More than four years after the release of version 1.0, developer Hoyoverse continues to transform the world of Genshin Impact with new characters and expansive regions. The developer released a trailer on Friday announcing that the game’s major 5.0 update will arrive on August 28. The version, called “Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn,” adds the colorful desert region of Natlan and introduces players to new characters and main quests.
After the 4.0 story was set in the super-soaked water region of Fontaine, the 5.0 story sends players to Natlan, the region of fire and the Pyro Archon. The trailer hints at a story where Natlan is on the brink of destruction and has less than a year to avoid total destruction. Once again, it’s up to the Traveler to save another nation.
The teaser trailer shows a landscape covered in sandstone canyons, terracotta red rocks, and grass-covered mesas. So far, it looks like the region is leaning heavily on new gameplay that will get players mobile in new ways. The gameplay showed off Kachina, a character who trots around on a top-like contraption, and Kinich, a young boy who almost looks like he has some sort of vine-like Spider-Man-like power that allows him to swing across the map. It also showed off the shark rider Mualani.
In addition to the teaser trailer for the game, Hoyoverse released a short animated film to accompany the news featuring game characters called “Blaze to Natlan.” This neon fever dream of an animation looks a bit like the child of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse And Promareand gives the game a completely different atmosphere.
Hoyoverse previously released a look at Natlan in July. The reveal of characters like Mavuika led to widespread criticism from fans and the game’s voice actors who said Genshin “whitewashed” characters inspired by regions in Latin America and West Africa, so it’s likely that this patch will draw a lot of criticism when it releases later this August.