Genshin Impact is now well into the depths of its second major content update, Version 1.2, which introduced players to the Dragonspine region. That said, certain remnants of Version 1.1, like the new Geo five-star character, Zhongli, remain the topic of heated debates between fans and miHoYo, the game's developer.
While fans were generally excited about Zhongli's arrival, many ended up being disappointed by his movekit's lack of power. More specifically, Zhongli seemed to be a relatively insignificant Genshin Impact character until players managed to fully unlock his Constellation, a process which requires additional copies of the rare character.
The game's characters come in all sorts of shapes and forms, and there are different kinds of five-star characters, but nonetheless, nearly all five-star characters in Genshin Impact boast impressive stats and abilities from the get-go, regardless of Constellation. The fact that Zhongli was released as a character that went from being low-tier to God-tier depending on their Constellation level alarmed fans of the free-to-play game, and disappointed players hoping to team up with the so-called God of Contracts.
Thankfully, miHoYo did respond to the Zhongli controversy. And now, after Zhongli was already adjusted along with the entirety of Geo Element mechanics, the developer has decided that fans might've actually had a good point: Zhongli is still a relatively weak support character. As such, miHoYo will be improving the character's abilities even more.
Even as of the existing Zhongli buffs, miHoYo insisted that Zhongli was intended as a support character, rather than a straightforward damage-dealer. Of course, fans were quick to point out that Zhongli's kit still didn't really make sense in that case, as he still paled in comparison to even four-star "support" characters. It seems that miHoYo is finally seeing things under a different light, as it has conceded that Zhongli was still insignificant unless players had an existing foundation of teammates who employ "Geo Resonance," an ability currently possessed solely by Zhongli himself.
His new adjustments can be reviewed in detail on miHoYo's announcement, but they include some neat visual enhancements, and another set of buffs to Zhongli's Elemental Skill, Dominus Lapidis (Hold). With Version 1.3, players who are being protected by Zhongli's Jade Shield will also emit a debuff that lowers surrounding enemies' Elemental and Physical RES by 20 percent.
The above effect cannot be stacked, but it presents a significant offensive advantage to players being guarded by a Jade Shield. And needless to say, it's simply nice to see the game's developers directly acknowledge the specific concerns regarding Zhongli's strategic value as a five-star character, and his relevance as a support character in and out of the game's co-op mode. This sets a promising precedent for future characters, as it's clear that miHoYo is willing and able to recognize and celebrate their fans' thoughts.
Genshin Impact is available now on the App Store, Google Play, PC, and PS4, and is currently in development for PS5 and Switch.