After some thrilling adventures in Fontaine, Genshin Impact 4.8 will be released on July 17. This is also the last update expected before Version 5.0 is released, so Natlan will enter the playable area of ​​the current Teyvat map.

Because the national launch is the most important upcoming content, players will still have to wait for a while before they can explore Natlan in Genshin Impact. In this update, there are many new things, such as Summertide Scales and Tales event, some new permanent game mode Envisaged Echoes, and some general quality-of-life updates.

I’m sure you can’t wait for the release of version 4.8, so get your Genshin Impact Accounts ready and take a look at this guide for detailed introductions to new characters, new banners, and new event.

New Characters & Banners

As previously hinted at by the introduction of only one new character, Version 4.8 will introduce only one new playable unit. The remaining 5-star units introduced during the update will be re-introduced, and all 4-star units with increased drop rates have been available in the game for some time.

As previously predicted in Genshin Impact 4.8 character banner leak, the Phase 1 banner will consist of the re-introduction of Navia and Nilou. The 5-star Geo DPS unit and 5-star Hydro sub-DPS character will be available in the gacha system from July 17th to August 6th, respectively.

Each weapon will also be featured on a weapon banner during the same period, giving players a chance to get their own exclusive gear. Phase 2 will begin on August 6th, with a change in featured characters. During that time, Yelan will be a returning character on one banner.

The 5-star Hydro sub DPS will return along with the debut of Emilie, who was confirmed by HoYoverse a few weeks ago. Currently, Dendro character is confirmed to be a 5-star unit that will appear on a dedicated character banner in Phase 2.

This means that Emily and Yelan will be available from August 6th until August 27th.

As previously leaked, Emily’s skill composition in Genshin Impact allows her to act as a Dendro sub-DPS that enhances the power of Burning Elemental Reaction. The character excels in off-field Dendro applications and works best when paired with a strong Pyro DPS who activates Burning, such as Hu Tao, Linny, or Arlecchino.

Version 4.8 livestream also confirmed that Emily will use a polearm in combat. In Phase 2, Yelan’s Aqua Simulacra and Emily’s new Lumidous Elegy will be available in the weapon banner. The 4-star characters that will have increased drop rates in the Phase 1 and Phase 2 character banners have yet to be announced.

Emily’s value as a Dendro sub DPS has yet to be effectively proven as more players are actively testing it, but the banner structure in Version 4.8 is one chance. Navia is currently one of the best Geo DPS characters, especially for players who have good Geo sub DPS like Kiori and Albedo.

Nilu can be a good Hydro sub DPS, but Yelan holds the throne as the best in this category and is arguably the best off-field damage dealer among all characters. However, she mostly relies on elemental burst in Genshin Impact.

New Events

In addition to Emily, a new playable unit whose Burning Reactions will be at the forefront of team compositions, and the prospect of obtaining older characters and their weapons, Version 4.8 will bring additional playable content as events.

The most important is Summer Flagship Event, Summer Tide Scales and Tales, in which players will travel to a new limited-time map called Simulanka and take part in new story quests and various activities. The special flagship event will also feature two new outfits for Genshin Impact’s Nilu and Kilala.

Nilow’s skin will be featured in the event but will be sold as a premium item in the store. Participating in the event will also give you the new Kirara skin for free. In fact, a free version of Kirara will also be given away during special events. The flagship event, Summertide Scales and Tales, will offer a ton of rewards, including various materials and Primogems.

Envisaged Echoes will be a new update within Imaginarium Theater and will be considered a new permanent game mode. Activity challenges must be unlocked with regular Imaginarium Theater keys, and once completed, players will unlock a new character trail that follows a specific character.

During the special challenge, players will take control of each character they want to unlock cosmetics for. Diluc, Jean, Qiqi, Ningguang, and Kirara are characters that are confirmed to be getting trails in Genshin Impact.

Several other limited-time events will also be held, including Bing-Bang Finchball, Outside the Canvas, Inside the Lens: Dew-Kissed Chapter, Energy Amplifier: Lemma, and Overflowing Mastery.

In addition to the event, HoYoverse announced several qualities of life (QoL) updates that will be included in Version 4.8. Most of them have been rushed out. One of them is a Hide UI feature that allows players to remove items.

Additionally, world bosses that are not in Trounce Domains will start recovering faster, with their 5-minute cooldown reduced to just 10 seconds. This allows players to conquer the world. You can now easily defeat Genshin bosses without having to wait too long.

The encounter point system will also be enhanced. Long-term encounter points can be saved and used to supplement daily encounter points by using resin. A conversation review feature has also been added, allowing players to review what was said during a conversation.

Overall, the principal attraction of the patch is Summer Event, but it will be natural for the game to slow down before the release of Genshin Impact’s Natlan, scheduled for later this year.

Are these new events exciting for you? Then let’s look forward to the official release of Genshin Impact 4.8 on July 17!