Everything we know about Genshin Impact 3.0

Genshin Impact 3.0 preview of Lesser Lord Kusanali and other characters
(Image credit: miHoYo)

The Genshin Impact 3.0 release is imminent—it's been a long time coming, but we're finally getting to venture into the forest realm of the Dendro Archon. Finally, it's time to take the next step in Genshin's overarching story of gods and mortals not knowing how to be pals.

Alongside the new lush, flower-filled region, we've three new characters in the form of Tighnari, Collei, and Dori, the first two of which are Genshin's first Dendro characters. The good news is that Collei will be free in the upcoming Graven Innocence event, so everyone will be able to give Dendro a shot.

There are also new events, big bosses, region weapons, artifacts, and a healthy dose of content that all players were anticipating. In this Genshin Impact 3.0 guide, I'll explain all of the new stuff that's arriving as part of Sumeru, as well as when you can expect to play it for yourself.

When is the Genshin Impact 3.0 release date?

Genshin Impact 3.0 will release on August 24. As usual, the update will be available after a brief maintenance period for which players will receive Primogem compensation. 

The first phase features Tighnari and Zhongli's banners, while the second phase will see the return of Ganyu and Kokomi. Dendro character, Collei, will feature on the first two as a boosted four-star, while electro four-star Dori, will be boosted on Ganyu and Kokomi's banners. 

Who are the Genshin Impact 3.0 characters?

 There are three new characters in Genshin Impact 3.0: 

  • Tighnari: This five-star fox boy is a Dendro archer who specialises in firing arrows that split into multiple projectiles that strike enemies. He is also a forest watcher and head of the Avidya forest rangers to which Collei belongs. Tighnari's banner will be available in the first phase of Genshin Impact 3.0 on August 24.
  • Collei: This four-star ranger-in-training is pretty similar to Amber in a lot of ways; she uses a bow, likes to glide, and has a cuddly mascot that she uses as part of her burst. It's not so surprising when you consider that they became friends in the Genshin Impact prequel manga. You'll be able to get Collei for free in the Graven Innocence event, or as a boosted four-star on Tighnari or Zhongli's banners.
  • Dori: This four-star Electro merchant is a claymore-user with a genie. She primarily acts as a support character and has a handy skill where her genie attaches a tether to the active character to heal them and regenerate energy. You can get Dori as a boosted four-star in the second phase of Genshin Impact 3.0 by wishing on Ganyu or Kokomi's banners. This should be around September 14.

Shield-master Zhongli, Hydro-healer Kokomi, and Cryo DPS Ganyu are also returning for reruns in Genshin Impact 3.0, with Zhongli in the first phase, and Kokomi and Ganyu in the second. 

Sumeru and Dendro

The new Genshin Impact region of Sumeru has been teased for quite a long time now through the dialogue of NPCs and the new version livestreams. Sumeru is the realm of the Dendro Archon, basically the god of flowers and foliage. As such, the region is filled with lush rainforests and Sumeru City is even built into a big ol' tree. The city is also home to the Akademiya, Sumeru's ruling class of scholars who strictly control knowledge as a resource using the Akasha Terminals. 

Besides the main city there is also Port Ormos, the trade centre for Sumeru where Dori lives. There is also Avidya rainforest and its spirits, a ruin-filled desert, and a massive overgrown robot, but as with Inazuma, we might not get to see all of this at first. The new Archon quest for Sumeru is set to run for a few versions, so miHoYo might gradually expand the area to include more.

Sumeru also sees the full introduction of the Dendro element. Though it previously existed in the game, Dendro is getting characters like Tighnari and Collei as well as the fully fleshed out new elemental reactions: Burning, Bloom, and Catalyze. Similar to the puzzles in Inazuma, you'll be able to use Electro, Hydro, and Pyro to change the state of certain objects in the region. If you're curious about the combat specifics of Dendro, you can see the full demonstration in the video above.

Genshin Impact 3.0 events

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Besides the new Archon quest centred around Lesser Lord Kusanali and "the withering" that's destroying Sumeru's idyllic forests, there are also a number of events. 

In Graven Innocence, we'll be helping Collei come up with ideas for a toy store in Port Ormos by finding inspiration throughout Sumeru. The biggest part of this event is that you can get Collei for free just by completing the tutorial quest.

The next event, Tablet Analytics, is about helping an alchemist experiment with "remelting tablets" by using their buffs in combat challenges to earn rewards. The Seelie companions are also back in Lost Riches, and as with Inazuma, you'll be able to grab your very own Dendro Seelie by searching for buried treasure.

Lastly, Ley Line Overflow returns, likely at the end of the version, so players can get double drops of Mora or EXP materials from Ley Lines of Wealth or Wisdom. 

Genshin Impact 3.0 bosses

There are two new bosses in the new Sumeru region: 

  • Jadeplume Terrorshroom: The big new boss for Sumeru is the amazingly named Jadeplume Terrorshroom, and it's kind of like a fungal horse-dog-ostrich creature? This boss will have a rage state called "Activated" but you can apparently change its state by inflicting Burning with Pyro, which will cause it to spread spores around the arena.
  • Electro Regisvine: We haven't seen a new Regisvine in a long time, but this new Electro variant has some special abilities to set it apart from its Pyro and Cryo cousins. It can create Waxing and Waning Stamens, and if present at the same time, they'll create a big Electro explosion.

I also wouldn't be surprised if we saw a story-based boss similar to the Raiden Shogun is version 2.0, but we'll have to wait and see. 

Genshin Impact 3.0 Weapons and artifacts

(Image credit: miHoYo)

The new characters are predominantly archers, so it's no surprise that we're getting two new bows on the weapon banner, and a series of Sumeru-themed four-star weapons that will presumably be accessible through quests, in the same way they were for Inazuma:

Swipe to scroll horizontally
WeaponTypeRaritySource
Hunter's PathBowFive-starEpitome Invocation banner
End of the LineBowFour-starEpitome Invocation banner
King's SquireBowFour-starSumeru region
Sapwood BladeSwordFour-starSumeru region
MoonpiercerPolearmFour-starSumeru region
Forest RegaliaClaymoreFour-starSumeru region
Fruit of FulfillmentCatalystFour-starSumeru region

There are also two new artifact sets focused around Dendro and elemental reactions that you'll be able to get from Domains in Sumeru: 

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ArtifactTwo-piece effectFour-piece effect
Deepwood Memories15% Dendro damage bonusAfter elemental skills or bursts hit opponents, the targets' Dendro resistance is decreased by 30% for eight seconds
Gilded Dreams+80 elemental masterywhen triggering an elemental reaction, gain buffs based on elemental party composition. Attack is increased by 14% for every character with the same element as the equipper, and elemental mastery is buffed by 50 for every different element. These buffs will only count three characters and can be triggered once every eight seconds.

Also, Sumeru has crocodiles

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Look at this angry boi.

Sean Martin
Guides Writer

Sean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since. When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, agonizing over his Destiny 2 fit, or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy. Sean has also written for EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, and Inverse.