Including details about new map region Sumeru and new playable element Dendro
Genshin Impact 3.0 new region: Sumeru
The version number only ticks over in Genshin Impact once per calendar year, but it signals a whole host of new content, including a new chapter in the Archon Quest series that makes up the game’s central storyline, and a new nation for you to explore as you make your way across the world of Teyvat.
In Version 3.0 the new nation is Sumeru, the Dendro nation governed by Lesser Lord Kusanali (a.ka. theFlowerGod) and guided by the ideal of Wisdom. Appropriately enough given this theme, Sumeru is home to the Sumeru Akademiya, the most respected seat of learning in all Teyvat. The academy also acts as Sumeru’s governing body.
Culturally, Sumeru draws inspiration from a mishmash of medieval Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures, with India as the primarily identifiable naming influence for characters and locations. Geographically, in addition to the main city and the academy, Sumeru will feature a woodland area called Avidya Forest, and a waterside settlement called Port Ormos.
It’s also worth noting that HoYoverse have drawn no small amount of criticism for portraying most of the inhabitants of Sumeru as light-skinned given its real-world inspirations, especially since out of all the 50+ previously released playable characters, onlyXinyanand (at a push)Kaeyacan be described as representing darker-skinned people. I mention this in the spirit of holding the developers to account and hoping that we see a greater diversity of character designs added to the roster over the course of Version 3.
Whenever the plot of Genshin Impact moves to a new nation, you can quite naturally expect a whole host of new characters to populate the region. Sumeru is no different, of course, and below is a quick run-down of every confirmed and rumoured major character you can expect to encounter on the next leg of your journey through Teyvat, and when you might hope to meet them, butbeware some potential Chapter III story spoilers in this section:
If you’re looking for in-depth information on which new playable characters will be released when, see ourGenshin Impact character event wish bannerspage for all the details. However, if you’re just looking for the highlights, here you go: leaks suggest that 3.0 Phase I will see the introduction of Tighnari and Collei alongside a rerun forZhongli, while Phase II (sometime in September) will see concurrent reruns forGanyuandSangonomiya Kokomiwhile introducing Dori.
Sumeru seems to be a bow-heavy region, and the two headlining new weapons in Version 3.0 are the 5-starHunter’s Pathbow and the 4-starEnd Of The Linebow. A new forgeable 4-star, five-piece, Sumeru signature weapon set completes the new weapon line-up with theKing’s Squirebow,Sapwood Bladesword,Moonpiercerpolearm,Forest Regaliaclaymore, andFruit Of Fulfillmentcatalyst.
In terms of artifact sets, the introduction of the Dendro element naturally means that there’ll be a new Dendro DMG Buff set to match the six other playable elements, now confirmed to be called theDeepwood Memoriesset. A second new artifact set on Version 3.0, calledGilded Dreams, will boost elemental mastery. See below for set bonuses on both new artifact sets:
Deepwood Memories
Gilded Dreams
With Version 3.0, Dendro is finally taking its proper place among Genshin Impact’s other elements. Seven has always been the arc number in the world of Teyvat: there are sevenArchons, seven nations, and seven types of elemental visions. However, the Dendro element has been notably sidelined compared to the other six since the game’s launch: other than a few low-level Dendro enemies and the ability to trigger theBurning(Dendro + Pyro) reaction whenever one of your fire-wielders went out and touched grass, Dendro hasn’t really had much of a part to play. Even rumoured first Dendro characterSayuturned out to be an Anemo vision holder instead, which some fans still think was a relatively last-minute change-up, given that her theming really makes her seem like a tree creature.
Version 3.0 will not only bring in the first playable Dendro vision holders in the form of the Dendro Traveler, Tighnari, and Collei, but it will expand the number of elemental reactions available for Dendro as well, withBloom(Dendro + Hydro) andCatalyze(Dendro + Electro) deepening the element’s usefulness in combat. Catalyze is believed to provide buffs to both Electro and Dendro damage while active, as well as dropping an Electro particle and debuffing nearby enemies when activated. Bloom, meanwhile, will drop explosive seeds that will either explode for Dendro DMG after six seconds or, if you’re quick, react again with another applied element for a compound reaction (see below).
