Genshin Impacthas grown beyond all expectations since its 2020 launch, with Hoyoverse adding a steady stream of characters, Limited Time Events, new regions to explore, and new chapters in the game’s central Archon Quest. In 2023,Genshin Impactsaw a host of meaningful new changes in the form of new mechanics, quality of life improvements, and the release of the deeply layered Fontaine region.
Hoyoverse’s near-constant schedule of updates and refinements has proven itself to be a winning formula. Travelers earnedGenshin Impacta nomination in the Players' Voice award for The Game Awardsyet again, proving the game is showing no signs of slowing. As players look forward to the game’s 4.3 update and the year draws to a close, it is the perfect time to reflect on the improvements that have arrived since January.In no particular order, these are the 10 best changes that came to Teyvat in 2023.
Fontaine Region
After garnering considerable praise from players withthe expansive Sumeru region, expectations for Fontaine—Genshin Impact’s Nation of Justice and the seat of the Hydro Archon, Focalors—were towering. Yet Hoyoverse managed to crush them, delivering a distinctive new map with clockwork and steampunk sensibilities that also borrow liberally from French and Italian culture. From the submerged prison city of The Fortress of Meropide to the gleaming Court of Fontaine, the new region is steeped in its distinctive charm and brimming with things to do.
The real stars ofGenshin Impact’s fourth chapter, however, are its characters and their intertwined stories.Furina may be the best-written archon yet, in a tale rife with heart-wrenching reveals and an arc that ultimately celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. Neuvillette and Navia’s characters also merit special mention, delivering praiseworthy performances that balance mystery and levity against scenes of genuine sorrow.
Time-Saving QOL Updates
Hoyoverse continues to sand the rough edges off ofGenshin Impact’s frequent activities, such as farming for boss weapon materials andcompleting daily Commission Quests. Players who tire of running errands for the Adventurers' Guild can now claim daily commission credit by unlocking chests in the overworld, completing limited-time-event quests, or World Quests. This is a small shift, but one that respects players' time and puts added emphasis on exploration as opposed to daily grinding.
Along similar lines, players can now dive directly into Trounce Domains to fight bosses for loot. Players can even earn materials from bosses they have yet to officially unlock in the narrative, which is a huge quality-of-life improvement for players who need materials to build characters from regions they have yet to travel to.
Suspending Conflicting Quests
Perhaps the greatest QOL feature Hoyoverse added in 2023 is the ability for players tosuspend conflicting queststo continue the story at their own pace. Not every quest can be suspended, and players who start several story and archon quests simultaneously may still encounter knots where characters must have one quest’s criteria satisfied before they can move onto the next step of their intended adventure. But the ability to ‘skip’ certain content to keep pace with the core story is a godsend for time-poor players.
New Battle Pass Weapons
Since launch,Genshin Impact’s Battle Passhas offered a single set of obtainable weapons. While almost all of these weapons are solid pieces of equipment, the pool was starting to feel somewhat limited given the game’s hugely expanded roster. Fortunately, in the 4.0 Update, Hoyoverse doubled the available selection of armaments for reaching level 30 of the Battle Pass, ensuring players will be able to find something useful regardless of their party composition.
New weapons include the main DPS sword, Wolf-Fang, the charge-attack oriented Scion of the Blazing Sun bow, the HP-boosting Sacrificial Jade catalyst, the elemental damage-boosting Talking Stick claymore, and the elemental mastery-boosting Ballad of the Fjords polearm. The best of these new Battle Pass weapons can make or break certain character builds, or at least offer suitable alternatives for players who don’t like rolling on weapon banners.
Underwater Mechanics
One ofFontaine’s best featuresshould not be limited to it in the future. Underwater exploration is a perilous needle to thread in many video games, as developers must manage fully 3D movement while keeping interactivity lively and meaningfully distinct from terrestrial exploration. Fontaine’s oceans, lochs, and lakes manage to check all those boxes, with an entirely new approach to combat and healing based on pick-ups and puzzle-like abilities. While players never have to worry about the tedium of a breath meter, limited healing options have a similar resource management effect, forcing players to seek out schools of healing fish when they get in hot water. Hopefully, the Natlan and Snezhnaya regions will also offer players the opportunity to explore untold depths as well.
New Combat Mechanics
Even though none of 2023’s mechanical changes can compete with 2022’sintroduction of the Dendro Element,Genshin Impact’s combat continues to evolve and grow in intriguing new ways. Fontaine characters all have a special “Arkhe” alignment—ouisa or pneuma—which has implications for both combat and puzzle solving. While these interactions are fairly limited (partially for the sake of balance, and partially due to the smaller selection of characters), they add an extra dimension to combat that hints at ways Hoyoverse could continue to build onGenshin’s core system without introducing new elemental alignments.
Other changes include the game’s HP fluctuation talents and artifact effects, which synergize well with Fontaine’s HP-dependent Hydro characters. 2023 also saw the introduction of several new top-tier characters, includingAlhaitham, Neuvillete, and Furina. These characters possess complex kits that provide players with enormous damage-dealing capabilities or tactical versatility in exchange for mastering their unique quirks.
TCG Balance Adjustments
WhileHoyoverse rarely alters playable characters post-release, the Genius Invokation team has done a remarkable job of expanding and balancing Genshin Impact’s in-universe TCG. From shifting elemental energy costs for certain characters' abilities to adjusting the action costs of other cards, these small tweaks and fixes have made the TCG a remarkably well-rounded gameplay experience with a lot of nuance and some very clever deck building.
TCG Heated Battle Mode
Another fun spin onGenius Invokationis the recurring limited-time event, Heated Battle Mode. This LTE shakes up the normal rules for Genius Invokation in each version update, either allowing players to skip the dice-drafting component of gameplay, changing up the costs associated with specific actions, or prohibiting certain popular cards. The mode’s current incarnation—set to run until December 11th—has players select character cards on the spot, using randomly generated decks of action cards to duel with.
Secret Summer Paradise
Hoyoverse always goes all out withGenshin Impact’s Summer events, unveiling new paid and free costumes for select characters, and rolling out a unique, LTE area for players to explore and quest in. While the amusement park motifs and general story of the temporary area were rather juvenile on the surface, the quest featured some clever references. In hindsight, introducing the concept of an oceanid occupying a human form masterfully foreshadowed key plot points in Fontaine. The area was also flush with things to do, generous with primogems, and bothKaeya and Klee’s costumeswere well-received.
New Party Configuration Screen and Animations
While it may seem like a minor flourish, the new Party Select screen backgrounds and animations add yet another element of personality and fun to the game. As opposed to the starry, purple void players used to assemble their party prior tothe massive version 4.0 update, players can now gaze on scenes from their current region, and see their favorite characters step up to the plate with new animations.
Embellishments like this show how Hoyoverse goes above and beyond expectations. Honoring players' wishes byincorporating requested featuresis only one-half of the game’s appeal. Finding new ways to surprise the game’s audience and enhance the experience of play is the true mark ofGenshin Impact’s quality.
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds…
