Genshin Impact Update 2.5: Release date, characters, and everything new

Genshin Impact 2.4 may have just been released, but miHoYo is looking toward Update 2.5 over the next month, never content to just let one of the best Android games sit idle. Going by its update cadence, 2.5 should arrive around Feb. 16. Though miHoYo has only revealed one new playable character so far — Yae Miko — there are plenty of leaks that point to what players can expect in the upcoming update. Here’s everything we know about Genshin Impact Update 2.5 so far.

Genshin Impact Update 2.5: New characters headlined by Yae Miko

Yae Miko is confirmed to join the growing roster as a playable character in Update 2.5. She was first introduced in Update 2.0 as the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine in Inazuma. Over the course of Chapter 2’s Archon Quest, players learned she’s an old friend of the Raiden Shogun and can take on the form of a fox.

• Yae Miko: Yae Miko is a five-star Electro catalyst user. According to data miners, her Elemental Skill and Burst focus on dealing large amounts of Electro damage, summoning kitsune spirits onto the battlefield.

A four-star character is usually added alongside the new five-star character in each update, but miHoYo hasn’t revealed who it will be just yet. However, leaks point toward the four-star Electro character Kuki Shinobu who works with Arataki Itto.

Banner reruns are rumored to include Kokomi, Raiden Shogun, and Kazuha, though miHoYo hasn’t confirmed these either.

• Raiden Shogun: Raiden Shogun is a fire-star Electro polearm user and is the vessel for the Electro Archon. She spends most of her time in the Plane of Euthymia and is obsessed with the idea of eternity.
• Sangonomiya Kokomi: A five-star Hydro catalyst user, Kokomi rules over Watatsumi Island in Inazuma and excels as a support healer.
• Kaedehara Kazuha: Hailing from the Kaedehara Clan, Kazuha is a five-star Anemo sword user and a member of Beidou’s ship.

Genshin Impact Update 2.5: New weapons, monsters, and events

The Genshin Impact Leaks subreddit posted new elemental warriors that people claim remind them of designs seen in Dark Souls or Elden Ring. In addition, it looks like the Raiden Shogun will be a new weekly boss that players fight for rare materials.

Other leaks include a couple of new catalyst options, which makes perfect sense when Yae Miko will be added as a playable character to the roster. The five-star option, Kagura’s Verity, seems to have a max base attack of 608. The four-star catalyst, Oathsworn Eye, will have a max base attack of 565.

As for events, we’ll need to wait and see what miHoYo has in store. Odds are with Yae Miko’s banner and a Raiden Shogun rerun, we could expect more events in the Inazuma region. Also, Enkanomiya, the mysterious region that lies below Watatsumi Island, was recently made available in Update 2.4, so miHoYo could certainly add more missions there.

Genshin Impact Update 2.5: Release date

MiHoYo has not confirmed a release date for Genshin Impact Update 2.5, but judging by past updates, which usually occur at 42-day intervals, we can expect Update 2.5 out around Feb. 16, 2022. Server maintenance usually begins around 6 a.m. China Standard Time (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT), lasting anywhere between four to six hours. Players are compensated 60 Primogems per hour that servers are down.