Genshin Impact Version 7.0 Arrives 12 August with Snezhnaya, Odette and Alyosha

HoYoverse has announced that Genshin Impact Version 7.0, titled Everwinter Without Mercy, will launch on 12 August, marking the long-awaited arrival of Snezhnaya, Teyvat’s seventh and final nation.

Snezhnaya sits on the northern edge of Teyvat, a frozen land of relentless cold and blizzards where settlements are scattered across vast icefields and connected by an extensive train network. Players arrive by boarding one of these trains, which carry them across the frozen terrain to Snezhnograd, home to the Fatui’s headquarters and the centre of Snezhnaya’s technological and military power.

The new Archon Quest pulls back the curtain on a catastrophic blizzard, the energy crisis gripping Snezhnaya and the forces behind it, with completion rewarding up to 560 Primogems. A Snezhnaya Adventure Journal tracks progress and provides quick access to destinations and rewards throughout the region.

Upon arriving in Snezhnaya, players receive the Eye of Graeae, a versatile tool that provides protection against the cold, allows players to call for trains and enables the fabrication of Prime Ice Constructs for puzzle-solving and co-op interactions. It also unlocks a new third-person shooter mode with three new firearms and various weapon attachments scattered across the region, with combat demanding tactical flexibility across diverse environments.

A new elemental reaction called Stellar Swirl is introduced this version, triggered by combining Anemo and Cryo. It summons a Stellar Vortex dealing Anemo and Cryo damage, with repeated triggers raising the Vortex’s level to amplify its eventual detonation.

In the open world, Stellar Swirl significantly boosts jump height, while Stellar-Conduct introduced in the previous version unlocks new environmental interactions. Interacting with Snezhnaya’s Statues of the Seven grants the Traveler Cryo elemental power, allowing them to trigger all Stellar Glimmer reactions in a party.

Two new characters debut in Version 7.0. Odette is a five-star Cryo Sword wielder who serves as a Fatui operative under La Signora, though she is perhaps better known in Snezhnaya as a celebrated ballerina. Her kit converts Superconduct and Cryo Swirl reactions into Stellar-Conduct and Stellar Swirl respectively while amplifying all Stellar Glimmer reaction damage across the party.

Her Elemental Skill deploys a dance double dealing continuous AoE Cryo damage and granting a Stellar Glimmer reaction damage bonus to all party members, with a follow-up activation pulling Odette and her double into a duet for a burst of Cryo AoE damage. Her Elemental Burst deals multiple waves of AoE Cryo damage and increases her own Stellar Glimmer reaction damage output.

Joining her is Alyosha, a four-star Electro Polearm wielder and Snezhnayan hunter who fights alongside his canine companion Tugarin. He provides Stellar-Conduct damage buffs and restores HP to nearby party members during battle.

Alyosha can be obtained for free by progressing through the new Archon Quest. The first-half Event Wishes pair Odette and Alyosha’s debuts with a rerun of Arlecchino, while the second half brings back Flins and Ineffa.

Limited-time events this version include train races across the ice, target shooting competitions, Domain challenges and helping a Jack Frost reach its destination, with rewards including a chance to obtain Diona for free. Miliastra Wonderland also kicks off a summer spooky tales event with its own reward track including a new head accessory.