Genshin Impact new characters in the 4.4 update and beyond

All the new and upcoming characters that could appear in future Genshin Impact updates, and everything we know about their abilities and release date.

Want to know about new Genshin Impact characters? During each new update, there’s usually at least one banner with a minimum of one brand-new character. The banners feature characters with increased drop rates, including one five-star character and three four-star characters.

While we know which characters are likely to appear on the next Genshin Impact banners, the characters featured in this guide might not be playable right now but they can be found in Genshin Impact. We’ve also included some characters who are rumored to join the free PC game down the line but may not have an in-game model just yet. While none of this information is official until Hoyoverse says otherwise, here’s a round-up of all of the current rumors and speculation.

The new and upcoming Genshin Impact characters are:

Genshin Impact 4.4 characters

Xianyun

Xianyun should look familiar to Genshin Impact players as her design seems based on Xiao’s outfit. As a fellow Anemo-based character, she should pair well with Xiao to help him deal additional damage. Lore-wise, Xianyun appears to know Madame Ping and Shenhe, two of Liyue Harbor’s most famous residents. Xianyun is available in the first set of banners in the 4.4 update.

Gaming

The Genshin Impact 4.4 update is going to celebrate the Lantern Rite Festival, and with that comes Gaming, the four-star Pyro Claymore character coming to the game on Xianyun’s banner. Gaming is a fan of Wushou dancing which is inspired by traditional lion dance, and he even incorporates this dancing style into his combat. Gaming is available in the first set of banners in the 4.4 update.

Upcoming Genshin Impact characters

Chiori

Nicknamed ‘The Thundering Seamstress”, Chiori is the newest Geo five-star character set to hit Genshin Impact in the 4.5 update. The seamstress owns a clothing store in Fontaine called “Chioriya Boutique”, an unassumingly small shop located on the busiest street in town.

Genshin Impact new characters: Lisa sitting in the Knights of Favonius room

Varka

Said to be the strongest person in Mondstadt, Varka is the Grand Master and Knight of Boreas, a subsection of the Knights of Favonius. As with most of the upcoming Genshin Impact characters, there’s no telling when Varka is likely to become available. Varka has been referenced by several characters in-game, but he doesn’t have an in-game model. Varka is currently away on an expedition, leaving Jean in charge of the Knights of Favonius.

Dainsleif, a potential new Genshin Impact character, wielding magical forces and wearing a dark blue cape

Dainsleif

Dainsleif, the Bough Keeper, was officially announced by Hoyoverse during the 2020 Tokyo Game Show – however, no release date was attached. His voice actor has been announced, but we have no indication of when he might arrive. Dainsleif is from Khaenri’ah, an underground realm that is not part of Teyvat itself – so perhaps one day in the future we’ll meet Dainsleif when we explore his homeland.

Potential upcoming Genshin Impact character Iansan wearing animal skulls and summoning flame

Iansan

Iansan was also revealed in the Teyvat Chapter Storyline video, in the Natlan section. We believe she’s a Pyro user, but we’ll have to wait until we visit Natlan to find out more about her.

Arlecchino

The latest character rumored to be arriving in the 4.6 update, not much is known about Arlecchino other than a few scraps of information from insiders. According to Plum Team Leaks, Arlecchino can handle multiple enemies at once and that she’s been referred to as “Big Hutao”. This could mean she needs to take a certain amount of damage before she can show her true potential.

These are all the new Genshin Impact characters that we believe have a reasonable chance of turning up in-game – we’ll add new candidates as we discover them. In the meantime, here’s how the current characters rank on our Genshin Impact tier list, and all currently active Genshin Impact codes for free primogems.