But, it turns out, that’s not all. While Dendro itself will only react directly with Pyro, Hydro, or Electro, four more reaction names have cropped up over and over again in pre-release materials. Turns out that these will in all likelihood be a new kind of compound reaction, formed when the effects of Bloom or Catalyze react again with another raw element. Here are the rumoured set-ups for compound reactions and their effects:
Finally, though details of the elemental resonance when two Dendro characters are placed on a team haven’t been confirmed by HoYoverse yet, some credible leaks have given us a sneak preview at what those might look like. Its primary effect will reportedly be a passive increase to the party’s Elemental Mastery, with further temporary increases granted when an elemental reaction with Dendro (or compound elemental reaction with one of Dendro’s base reactions) is triggered by a member of the party.
Some elemental level-up materials in Genshin Impact can only be gained by farming them from area bosses. So, naturally, with the addition of a playable Dendro element, there needs to be a new Dendro area boss. The 3.0 livestream has now confirmed that this new enemy is the amazingly-namedJadeploom Terrorshroom, and that they’ll be primarily weak to Pyro attacks.
Other new enemies of note include theElectro Regisvine, a second type of area boss for granting Electro characters their level up materials. Good news for people who hate fighting the Hypostases all the time, I suppose, but bad news for those who find the existing Regisvines a pain. But don’t worry: the Electro Regisvine will be in addition to the Electro Hypostasis, not replacing it.
Smaller mook enemies introduced in Version 3.0 will includeRuin Drakes, a new dragon-inspired variant on Ruin Guards which sound pretty terrifying. The livestream gave us a sneak peak at some for-now unnamed new enemies inhabiting Sumeru as well, including what might be a new variant on Treasure Hoarders, and an unknown mushroom creature that could be a mook-level relative of the Terrorshroom.
Archon Quests make up Genshin Impact’s main story questline. The central plot is fuelled by the Traveler’s ongoing search for the cause of their twin’s disappearance, and the rift that persists between them even after their all-too-brief reunion. This family drama seemingly has deep but as-yet-unknown ties to the history and mysteries of Teyvat, and the saga will continue in Version 3.0 with the addition of “Archon Quest Chapter III: Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana”.
As yet, we don’t know much about the new Archon Quest Chapter other than its title and the fact that it will take place predominantly in Sumeru. The Prologue and Chapters I & II were all composed of three to four main “acts” split into roughly half a dozen quests each, plus various prologues and epilogues, so it’s likely that Chapter III will have a similar structure.
There are numerous new events and side-quests planned for Version 3.0, one of which — Tighnari’s Story Quest (“Vulpes Zerda Chapter, Act I”) will be permanently available from August 24th onwards.
New time-limited events announced for the update includeGraven Innocence, which will allow players to claim their free copy of Collei;Tablet Analytics, which requires you to complete a series of elemental feats in-game for cosmetic rewards; andFayz Trials, which gives you the unusual opportunity to play with bullet time on special combat stages.
Returning and updated events areLost Riches, which is back to give you the opportunity to explore Sumeru in the company of a Seelie; and anotherLeyline Overflowin Sumeru. All of the above have been announced to take place on Version 3.0, but not exact start and end dates/times have been given just yet.
Battle Pass requirements and other time-sensitive gameplay content (i.e. events and their rewards) are due to be adjusted accordingly, per HoYoverse. Normality will resume, we’re told, with Version 3.3 in early December, when a planned winter-themed event ought to get things back on track.
Even prior to Version 3.0’s release there were already over 50 characters in Genshin Impact, and you can get to know all of them on ourGenshin Impact tier list. And, because we like Genshin Impact but don’t recommend you start spending loads of cash on the gacha, be sure to check out ourGenshin Impact codes listfor a regularly updated run-down of all the freebies you can currently claim.
