Genshin Impact is getting a one-off beetle fighting game mode

Genshin Impact's Arataki Itto in his elemental burst animation. — (Image credit: miHoYo)

HoYoverse is no stranger to creating bizarre minigames for Genshin Impact's various events, and its upcoming endeavour for the 3.4 update is no different. We've had shooters, rhythm games, and even trading card games—the latter of which has managed to spin off into its own permanent mode. This time, it's a fighting game. A beetle fighting game.

Geo husbando Arataki Itto is at the forefront of yet another event, with his love for beetles and beetle battles being turned into a special one-off mode. As always, HoYoverse isn't afraid of getting awfully wordy with its event names, with this one being called Almighty Arataki Extraordinary and Exhilarating Extreme Beetle Brawl. According to IGN, the mode will have the Traveler returning to Inazuma and finding the Arataki gang entrenched in beetle fights galore.

The mode looks similar to a 2D fighter, with the beetles having a lunging move and a backstep along with a stamina meter. The aim is to lunge at the enemy beetle enough times to deplete its health while keeping an eye on your stamina bar, retreating when needed to avoid damage and recover some endurance. It looks incredibly silly in a very Genshin way, and it's a nice way to further play into the joke around Arataki Itto's obsession with beetles and besting them in battle.

onikabuto_battle_event from r/Genshin_Impact

Your beetle also looks a lot more… beetle-ish than the opponent's far beefier stag, which will apparently give them the advantage when it comes to trading blows. It looks like a fun mode, and I really enjoy that HoYoverse uses these limited-time events to experiment with smaller, more niche game modes that don't always have a place in the wider game.

The Genshin Impact 3.4 update is set to release on January 18, kicking off with banners for Alhaitham and Xiao and the new Sumeru location Desert of Hadramaveth.

Mollie spent her early childhood deeply invested in games like Killer Instinct, Toontown and Audition Online, which continue to form the pillars of her personality today. She joined PC Gamer in 2020 as a news writer and now lends her expertise to write a wealth of features, guides and reviews with a dash of chaos. She can often be found causing mischief in Final Fantasy 14, using those experiences to write neat things about her favourite MMO. When she's not staring at her bunny girl she can be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games or spending far too much money at her local arcade.