Genshin Impact 4.6’s New Character Already Has One Annoying Problem

Summary

• Leaks suggest Genshin Impact 4.6 will introduce Arlecchino with a unique weapon and gameplay kit.
• Arlecchino’s Ascension materials may be located in a new rumored area, which may require extensive farming.
• Historical precedent shows that new character releases often tie Ascension materials to new areas in the game.

The new rumored character for Genshin Impact 4.6, Arlecchino, already has one major problem ahead of her speculated release as a playable unit. One of the eleven Fatui Harbingers, the Knave is one of the most pleasing members of the enemy faction, much like Childe. The head of the House of the Hearth already made her debut as an NPC during the Fontaine storyline, though she has been anticipated as a playable character, despite the lack of a formal confirmation from developer HoYoverse. There have, however, been leaks about Arlecchino, hinting at details about her and her gameplay.

The most recent leaks highlight a unique weapon for Arlecchino in Genshin Impact 4.6 that may not fully operate when equipped by another character. Leaks about the Fatui Harbinger date back before the release of Fontaine in Version 4.0, but have become more consistent since the Nation of Hydro’s release back in August 2023. Now, as updates go by and the game moves toward the release of Natlan later this year, rumors hint at Arlecchino’s imminent release, which may occur sooner than later – but it is not immune to problems which may already be in play.

Genshin Impact 4.6 May Add Arlecchino & A New Area

So far, there have been many leaks pointing at Arlecchino’s release in Version 4.6. Aside from the aforementioned details about her alleged weapon, there have also been details about her gameplay kit, obtained by the leaker known as Uncle K, and shared by a user on Reddit. If the leaks are correct, Arlecchino will release in Version 4.6. Additionally, a whole new area in Genshin Impact 4.6 has been leaked, as highlighted in another post on Reddit. It seems like the dead zone west of Chenyu Vale and south of the Morte region in Fontaine will be filled in.

It is expected that the new zone will be part of the region of Fontaine rather than Liyue or even Sumeru, which is located to the south.

Arlecchino’s Materials May Be In Genshin Impact 4.6’s New Area

The main issue with the overlapping release of the character and the new area is that it is very likely that Arlecchino’s Ascension materials and perhaps even some of her Talent materials will be part of the new zone itself. This means that players will have to farm some of the materials for her from scratch, without anything in their inventories to get them started.

Map extensions to Teyvat tend to come accompanied by a new set of enemies, occasionally bosses, and commonly Local Specialties. If the leaks are true, to Ascend Arlecchino in Genshin Impact 4.6, players will likely have to do a lot of farming.

Players are expected to put in a lot of effort gathering these materials. If new enemies are introduced, there is a chance that the materials that they drop will be necessary for Arlecchino’s Ascension process. This means that players will have to run routes and eliminate all the enemies they can to see if they drop the required materials and repeat this process over days if they do not gather enough.

Similarly, this may also happen with Local Specialties. Every Genshin Impact character needs a certain Local Specialty to Ascend. If Arlecchino arrives in Version 4.6 along with the new area, players will likely have to hunt down the nodes of an entirely new Local Specialty. The problem with Local Specialties is that these materials only respawn every 48 real-life hours, meaning players have to wait two full days before running a farming route again.

If the rumored area in Version 4.6 also includes a new world boss, which is very possible, then it is also likely that the materials this boss drops will serve for Arlecchino’s Ascension. Essentially, if the Version 4.6 leaks and the speculation about what is included in the rumored new area are true, adequately pre-farming will be impossible.

The only materials players will be able to pre-farm for Arlecchino are the Agnidus Agate elemental stones, since the character is rumored to use Pyro, and Mora. This, in turn, means that players who obtain Arlecchino will spend the first few days of Genshin Impact 4.6 farming vigorously within the alleged new zone.

Rumored Genshin Impact 4.6 Farming Problem Is Not Exactly New

While this may be an inconvenience for players who enjoy pre-farming, the problem involving Arlecchino’s leaked release along with the rumored new area in Teyvat is not something new. In fact, it is very common for new characters that are released in updates that introduce entirely new areas to experience something similar.

Very recently, in fact, Xianyun was released as a playable character in Version 4.4. This was the same patch that added Chenyu Vale to the northern portion of Liyue. With this, most of Xianyun’s Ascension materials in Genshin Impact (not all) were tied to the new area and its resources, from the Clearwater Jade Local Specialty to the Cloudseam Scale world boss material.

A new set of enemies, called Xuanwen Beasts, were also introduced with Version 4.4’s Chenyu Vale, but their Feathery Fin, Lunar Fin, and Chasmlight Fin materials are not required to Ascend Xianyun. They are, however, necessary to Ascend Xianyun’s signature 5-star weapon, Crane’s Echoing Call.

If something similar happens with Arlecchino’s rumored release and the alleged new area, any new enemy types added alongside the zone may not drop materials for the character herself, but for her signature 5-star weapon. This would also allow players to pre-farm some enemy materials, making the release of Arlecchino much less problematic.

Of course, for now, everything is mere speculation and should be treated as such. Arlecchino’s release as a playable character has yet to be confirmed – possibly at some point in mid-March – and players will only likely get an official update on the contents of the next patch with the Version 4.6 livestream, which should occur in mid-April if there are no delays. Leaked information may also be incorrect or subject to change ahead of its in Genshin Impact, so it is best not to create expectations before official confirmation by HoYoverse.

Source: Reddit (1, 2)