Hello, Travelers! The Genshin Impact dev team is excited to wish you all the best for the new year and announce our first version update of 2024! Version 4.4 Vibrant Harriers Aloft in Spring Breeze will be released on January 31 and brings us back to Liyue! You are invited to join Xianyun and Gaming to celebrate the new year in Teyvat, enjoy the festivities and obtain numerous rewards, including 10 + 3 Intertwined Fate, a free 4-star Liyue character, and a new outfit for Xingqiu.
Additionally, Chenyu Valley to the northwest of Liyue, is finally open for exploration. Visit the village brimming with tea fragrance and the bustling port connecting Fontaine, and seek out tales of adepti amongst the breathtaking mountains surrounded by clouds and mist.
Generous rewards and new outfits for the new year
The Lantern Rite will once again light up Liyue Harbor soon to celebrate the new year in Teyvat, with its new theme: kites! These can take multiple shapes and patterns, and even include Fontainian mechanisms that allow people’s hopes to be carried far and wide for the year to come. By participating in the event’s mini-games, you will also earn Festive Fever which will allow you to obtain various rewards, including Xingqiu’s new free outfit.
Besides this, the daily login event and New Year mails will be back again! By logging in daily within a certain period of time, you can receive Intertwined Fate ×10. You will then also receive Intertwined Fate ×3 and Fragile Resin ×2 via in-game mails. In addition, Ganyu and Shenhe will both receive new outfits, that are available in store with a limited-time discount.
The new year also ushers in new friendships. Our adeptus friend, Cloud Retainer, finally reveals herself in her human form Xianyun and becomes a playable 5-star Anemo character, who wields the catalyst. Using her adepti powers and mechanical inventions, she can leap into the air and dash forward two more times, or heal nearby characters and enhance their jump height and Plunging Attacks. Gaming, a new 4-star Pyro Claymore wielder will also appear. He is an enthusiast of Wushou dancing, an art inspired by traditional lion dance, which incorporates movements from this dance into his combat style. In Version 4.4 Event Wishes, Xianyun and Gaming both debut along with Nahida’s rerun in the first half of the version, while the latter half will see the reruns of Xiao and Yae Miko.
Mountains stand tall, with jade beneath
Northwest of the bustling Liyue Harbor, Travelers will discover Chenyu Vale, a stunning new area with beautiful towering mountains and tranquil rivers. In this area, you will find important human settlements such as Qiaoying Village and Yilong Wharf, as well as mist-shrouded mountains where tales of adepti await.
The name of Chenyu Vale, meaning where jade descends, comes from a legend of an adeptus who threw a pair of jade bracelets into the waters to protect the locals from a flood. As this auspicious story is passed down through generations, the local people and businesses also flourish. The impressive Yilong Wharf, known for its majestic water elevators, serves as a vital link for commerce between Liyue and Fontaine. Another human settlement, Qiaoying Village, has long been known for tea production, which involves a roasting method created by the adepti.
But most of Chenyu Valley belongs to the wild hills, valleys, waterfalls and tales of the adepti. Legendary beasts also reside here, including the new boss enemy, the Solitary Suanni. As you delve into the mountains and winding paths, the history of this land will reveal itself.
A valley created with new technology
Being a part of Liyue, Chenyu Vale is also inspired by a traditional oriental aesthetic. To render its hills, valleys, and waterfalls in the distance and near with enveloping clouds and mist in a style similar to shan shui painting, we deployed two new technologies: Global Far Fog (GFF) and Gradient Tint Rock on PlayStation and PC, as well as a simplified version on mobile.
Clouds and mist are constantly present in Chenyu Vale, and the Global Far Fog (GFF) feature allows you to better observe how they take on different forms around the rolling hills. By taking into account height, terrain, and other conditions, the developers were able to allow Volumetric Fog to change in density and direction as it passes through different locations. For example, thick clouds converge in low, narrow areas of the valley, while light mist lingers around the cape of the mountains or open areas.
Inspired by shan shui, a traditional painting style, and ink wash techniques, Gradient Tint Rock technology is a new tool that our artists and developers created to portray different parts of the lofty mountains through transitions between three colors: cyan, green, and tan. By creating various distance fields in 3D and customizing them for each mountain, it is possible to see a different color gradient depending on the altitude, distance, textural characteristics of the rocks, and structure of each mountain. For example, the leafy parts, the summit and the ubac will appear in dark cyan and green, while the barren paths and the lower parts can gradually integrate into a lighter earthy tan, hence the name of the technique: Gradient Tint Rock.
We highly recommend exploring the peak of Mt. Lingmeng or Mt. Mingyuan, from where you can enjoy panoramic views of Chenyu Vale. With Global Far Fog and Gradient Tint Rock, we want to offer you an even more intense and visually impressive experience during your exploration journey.
Last but not least, we’d like to extend our thanks to everyone who has joined us on our journey in Teyvat. We hope you enjoy the Lantern Rite celebrations and the compelling new adventures in Chenyu Vale. Wishing you a fantastic new year, and looking forward to seeing you next time!
