Genshin Impact's new region Fontaine, new characters and content coming 16 August

Be prepared Travelers, our adventure in Fontaine is set to begin soon in Genshin Impact version 4.0! The highly-anticipated release of the game’s next major update and fifth region will be on 16 August, bringing with it a whole new region to explore, new characters to play as, enemies and bosses to battle, and more!

But before we dive into all the new content coming with Fontaine, don’t forget to redeem the livestream codes for precious Primogems to help with your Wishes for all the new characters! Make sure to redeem them quickly before they expire.

• 3BRLL59ZCZKD - Primogems ×100 + Mystic Enhancement Ore ×10

• WA845MQHUHKH - Primogems ×100 + Hero's Wit ×5

• ZT8MLL8GCYKM - Primogems ×100 + Mora ×50,000 "ZT8MLL8GCYKM"

Welcome to Fontaine, the Nation of Hydro and Justice

Genshin Impact version 4.0 will see the Traveler embark on a new journey in the game’s fifth nation, Fontaine, the Nation of Hydro and Justice.

As you can probably guess, Fontaine’s landscape is dominated by water. The nation rests on a continental plate that is elevated from the rest of Teyvat, which created the breathtaking 300m high waterfall that players will see upon stepping foot into this new region.

While there’s plenty of new land to cover in Fontaine, it will also feature all-new underwater areas that Travelers can explore thanks to the new diving mechanic.

According to developer HoYoverse, Fontaine’s territory will be split equally between above water and underwater areas, though this ratio will vary as new locations are introduced in future updates.

Fontaine is the dominion of the Hydro Archon Focalors, also known as Furina. She delights in the drama of the courtroom, as the nation treats judicial trials more like operatic performances. Travelers should be mindful to abide by Fontaine’s laws and know a skilled lawyer to help them out in a pinch, so better call Yanfei!

But while Focalors is busy immersing herself in courtroom drama, the nation’s daily affairs are handled by the imposing Chief Justice Neuvillette and the Court of Fontaine.

Even if Fontaine is known most for being the Nation of Hydro and Justice, it is also a cultural and technological hub in Teyvat.

Keen-eyed Travelers will notice a higher level of technology in the region, best exemplified by the wandering Clockwerk Mekas that its citizens use for production and defence.

New characters Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet

A new nation and new version will, of course, come with new playable characters! The first set of playable characters from Fontaine releasing in version 4.0 will be the sibling trio of Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet.

Lyney

Lyney will be the first-ever 5-star character from Fontaine, wielding a Pyro vision and a bow in battle. His playstyle will revolve around Charged Attacks, which lets him use Prop Arrows to deal more damage to enemies. Lyney’s skill and burst will make use of a Grin-Malkin Cat summon, with his skill summoning it to taunt nearby enemies while his burst lets him transform into one to bewilder enemies.

Lynette

Lynette is a 4-star Anemo sword user and also utilises a cat summon in battle. Her skill lets her dash around like Yelan to damage and mark enemies while her burst lets her summon it to the field to taunt enemies and dish out Anemo damage.

Freminet

Meanwhile, Freminet is a 4-star Cryo claymore user whose kit revolves around Pers, a mechanical penguin companion he summons in battle. His skill will let him perform different attacks based on the Pers timer while his burst will amplify the summon’s effects.

The limited-event banner for the first half of Genshin Impact version 4.0 will feature Lyney as one of the featured 5-stars alongside Hydro bow user Yelan, who will be getting yet another rerun. Lynette will be among the 4-stars included in this half’s banner.

The weapon banner for the first half will also include Lyney’s signature weapon, the 5-star bow First Great Magic.

The second half will then feature reruns for the Geo Archon Zhongli and Fatui Harbinger Childe. Freminet will make his debut among the 4-stars in the second half banner.

New diving, Pneuma-Ousia mechanics

The release of Fontaine will add new dimensions to Genshin Impact’s exploration and combat in the form of the new diving and Pneuma-Ousia mechanics.

With all the underwater areas scattered around Fontaine, Travelers will be able to dive into the waters and explore a whole new world under the sea.

The diving mechanic will be exclusive to Fontaine’s underwater areas and will not have an oxygen or the normal stamina bar to remove any pressure from exploration for players. Instead, there will be a special stamina bar for diving that will be used for fast movement underwater.

Travelers will also have more freedom to control the in-game camera’s perspective while diving to avoid motion sickness and eye strain.

Combat and exploration will also be different while underwater, as Travelers can absorb the abilities from special aquatic creatures to defend themselves, disable traps, and obtain treasures ensnared by seaweed.

Aside from the new diving mechanic, version 4.0 will also introduce a new twist to gameplay that is exclusive to characters from Fontaine: the Pneuma-Ousia mechanic.

Pneuma and Ousia are opposing sides that fall under Arkhe, a type of energy used in Fontaine to power its various technologies. Characters from Fontaine will have Pneuma and Ousia alignments that can affect how they interact with certain exploration objects and enemies.

For example, the Clockwork Meka enemies are powered by Arkhe and can either be forced to transform into a different mode or be disabled entirely by attacks from characters of the right alignment.

