New Year, New Fit for Hu Tao and Xiangling as Lantern Rite returns in Genshin Impact v5.3

I have a lingering fear every time a new Genshin Impact version is announced. It usually involves the characters that will be released and those which will be returning. Version 5.3’s character banners will be the one which makes me the most nervous. But before I explain myself, let’s look at what we can expect for the game’s first update in 2025.

Act 5 of Natlan’s Archon Quest will see the forces of Natlan take the fight to the Abyss directly where they will encounter the Lord of Eroded Primal Fire, the Abyssal Mimic Dragon. The traveler will at long last be able to utilize the power of pyro, but will this be enough to take down this powerful foe? Thankfully the nation’s Archon will take to the battlefields, so you know things will be heating up!

Mavuika will make her debut in version 5.3 and I don’t think I need to state which element she is aligned to…she also utilizes the Flamestrider which on the surface looks like a motorcycle, but it will make her the de facto character you want to wield if you’re looking the most traversal options. So far each character in Natlan has some traversal specialty and as the archon she has the special traversal capabilities from each of the six tribes of Natlan. So along with her usage of the claymore it means she can also mine minerals making her probably the most versatile character introduced so far.

The second 5 star character to debut in this version is Citlali of the Masters of the Night Wind. While she is revered amongst her tribe, she certainly is young at heart, always indulging in light novels and acting like a lovestruck teenage girl whenever the Traveller is around. As a Cryo catalyst user, she is capable of generating shields and Area of Effect attacks. She is also able to lower Pyro and Hydro resistance of opponents if they have been affected by the Frozen or Melt Reactions.

Away from the grim situation in Natlan, It’s the new year in Teyvat which means the folks in Liyue Harbor are getting ready to celebrate Lantern Rite once again! Meet up with old friends such as, Hu Tao, Ningguang. Xingyan, Zhongli and more. Also get acquainted with the Lan Yan Master Rattan Weaver of the Chenyu Vale Artisans Association. She’s a four star Anemo catalyst character who will be making her debut in the summon banners in the back half of the update. Participation in Lantern Rite activities will reap players with a bounty of rewards, including a free 4-star Liyue character which can include Lan Yan. This festival will also see new outfits for Xiangling and Hu Tao, the former’s can be earned for free for a limited time via gameplay, the latter will be available for purchase at a discount while version 5.3 is active.

So getting back to my anxiety about versions. Between Mavuika and Citlali’s debut, we’re also seeing the return of Arlecchino in the second half of the update…my primogem reserves are in danger of being completely depleted…and that doesn’t even include rolling for the 5 star weapons for each of these characters. I certainly need to make some extra offerings to RNGesus…because I’m going to need all sorts of blessings to get through this initial version for 2025…

Outside of story and event updates this version will also see updates to the character progression. With systems that will help you built the strongest iteration of the characters you possess, an increase in the number of artifacts to 2100 pieces and Boss enemies will not respawn shortly after defeat, so you can continue fighting and farming materials off them without having to teleport away from the region.

Incandescent Ode of Resurrection, Genshin Impact version 5.3 will launch on January 1st 2025 and the game is available on PC, iOS, Android, Xbox Series X|S and the PlayStation platform. Your progress is accessible across all those platforms the game is available on so you’re never too far from the world of Teyvat. I’m sure 2025 will be another grand year for the title!

Version 5.3 “Incandescent Ode of Resurrection” Trailer | Genshin Impact #GenshinImpact