Genshin Impact 1.6 update: Everything we know

Looking for the latest on the Genshin Impact 1.6 update? Come on in. The current 1.5 patch released at the end of April, but rumblings of what lies on the horizon started well before then. While nothing is confirmed until miHoYo broadcasts its usual update teaser trailer, all rumors seem to point to the Inazuma region finally being added.

With it will come the usual new characters, bosses, and weapons, and possibly a new method of transportation. An island area similar to Dragonspine could be in store as well, a dynamic challenge zone that changes depending on its current environment. Genshin Impact 1.6 could be the game’s biggest update in a long time, if not to date. Here’s everything we know about it so far.

When is the Genshin Impact 1.6 release date?

1.5 released April 28, and updates usually run for six weeks. If that’s true for 1.5, then the Genshin Impact 1.6 release date will likely be sometime in the week starting June 7. However, that could change depending on whether miHoYo runs into any last-minute difficulties adding the new region. 

1.5 has an Adventure Rank requirement of 40 or higher to start the new Archon quest, so expect the Inazuma Archon quest requirement to be near or slightly higher than that. The next update will likely have several phases, with new characters and quests added throughout.

Genshin Impact 1.6 banner: Who are the new characters?

The new five-star character will probably be Genshin Impact's Kazuha, a wandering swordsman from Inazuma with Anemo as his vision. His stats, abilities, and even idle animations have already leaked from the beta. Not much is known about how Kazuha fits with the story, though it’s said he harbors dark secrets deep in his soul.

There's some debate over which characters might be joining Kazuha 1.6's banners. Some suggest Ayaka, another five-star character, will finally make it in the game after existing in beta form for months. However, miHoYo’s existing pattern of character releases make that seem unlikely. The other dominant rumor is the Klee banner will get a rerun, which makes sense. Genshin 1.4 and 1.5 each featured reruns of existing five-star characters before introducing the new additions.

But one thing seems certain: It looks like Dendro is still a way off. None of the current rumors or leaks include mention of plans to add Dendro characters such as Baizhu.

Genshin Impact 1.6 story: How will it progress?

Genshin Impact 1.6 may be split in two parts. The first could introduce Inazuma, but in a limited way with just a few islands available to explore. Inazuma is reportedly a more hostile region, one the Traveler has to sneak into with Beidou’s pirate crew, and these leaks say the full region won’t be explorable right away. Either way, expect at least the first part of the Inazuma Archon quest line. 

1.5 added new story quests for one of the new characters, Eula. Given a past full of secrets, I’d expect to see a new set of story quests revolving around him.

Is Genshin Impact getting boats?

Boat travel is also rumored as the 1.6 update’s major new feature, though as with the new characters, there’s some debate over what the feature will be like. Some reports say boat travel is a static feature where the Traveler embarks on a boat trip and has no control over the boat. 

Other reports show new items and gadgets related to boat customization and repair. Perhaps Inazuma’s waterways have varying degrees of danger you can only safely handle with boats of a certain type. I’d like to see naval battles as part of the new boat feature, something to vary the game’s too-familiar combat. 

Genshin Impact has no qualms about adapting other genres, including hangout events and realm customization. Seeing it go full Sea of Thieves is a possibility, particularly since one of the rumored events centers on a naval battle.

Genshin Impact 1.6’s new weapons, bosses, and artifacts

So far, Genshin leaker @AeEntropy found full details for one new sword: Boreas Precocity, also known as the Freedom-Sworn Sword. Like the Staff of Homa for Hu Tao, it’s intended as Kazuha’s ideal weapon and increases the party’s normal, charged, and plunging attack damage.

There’s also some evidence of a new catalyst and bow that might be meant for Klee and Fischl respectively, but nothing concrete is known about them as yet.

One leaked boss is the Maguu Kenki, a massive, sword-wielding foe that drops the Maguu Kishin needed for Kazuha’s Ascension. Current footage is from earlier development builds and reportedly isn’t part of the beta, so it’s unknown whether Maguu Kenki is a weekly or daily boss.

The new Inazuma world boss, whatever it will be, is said to reside in an area similar to Dragonspine. Instead of the cold hampering your progress, you’ll have to contend with changing tide levels affecting which areas you can access. 

Genshin Impact 1.6 events: What we know

Rumors floating around the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Discord point to two main events in Genshin Impact 1.6. The first is Ludi Harpastum, a 15-day celebration in Mondstadt that has so far only been featured in the Genshin Impact manga and is allegedly meant to coincide with the renewed focus on Klee. The same rumors also say a major naval battle will take place in the seas outside Inazuma during the event.

A less concrete rumor points to a boss rush-style challenge. It tasks you with defeating Primo Geovishap and Oceanid together before fighting both of them once again, but with Maguu Kenki added as a third boss.

Previous updates have included several smaller events, such as the Energy Amplifier and Hangout Events, and it’s likely Genshin Impact 1.6 will as well.