The wait is over. Fontaine is coming and it’s official! The extended Special Program Livestream for Genshin Impact has revealed the first glimpses at the new region, complete with an extended trailer for the initial plot points (and some thrilling reveals) and mechanical showcases, as well as the usual banner and events reveals that we all know and love.
And of course, there were various redemption codes along the way, so let’s dive deep into the Land of Justice and unveil what’s hidden underneath the Hydro region of Fontaine, set to be out on August 15.
Table of Contents
- Fontaine Overview and Underwater Exploration
- New Banners and Characters
- Upcoming Events and More
- System Changes and Updates
- Redemption Codes
Fontaine Overview and Underwater Exploration
We’ve already had some glimpses at how Fontaine will look, but we now have a deeper look. Quite literally. We learn about their special structures and some of the exploration quirks in the area, which has a huge focus on its underwater sections.
As a new region, expect to see new bosses and ascension materials, as well as new types of general enemies, biomes, and animals scattered around the area, divided into two different exploration types.
While the bright, victorian-like style of the cities is a delight to see and appreciate, the main aspects are found beneath the dark waters. Players can explore, collect items and fight while swimming with any character. A different Stamina bar is consumed while swimming, but you don’t need to upgrade it as it comes maxed out from the beginning.
All regular exploration functions are available while underwater, but combat is slightly different. Instead of using the same system, you can grab skills from various underwater creatures and use them in battle, such as shields or water jets to blast away your foes.
Puzzles and quests were designed specifically for this exploration, but there’s also your regular land exploration here and there. The whole Fontaine city is huge by itself, and certain characters can interact differently with the environment.
Related: Fontaine Brings Aquatic Exploration, Fancy Architecture and Classy Doggos to Genshin Impact
Some automaton enemies can have their weapons broken only by Fontaine characters, for example. You can defeat them normally, but the approach is slightly different depending on your team.
New Banners and Characters
The opening banners in Fontaine will feature Lyney and Yelan. Previously revealed through drip marketing, Lyney is making his debut as the first 5-star from the Hydro region, despite him being a Bow Pyro character himself, accompanied by no one else than one of the strongest Hydro units in the game. Lynette is a 4-star Sword Hydro character who’s featured in the first banners too.
Old timers are taking over the patch’s second half with the return of Zhongli and Tartaglia. They will be the final banners of the introductory patch and are accompanied by Freminet, another 4-star Ice Claymore character that will later be added to the standard character pool.
Aside from those, there are various Fontaine citizens seen in previous teasers that will also appear during the Archon Quest, such as Navia, Clorinde, Neuvillette, Charlotte, and, of course, the Hydro Archon herself, Furina. Expect them to be scattered across the next few banners.
Upcoming Events and More
The main event this time is Mega Meka Melee, rewarding the best rewards out of them and containing a free Bennett by completing certain objectives. It seems like the Mondstadt adventurer has something to do with all of that, as one of the dolls in the minigames is clearly inspired by him.
Relic Records: Creations of the Hydro Nation is an exploration event where you have to grab various items from monsters or areas exclusive to Fontaine. Take it as a hint to start exploring the Hydro region at once. A similar thing happens in Studies in Light and Shadow: A Fontaine of Enchantment, another rerun for the photo-taking event.
Verdict of Blades is the pure combat-oriented event here, featuring Lyney and other new characters to test in it, and the version concludes with another Ley Line Overflow event. Extra resources are always welcome.
System Changes and Updates
We have a few important changes to the overall systems. Some of them were already mentioned in the latest Developer Discussion special post, but we get some more details now on the new changes.
An impactful change is that a direct teleport to Sumeru, next to the Fontaine outskirts, will be unlocked right after finishing Mondstadt’s Archon Quests. So regardless of your progression, you can visit the new area right away! You still need to complete all Archon Quests to unlock some features, but you can explore and grab items for your characters.
Speaking of them, Lynette is the free Fontaine character. And unlocking her is as easy as ever. Just reach Adventure Rank 25 and you can claim her directly from the Event Menu. She comes with enough materials to ascend her directly to Ascension 1, and you have to explore Fontaine for more.
Related: More Artifact Changes Are Coming to Genshin Impact in Fontaine
The Multi-layered Map layout is implemented after positive feedback from Sumeru. Underground areas will now be marked on the map with a small icon, indicating whether a teleport/domain is located above or below your current location. This will be useful for Fontaine’s various underwater locations.
12 new weapons are being introduced in this version. 5 of them are craftable in Fontaine, while 5 others are obtainable through the Battle Pass (the older BP weapons are still there too!). The two remaining are Lyney’s signature bow available through wishes and the last one is a new Fishing-obtained sword.
Even more gear is available with the Golden Troupe and the Marechaussee Hunter Artifact Sets. These two will be available through a new Artifact Domain located somewhere in the Hydro region, so you might wanna unlock it earlier if possible.
The party screen now has tons of animations and different, customizable backgrounds. Each character does a unique pose when selected, as well as saying their usual quotes when deployed. More lively than ever!
And lastly, Genius Invokation TCG will be getting its usual updates with more cards (we’ve seen Qiqi, Albedo, and Lisa in the trailer) and the introduction of a Spectator mode, making it easier to judge your friends’ moves
Redemption Codes
And finally, we also got the temporary Primogem codes for this version. Make sure to grab them quickly as they’ll expire by the end of the day!
- WA845MQHUHKH
- 3BRLL59ZCZKD
- ZT8MLL8GCYKM
Yeah, the Fontaine patch will be nothing less than huge! We’re sure to enjoy ourselves discovering this new land while saving for the next upcoming characters (and there’s a good lot of them!), so get your dive suit ready and jump right into this new update when it’s finally here!
Published: Aug 4, 2023 09:44 am