The Patch 2.1 of Genshin Impact was presented in a livestream. It brings new areas in Inazuma and numerous new content. The patch is called “Moonlit World” and will be released in September.
What are the highlights of the update?
- The story quest continues with Chapter 2: Act 3
- 2 new islands in Inazuma – “Watatsumi” and “Seirai”
- 2 new banners will be available, each featuring 3 characters – Raiden Shogun (Baal, 5 stars) with her Sara (4 stars) and Kokomi (5 stars)
- There will be 2 new weapon banners
- New bosses
- A new mechanic, fishing, will be introduced along with a new decoration for fish that you can keep as pets in the Serenity Pot
- The load of the Serenity Pot will be increased
- All recharge bonuses in the “Recharge Crystals” window will be reset once
When will the patch be released? The update will be available from September 1 for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, and PS5 simultaneously.
You can watch the preview video for version 2.1 of Genshin Impact here:
The two new islands in Inazuma
What makes the new islands special? The fourth of the six main islands of Inazuma is “Watatsumi”. It is located further away from the other islands, so the inhabitants lead a different culture from that on Narukami. “Watatsumi” offers a unique landscape. Furthermore, it is home to Kokomi and her army of resistance forces, whose base is located at the “Saganomiya Shrine”, which sits in a gorge surrounded by waterfalls and mountains.
“Seirai” is the fifth of the islands, typically avoided by many. On it, you will find many abandoned shrines, destroyed villages, and withered nature. A storm is always raging around it, accompanied by thunder and lightning. In addition to the Shiba Inu as a teahouse owner in Inazuma, there will be a black cat that is the ruler of a shrine. The appearance of “Seirai” seems to tell the sad past of this island.
There will also be a camera tour over the two islands (Genshin_7 via Twitter).
The 3 new characters
Which characters will be in the banners of patch 2.1? As the leaks have already predicted, Baal, Sara, and Kokomi will be added as new playable characters. Baal and Sara will be available from September 1.
This is what the Raiden Shogun, Baal, can do:
- Baal possesses the divine eye Electro
- She is a 5-star character
- As a main weapon, she uses a spear. Only her special ability temporarily uses a katana
- Official gameplay of Baal (Genshin_7 via Twitter)
This is what Sara can do:
- Sara possesses the element Electro
- She is a 4-star character
- Sara uses a bow as weapon
- Official gameplay of Sara Kujou (Genshin_7 via Twitter)
This is what Kokomi can do:
- Kokomi Sangonomiya uses the Hydro element
- She is a 5-star character
- Kokomi has the catalyst as a weapon
- Official gameplay of Kokomi (Genshin_7 via Twitter)
Kokomi’s banner will follow directly after Baal, which will remain in the game for about three weeks. Additionally, gameplay of Aloy has been released (via Twitter)
The new weapon banners
Which weapons will be available? The two new 5-star weapons are a spear named “Engulfing Lightning” and a catalyst called “Everlasting Moonglow”. Both are the signature weapons of Baal and Kokomi. “Engulfing Lightning” will be released alongside Baal’s banner, while “Everlasting Moonglow” will be released with Kokomi.
New bosses on “Watatsumi” and “Seirai”
What new bosses will there be? It is not yet clear where the bosses have settled on the islands, but we know that there will be three new bosses, one of which is a weekly enemy.
The first boss is the Hydro Hypostasis, which is located on “Watatsumi”. You will likely farm Kokomi’s materials from her. As with the other Hypostases, this one also has multiple forms and specific patterns that you can learn to defeat her easily. The second boss resides on the island “Seirai”. In line with the weather of “Seirai”, this opponent uses the Electro attribute to attack. He resembles the Oceanid in Liyue.
Many fans of La Signora will surely be happy now, as she comes in patch 2.1 as a weekly boss, just like Childe, Dvalin, and others. Just like Childe, she has several forms with a Cryo and Pyro variant that you must face. If you want to see all the bosses in action, you can do so on Twitter (by Genshin_7).
Hydro Hypostasis 
Electro “Oceanid” 
La Signora in Cryo form 
La Signora in Pyro form
The new mechanic: Fishing
How will fishing work? In Genshin Impact, starting from 2.1, there will be certain water bodies that allow you to cast your fishing rod and catch fish. However, you first need to craft bait to use for fishing. You can easily do this at the alchemy table, and there are several different bait options.
Furthermore, the process is reminiscent of the well-known game “Stardew Valley”. You have to make sure that your line does not break and that your timing is correct. It is also important to choose the right spot to cast your line so you don’t scare away the fish. This is further explained in the video from the Japanese Genshin Impact account (via Twitter).
What does fishing bring? If you’re thinking, “I’ll just catch a few fish, prepare some dishes, and that’s it,” you’re on the wrong track. Of course, fish are needed for some recipes, but you can also exchange the caught fish for rewards. What exactly those are has not been revealed. In addition, there are specific places where you can exchange fish for new fishing rods that have different effects to catch even more of them.
There are certain species of fish referred to as “Ornamental Fish”. You can place these fish in a special pond in the Serenity Pot and raise them. Additionally, there will be an event called “Lunar Realm”. There, you will have the opportunity to catch the “Lunar Leviathan”, which according to legends can grant wishes. This event also includes many rewards for you.
More features of patch 2.1
What else is there? It has been announced that you can now place more items in the Serenity Pot without overloading it too quickly. However, this only applies to items that are placed multiple times in one area. For example, the second wooden chair in the dining room does not take up as much load as the first, and the third is the same as the second, and so on. However, if you place the same wooden chair in the living room, the wooden chairs from the dining room do not count towards the load reduction of the living room.
Additionally, there will be several upcoming events to keep us busy during this patch:
- “Moonchase Festival”
- Event storyline
- “Moonlight Seeker” – Search for treasure chests and “Moonchase Charms” in Liyue, Mondstadt, and Dragonspine
- “Trail of Delicacies” – Visit enemy camps and defeat them partly with dishes that you offer as sacrifices
- “Moonlight Merriment”
- Help Keqing and Xiangling prepare dishes
- “Hyakunin Ikki”
- “Free-For-All Fighting Tournament” – You can borrow characters that you do not own or use your own to form tag teams and participate in timed battles
- “Spectral Secrets”
If you participate in all events and receive the gifts for the first anniversary, you will receive a total of 23 pulls for banners in the form of 2,270 Primogems and 10 intertwined fates.
A small note for those of you who also spend some money on the game: Once the game is updated to 2.1, the recharge bonuses under the “Recharge Crystals” section will be reset. This means that you will once again receive the same bonuses as at the start of the game. For the €99.99 package, that would again be 6,480 crystals on top, instead of 1,600.
What do you think about this patch? Are you looking forward to the upcoming features, islands, characters, and enemies or would you have preferred something else? Honestly, I am most excited about fishing, and what about you? Feel free to share in the comments.
