Genshin Impact Patch 4.4 notes: All changes, banners, and events

Genshin Impact Patch 4.4 was introduced on Jan. 31, adding the Lunar New Year event and several new characters.

The new update will come with some generous awards, so don’t miss out on all the Genshin Impact fun.

HoYoverse usually hosts events with bountiful rewards around the Lunar New Year because the Lantern Rite is always an ambitious event. This year will be no exception.

Here are the patch notes for Genshin Impact’s 4.4 update, Vibrant Harriers Aloft in Spring Breeze.

Genshin Impact Patch 4.4 notes

Lots of changes are coming with Patch 4.4. It’s one of the busiest times of the year for Genshin players. You can get back to Liyue and discover new places that bridge the region with Fontaine. Here are the definitive patch notes.

New characters

• Xianyun
  • Arrived on Jan. 31 in the banner. She’s a five-star Anemo character with healing abilities. She will be available until Feb. 21.
  • Her Story Quest, Grus Serena, will also be available with the update. You need to be at least Adventure Rank 40 to take it.
• Gaming
  • The four-star Pyro character also arrived on Jan. 31. He will be available until Feb. 21.

Banners (Phase One and Two) and Shop

The first phase will see Gaming and Xianyun come to the game, but the other featured five-star character, alongside Xianyun, will be Nahida.

The featured weapon is the Catalyst Crane’s Echoing Call, dedicated to Xianyun’s use. It can also be equipped on the Wanderer, Heizou, and Sucrose. It boosts Plunging Attacks, making it perfect for the Wanderer.

The second phase will begin on Feb. 21 and will exclusively feature reruns. The featured characters will be Yae Miko and Xiao.

In the shop, you’ll also be able to purchase discounted outfits:

• Shenhe‘s Frostflower Dew: 1,350 Genesis Crystals instead of 1,680
• Ganyu‘s Twilight Blossom: 1,350 Genesis Crystals instead of 1,680

The Serenitea Pot interface also received minor improvements, such as more Furnishing categories. More interface adjustments were added, too, such as menu clarity and the Artifact’s Fast Equip feature.

Commission Quests you have yet to complete have more chances of appearing now, which is a great change for completing achievements.

New quests

• New Story Quest for Xianyun: Grus Serena Chapter: Act I “A Thousand Moonlit Miles”
• New World Quests
  • Chenyu’s Blessings of Sunken Jade Quest Chain
  • The Cloud-Padded Path to the Chiwang Repose
  • Threefold Expectations
  • A Wangshan Walk to Remember
  • Scrolls and Sword Manuals of Guhua
  • Shrouded Vale, Hidden Hero
  • The Roaming Abode
  • The Dealing Sands
  • Our Chenyu Vale Trek
  • Chili Con Cloudy
  • Qiaoying, the Village of Many Tales
  • Temporary Acclimatization…

New events

• Lunar New Year event: Lantern Rite
  • Begins on Jan. 31 and ends on Feb. 20.
  • Similarly to previous years, players can choose a free four-star character from Liyue.
  • You can earn a free Xingqiu outfit and Crown of Insight by completing the Hustle and Bustle event quest.
• Daily log-in rewards
  • From Feb. 3 to 18, you can get up to 10 free Intertwined Fate, used for Wishes.
• TCG Event

New TCG cards

Fans of the TCG game mode are in for a treat because Patch 4.4 will be quite significant. It’ll likely make waves in the meta with Equipment, Support, and Character cards from several Elements.

• Thoma’s Character Card and Talent Card
• Sayu’s Character and Talent Card
• Cryo Hypostasis’ Character and Talent Card
• Millennial Pearl Seahorse’s Character and Talent Card
• Two Equipment Cards: Sapwood Blade and Veteran’s Visage
• Two Support Cards: Jeht, Silver and Melus
• Three Event Cards: Matsutake Meat Rolls, Machine Assembly Line, Sunyata Flower

In addition to new cards, a slew of balance changes will shake up popular strategies in the game mode. They will adjust the Event Card In Every House a Stove, Equipment Card Vourukasha’s Glow, and the Thunder Manifestation’s Character Card.

Exploration content

• New Area: Lithic Oath in Chenyu, in Liyue.
  • You can travel through pearls and collect Spirit Carps to get blessings from the Rainjade Oblation.
• New Boss: Solitary Suanni, for Xianyun’s Ascension.
• New Enemy: Xuanwen Beasts

New recipes

• Honey Char Siu (Chef Mao)
• Chenyu Brew (Lianfang)
• Jadevein Tea Eggs (Lianfang)
• Tea-Smoked Squab (Lianfang)
• Deep-Fried Doublecrisp (Licai)
• Braised Meatballs (Licai)

Spiral Abyss rotation

Floor 11 has been adjusted to offer a new challenge. The party can gain an Anemo bonus. Monsters have been changed. The meta favors Plunging Attacks and healing.

Genshin Impact Patch 4.4 release date

Genshin Impact Patch 4.4 will release on Jan. 31, or a few hours before midnight in North America, depending on the length of the maintenance. It will start on Jan. 30 at 6pm CT.

The developer expects it to last for five hours, and players will get 60 Primogems offered for each hour of maintenance (so probably around 300).

You can already pre-download the update by launching the client. The button will appear on the left of the Play button. On PC, the update requires around 9 GB of storage space.