old friend of Morax and Baal. Yae Miko is a 5-star Electro user who wields Catalysts in combat. She is also a kitsune descendant and the head maiden of The Grand Narukami Shrine. Since Yae Miko's official reveal on Genshin Impact accounts, many players have been looking forward to her arrival in Version 2.5. Since her debut in the main storyline, she's remained a popular character that fans have eagerly wanted to become playable. However, beta leaks made many fans fear she was underperforming and have caused some people in the fandom to ask miHoYo for buffs ahead of her release.
Of course, there are multiple Banners for characters in any Genshin Impact update, and Version 2.5 is no different. This time, Kokomi and Raiden will both be the featured characters on their Banner reruns. Genshin Impact has used double reruns for the past few updates, so it's not terribly surprising to find it happening again here. Kokomi's Wish Banner, "Drifting Luminescence," will be running alongside Raiden's own "Reign of Serenity." This means both 5-star characters will have an increased pull rate while available. Kokomi is a 5-star Hydro Catalyst user and Raiden is a 5-star Electro Polearm user - and both are often used in utility roles.
New Weapons, Bosses, & Enemies In Genshin Impact 2.5
The new 5-star weapon for Genshin Impact 2.5 is Kagura's Verity, which is an ideal Catalyst for Yae Miko. Traditionally, the new weapon is meant to go hand-in-hand with the newest 5-star character, so this makes a lot of sense. Kagura's Verity has a base ATK stat of 46 and focuses on CRIT DMG as a secondary stat, while its Passive Ability grants Elemental Skill DMG bonuses. Of course, other weapon Banners will be running over the course of Genshin Impact 2.5, but much of the focus is still on weapons for the update's Banner Wish characters.
In addition to a few new enemies like the Shadowy Husks, Genshin Impact 2.5 will seemingly feature Raiden Shogun as a weekly boss thanks to the new Raiden story quest being added in the update. This will also players to farm the fight for items that can be used for future characters like Ayato as well as the newly playable Yae Miko. Unlike the last Raiden boss fight, the new weekly fight will give Raiden a number of new abilities that can make her especially challenging and she has a new design as well - including massive swirling arms around her and a huge katana.
Genshin Impact 2.5 New Events & Story Quests
There are numerous new events coming to Genshin Impact 2.5 - as well as a few returning ones. "Three Realms of Gateway Offering" involves exploration in Enkanomiya and collecting sigils for a new item called the Bokuso Box. A new 4-star Catalyst, the Oathsworn Eye, and its refinement materials are available as rewards alongside the usual Primogems, Mora, and EXP Books. "Divine Ingenuity" is another new event that lets Travelers design and share their own Domain. Essentially, this allows players to make their own dungeons and obstacle courses, which was a highlight from the livestream. A third new event, "Of Drink A-Dreaming," will let players roleplay a bartender and mix drinks in a fun minigame. "Hyakunin Ikki" is returning to give players a more combat-focused event; however, this version of the event will give players new trial characters to try out. The "Overflowing Mastery" event will also be coming back.
The new story quests that are arriving in Genshin Impact 2.5 are focused on Raiden Shogun and Yae Miko. Raiden's quest is "Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter: Act III" and Yae's quest is "Divina Vulpes Chapter: Act I." Both story quests will dive into Inazuma's past while shedding more light on these two characters. These quests will be available after the update on February 16, but Raiden Shogun's new story quest will need to be completed first before diving into Yae Miko's. Additionally, the livestream revealed The Chasm will be arriving in Version 2.6 and shared concept art, alongside info and images of the new Ruin Serpent enemy.
On the whole, Genshin Impact 2.5 seems like a slightly smaller update than some of the more recent patches. If miHoYo is preparing to add the Sumeru region and the Dendro element soon, though, this could explain why. Updates began to feel smaller before 2.0 arrived last summer and this will probably be the case as Genshin Impact gears up for Version 3.0. Even so, the Genshin Impact 2.5 Special Program livestream was an enjoyable affair that gave fans plenty to look forward to. The new update is set to arrive on February 16, 2022.