New bosses and enemies

A new nation also means new enemies to fight, and version 4.0 will introduce two new world bosses: the Icewind Suite and the Emperor of Fire and Iron.

Icewind Suite

The Icewind Suite is a pair of dancing Clockwork Meka that wield Cryo and Anemo in combat. Their movements are based on medieval dances and figure skating, so Travelers should remember to not be distracted by their elegant moves while fighting them!

Emperor of Fire and Iron

Meanwhile, the Emperor of Fire and Iron is a giant enemy crab that wields the power of Pyro through a volcano on the shell of its back. Travelers need to be wary of this boss’ fearsome offensive and defensive firepower!

As for regular mobs in Fontaine, most of them will be the various forms of Clockwork Meka that patrol around the region.

These Meka will have different forms dictated by their functions, so Travelers need to prepare the appropriate strategies when facing these varying forms.

The underwater creatures of Fontaine are mostly docile while diving, but some of them can also take to the surface and wield the different elements to deal with threats.

New craftable and Battle Pass weapons plus two new Artifact sets

Of course, Travelers will need new gear to deal with all the new enemies they will be facing in Fontaine. Version 4.0 will add two new Artifact sets as well as a total of 12 new weapons to the arsenal available to players!

The new Artifact sets are called the Golden Troupe and Marechaussee Hunter. HoYoverse has yet to reveal what these new sets do, but we can safely assume that these are designed to synergise with the kits of Lyney, Lynette, Freminet, and the other upcoming Fontaine characters.

Meanwhile, the new weapons coming in version 4.0 include five new craftable weapons, five new Battle Pass weapons, a special claymore available through fishing, and Lyney’s signature 5-star bow we mentioned earlier.

Do note that the new Battle Pass weapons will not replace the existing ones and will instead bring the number of selections players will have upon purchasing Gnostic Hymn to a total of 10 weapons.

New Archon Questline for Fontaine, Lyney Story Quest

With the beginning of our adventure in Fontaine, the Traveler will embark on a new Archon Questline for the new region that will see them get involved in the nation’s affairs.

Version 4.0 will come with the first two Acts of the Fontaine Archon Questline, Act I "Prelude of Blancheur and Noirceur" and Act II "As Light Rain Falls Without Reason". The opening Acts of the Fontaine Archon Questline will also feature characters we saw from the “Overture Teaser: The Final Feast”, namely Neuvillette, Chlorinde, Navia, and Charlotte!

Oh, and the Fatui Harbinger Childe is also making a surprising appearance in Fontaine, as he is shown confronting Neuvillette in the version 4.0 trailer.

Lyney’s Story Quest, "Felis Fuscus Chapter" Act I, will also be available for players to better get to know the first Fontaine 5-star character.

New events plus a free Lynette and Bennett

Genshin Impact 4.0 will also feature four new events where they can earn Primogems, Mora, and other rewards to help them obtain and level up new characters. Also, participating in these events will let you get Lynette and the top-tier 4-star Bennett for free!

The main event of version 4.0 is called ‘Mega Meka Melee’, which will consist of underwater parkour, combat, and music challenges. Participating in this event will let players get Bennett for free.

There’s also the ‘Relic Records: Creations of the Hydro Nation’ and ‘Studies in Light and Shadow: A Fontaine of Enchantment’ events which will task players with exploration and photography challenges, respectively.

If combat is more your style, then the ‘Verdict of Blades’ event will be up your alley. It features progressive difficulty levels and mechanics that will assist players in combat.

Players can also get Lynette for free through ‘The Curtain Never Falls on Magic’ event as long as they have reached Adventure Rank 25.

Finally, the Ley Line Overflow event will make a return for players that need more Mora or EXP materials to help build their new Fontaine characters.

Revamped party setup menu, new multi-layered map

Not only will Genshin Impact version 4.0 add new content to the game, it will also optimise existing ones too.

The highlight among these optimisations is no doubt the revamped party setup menu, which will feature new entrance and exit animations for characters that just ooze so much style and personality.

The background for the menu will also change depending on the location of the player, which allows for some stylish pictures of your party preparing for battle.

The new multi-layered map will let players more accurately ascertain their location on varying levels of the overworld, which will be extremely helpful when exploring the underwater areas of Fontaine or the underground ruins in Sumeru.

Other optimisations include Gyroscope support as well as expansions to the Artifact inventory and Artifact Strongbox.

For more details on what’s coming in Genshin Impact version 4.0, you can check out the full preview livestream here.

Genshin Impact version 4.0 will be released on 16 August. But while we wait for Fontaine, the game is still in version 3.8, which features a new summer event as well as reruns for Eula, Klee, the Wanderer, and Kokomi.

Yan Ku is a full-time dog parent, part-time (gacha) gamer, and part-time writer.

For more gaming news updates, visit https://yhoo.it/YahooGamingSEA. Also follow us on Twitter, as well as our Gaming channel on YouTube, and check out Yahoo Esports Southeast Asia’s Facebook page!