Travelers have two more days to try and acquire the newest Genshin Impact five-star, Albedo, before his "Special Character Banner" concludes. That being said, many players have been eagerly awaiting the conclusion of this banner, as it implies the introduction of the game's next rare five-star character, the Liyue Qixing's Emissary, Ganyu.

Players have known for some time that Ganyu was going to be officially introduced to Genshin Impact alongside Albedo as part of Version 1.2. However, her exact date of arrival has remained unconfirmed until very recently, when miHoYo quietly posted a Facebook update regarding her upcoming banner.

RELATED: Genshin Impact: How To Get Geoculus

As per an announcement on the official Genshin Impact Facebook, Ganyu's banner, "Adrift in the Harbor," will take place from January 12, 2021, 18:00, until February 2, 2021, 14:59 (EST). This coincides perfectly with the release of Ganyu's Story Quest, which players will be able to take on as of Adventure Rank 40.

The post was quickly followed by an in-game notification, which confirmed that Adrift in the Harbor will introduce Ganyu as the new five-star, and replace Bennett, Sucrose, and Fischl, with a new trio of four-stars. Unfortunately, the new selection of four-stars has quickly drawn criticism for being old: Xingqiu, Noelle, and Xiangling.

Noelle and Xiangling are both given freely to all players, while Xingqiu has been in the game since launch, so most players have managed to summon a copy if not several. Some fans, on the other hand, are simply disappointed that there isn't an entirely new four-star character to go along with Ganyu. Nonetheless, the work-loving secretary and Cocogoat, Ganyu, will officially be available via Wish on January 12.

Players who haven't gotten to acquaint themselves with Ganyu should know the basic facts before deciding whether or not to invest in this character:

  • Ganyu is a Cryo Vision wielder and an archer
  • She is frequently compared to Amber - their skillsets are quite similar, though Ganyu does offer some unique area of effect Cryo DMG perks
  • Ganyu loves eating Qingxin Flower petals
  • She is a half-Adeptus half-human hybrid - the blood of the "illuminated beast," qilin, is said to run through her veins

As of now, Travelers know that Ganyu will require Shivada Jade and Hoarfrost Cores to Ascend, however, her designated Local Specialty remains unconfirmed. Given her association with the moon and general purity, many players speculate she will require numbers of Glaze Lily to Ascend, but her preferred snack of Qingxin Flower is a Liyue Local Specialty, so other possibilities certainly exist.

Players will be able to summon Ganyu through the entirety of her banner, and presumably, on or around February 2, 2021, a new five-star character will take the spotlight. While new characters like Xiao are already expected, some Travelers are itching for a second chance at past features like Klee, Tartaglia, and the Geo Archon Zhongli, so perhaps new isn't always best.

Genshin Impact is available now on the App Store, Google Play, PC, and PS4, and is currently in development for PS5 and Switch.

MORE: Genshin Impact: How To Get Flaming Red Bolognese