Genshin Impact fans have already been kicking off the new year with several new features, all introduced by the game's Version 1.2 update. From five-star character Albedo to the entire Dragonspine region, players have been able to spend the first parts of 2021 exploring all new content.
Now that Albedo's special in-game event is long gone, and his banner has transitioned into the Ganyu banner, Genshin Impact fans are once again looking to the horizon. Version 1.3 of the game has been known to be in the works since late last year, but as of a recent official tweet, it seems its release date may be just around the corner.
Last year, Travelers learned all the Version 1.2 news from a special miHoYo livestream that also gifted free Primogems. Although it came after a series of leaks had already started to spread rumors, the special video gave players an in-depth preview of Version 1.2 and the Dragonspine region it was set to introduce. Now that both of Version 1.2's five-star characters have been introduced, it seems miHoYo is ready to press forward.
As per the official Japanese Genshin Impact Twitter account, there will be a special livestream on Friday, January 22, 2021. The stream (in Japanese) is titled "Xiao, Ascend to the Sea Version 1.3 Notice Special Program" and promises to introduce the latest official Version 1.3 information. Needless to say, its title heavily suggests that the five-star character Xiao will in fact be featured as part of Version 1.3.
Existing rumors placed Xiao's arrival at some point in Spring 2021. Though it was known he wouldn't arrive as a playable character in Version 1.2, Xiao was originally featured in the game's beta during an in-game event commemorating the traditional Chinese springtime "Lantern Festival." The Lantern Festival is set to be a March event in Genshin Impact, and given the Version 1.3 livestream's late January date, it's likely that Version 1.3 won't be introduced until February. Both of these details line up nicely with a potential Xiao banner in late-February/early-March.
Not to mention, previous Easter eggs pointed at a big March 17 event for Genshin Impact. Could this event be the arrival of Version 1.3 itself? If it isn't, it will likely consist of either a new powerful character's introduction, or perhaps an unannounced Version 1.3 event. Version 1.2 had players playing through The Chalk Prince and the Dragon, which helped introduce several new key characters like Rosaria. Who's to say Version 1.3 won't start setting the stage for even later characters, like Scaramouche, Baizhu, and Ayaka?
Genshin Impact is available now on the App Store, Google Play, PC, and PS4, and is currently in development for PS5 and Switch.