In Genshin Impact, the release of Patch 1.3 is approaching. This will introduce new content, as well as new characters. Many have anticipated Hu Tao, but an announcement from the developers has now raised doubts.
What’s going on? On February 3, 2021, Patch 1.3 will be released for Genshin Impact. Along with it, there will be a new banner where you can obtain the character Xiao. Xiao has a rarity of 5 stars and represents the Anemo element.
Players speculated that Hu Tao would be included in the following banner. She has already been found in datamining.
However, the developer miHoYo announced that instead, Keqing will be featured in the second banner of the update. This character has been in the game for a while and is among the best characters in our tier list.
What’s the problem? So far, each patch has introduced two new banners, each lasting 3 weeks. After about 6 weeks, the next patch appears. Following the current pattern, this would mean that Hu Tao would not appear until Patch 1.4, approximately in 7 weeks.
However, a leaker claims something different. He expects a third banner during Patch 1.3 and an earlier release of Hu Tao.
A third banner for Patch 1.3 is likely
What does the leaker claim? The theory is backed by the leaker NEP NEP, who correctly predicted the event for Patch 1.2. He claims in a new tweet that Hu Tao was delayed due to production issues caused by the Chinese New Year.
According to his information, Hu Tao is still expected to appear with Patch 1.3. However, it is unknown whether this will reduce the duration of Keqing’s banner.
What supports the theory? We already know that the banner for Xiao, which will launch with Patch 1.3, will only last two weeks. If the same holds true for Keqing, the structure would hold up again.
Instead of bringing 2 banners for 3 weeks each, we would get 3 banners for 2 weeks each. The fundamental release cycle of the patches would not have to change accordingly.
This is Hu Tao
Hu Tao is the 77th Master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and enjoys playing pranks on others. However, much more about her story is not known. Data miners have already found her general attributes in November:
- Rarity: 5 stars
- Element: Pyro
- Weapon: Polearm
- Origin: Liyue
Thanks to her passive ability, Hu Tao’s HP has a direct effect on her attack power. At an HP value of 50% or lower, she receives a 25% Pyro DMG bonus. Some of her abilities have also been datamined:
- Her normal attack is a 6-hit combo with the polearm.
- Her charged attack allows her to charge at an enemy.
- Her plunging attack lets her leap high and crash onto the ground, dealing damage to all nearby enemies.
Hu Tao will only initially be available through the banners. This is a gacha system. We will reveal all important details about it here:
Genshin Impact: FAQ about the gacha system – How Pay2Win is it really?
