Everything New with the Genshin Impact 3.4 Update

Genshin Impact has been out for more than 2 years and now we are celebrating its 3rd Lantern Rite Festival. It’s update time tomorrow (January 18, 2023) and the livestream for patch 3.4 has shown us that it is much more stacked than the previous updates. Here’s everything new with the Genshin Impact 3.4 Update!

Event Wish Banners

As usual, what most players look forward to during new patches are the new characters and this time we get two – Yao Yao and Alhaitham! Both have been very much awaited, especially the new 4-star, polearm-wielding loli Dendro user Yao Yao. Teased way back even before the game was released, many of us wondered if she will ever see the light of day, especially when she was nowhere in sight when the borders of Sumeru opened. The wait is over as you can summon for her starting in the phase 1 banner of the patch. More on both characters below!

They will be followed closely in Phase 2 with a rerun of the quirky Hu Tao and the provocative miss Yelan.

New Character: Yao Yao

Yao Yao looks so cute as she wields a weapon way taller than her but her real role might be that be of a support character as her mechanic revolves around her pet bunny that can either attack enemies or heal party members depending on who or which is closer.

New Character: Alhaitham

The new 5-star for this patch is none other than Alhaitham, the hottest daddy since the release of Zhongli, and he might just take the throne. Teased way back during the first part of the Sumeru teasers, we only got to interact with him during the Archon quests. Since then, guys and gals alike have been thirsting for him and have been satisfying themselves with memes. Players can now attempt to slake that thirst as he will also be available in the phase 1 banner of the patch alongside the grumpy shorty, Xiao.

Alhaitham is a sword-wielding anemo user. His combos look cool as it makes it appear that he is dual-wielding swords! At a glance, Alhaitham looks like an on-field DPS. His mechanic is all about stacking mirror shards, which infuses his attacks with dendro and makes his elemental burst stronger with each available mirror shard.

New Area: The Desert of Hadramaveth

As if the desert of Sumeru wasn’t large enough, another desert area, The Desert of Hadramaveth, will be unlocked for the region. This desert differs as it is beset by a raging sandstorm, which is central to the mechanics and play experience of the area.

New Boss: Setekh Wenut

With a new area comes new challenges in the forms of enemies and bosses! The newest boss looks like the Ruin Serpent and the Golden Wolflord had a baby that was infused with anemo. We could only wonder what dastardly tricks this menacing monster brings this time!