Genshin Impact: Everything You Need to Know

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play open-world action RPG that’s been running strong since its launch in September 2020. Whether you’re thinking about starting or just want a clear picture of what the game actually is, this article breaks down the world, the combat, the monetization, and what’s changed recently — so you know exactly what you’re getting into.

What Is Genshin Impact?

Developed by miHoYo, now known as HoYoverse, Genshin Impact first released on September 28, 2020, for PC, mobile (Android and iOS), and PlayStation 4. Native PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions followed later, with Xbox support arriving in November 2024.

The game has an anime-style look, a large open world to explore, and combat built around elemental reactions. It’s always-online, meaning you need a connection even for solo play. Characters and weapons are acquired through a gacha system — which means random pulls using in-game or real-money currency.

Core Story And World Of Teyvat

The world is called Teyvat, divided into nations that each tie to one of seven elements. Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, and Natlan are the main ones so far, each with its own culture, architecture, and god-like ruler called an Archon. The world-building is one of the game’s real strengths — every region genuinely feels different.

You play as the Traveler, who arrives in Teyvat with a twin sibling. They’re separated at the start, and the whole story follows the search to find them again. An organization called the Fatui serves as a recurring threat across the main quest. The writing has gotten better over time, and the main story is surprisingly long for a free-to-play game.

How Does Combat Work In Genshin Impact?

Combat is fully real-time. You bring up to four characters into battle and swap between them during a fight. Each character has a normal attack, an elemental skill on a cooldown, and an elemental burst that charges during combat. Dodging matters — this isn’t a passive or auto-play system.

The seven elements are Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro, Hydro, Pyro, and Cryo. When two specific elements hit an enemy at the same time, they trigger a reaction. Vaporize, Melt, Superconduct, and Bloom are some of the most commonly used ones. At casual difficulty, you can mostly ignore reaction math. But in tougher content like the Spiral Abyss, knowing which reactions to set up — and in which order — actually changes your clear time.

Characters, Elements, And Team Roles

Characters come in two rarity tiers: 4-star and 5-star. Each one uses a specific weapon type — sword, claymore, polearm, bow, or catalyst — and is locked to a single element. A 5-star character is generally more powerful, but team fit matters more than rarity alone.

Most teams run four roles: main DPS, sub-DPS, support, and healer or shielder. Getting the right element coverage and role balance is the real challenge, especially in harder content. Here’s a quick reference:

The Spiral Abyss is the game’s main endgame test — timed floors with specific enemy line-ups that push your roster depth. It’s completely optional, but it’s where team-building gets serious.

Gacha System And Monetization

The Wish system is how you pull for characters and weapons. You use Primogems, earned through gameplay or real-money purchases, to pull on banners. Limited-time banners feature specific characters; a permanent standard banner runs all the time. A pity system guarantees a 5-star after a set number of pulls, typically within 90, with increased odds starting earlier.

The main currencies break down like this:

• Primogems — the core currency, earned in-game or purchased
• Intertwined Fates — converted from Primogems, used on limited banners
• Acquaint Fates — for the standard banner only
• Genesis Crystals — bought directly, converted to Primogems
• Welkin Moon / Battle Pass — paid subscriptions offering daily and weekly Primogem income

The base 5-star pull rate sits around 0.6%, which has drawn criticism from players and researchers who compare it to gambling mechanics. HoYoverse has added soft pity and guaranteed systems over time, but it’s worth understanding how the numbers work before deciding to spend anything.

Platforms, Cross-Play, And Progression

The game runs on Windows PC, Android, iOS, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. A Nintendo Switch version has been teased for years but still hasn’t launched as of 2025–2026. Cross-play and cross-save work across most platforms through a HoYoverse account, with PSN and Xbox linking available where applicable.

Progression is tied to Adventure Rank and World Level. Daily farming is gated by a resource called Resin, which refills over time. It keeps sessions from becoming a grind-fest but can feel limiting if you want to do a lot of boss or domain runs in one sitting.

Recent Regions And Updates

Genshin started with Mondstadt and Liyue, then added Inazuma, Sumeru, and Fontaine over the following years. Fontaine introduced underwater exploration areas and characters like Neuvillette and Wriothesley, who became two of the more popular pulls in recent history.

Version 5.0 added Natlan, a new region built around faster movement mechanics — both in exploration and combat. Characters from Natlan tend to have kit designs that lean into mobility, which made the region feel noticeably different from what came before. The game’s content schedule has stayed consistent, with major patches every six weeks.

Community, Events, And Co-Op

Co-op lets up to four players explore together. You can join a friend’s world to farm domains, fight bosses, or collect materials. It’s functional rather than central to the experience — most players run the main content solo.

Time-limited events drop regularly with each patch and hand out Primogems, upgrade materials, and cosmetic items. They range from simple mini-games to short narrative sidequests. Community activity — guides, theorycrafting, fan art, and streaming — tends to spike around new patch releases and major character announcements.

Conclusion

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play RPG that’s genuinely held up across five years and growing. The elemental combat has depth if you want it, the world keeps expanding, and the regular update schedule means there’s usually something new. The gacha system is the biggest thing to understand upfront — especially if spending money is on the table.

If character collection, open-world exploration, and story-driven content appeal to you, it’s worth trying. The cost to start is nothing, so the real question is just whether the format fits how you like to play.