HoYoverse announced that Genshin Impact Version 4.5 “Blades Weaving Betwixt Brocade” will arrive on March 13. Following the New Year celebration in Liyue, players will be invited to Mondstadt and help Jean, Lisa, and the Knights of Favonius develop the local alchemical potion business. What’s more, the genius designer Chiori can finally be recruited by players. Several optimizations are also implemented in this new version, including a new info hub “Training Guide” which can provide various suggestions for developing characters in Travelers’ parties.

In the latest major seasonal event “Alchemical Ascension,” Travelers can answer the call of the Knights of Favonius and assist Lisa in managing an alchemical potion shop to promote the local business. Players must handle every step of the production process, including cultivating ingredients, concocting potions, and selling them to customers. As revenue increases, players can expand the scale of the business by purchasing more operational facilities and exquisite potion bottles to increase the business areas and number of potions that can be sold. Players can also meet familiar faces and strike a deal with them. In return, players can exchange for various rewards, including the exclusive 4-star polearm “Dialogues of the Desert Sages.” Additionally, players who want to take a break from adventuring can also play with the cats in “Feline Fortress Furrdyssey” and engage in cannon-firing gameplay in the “Rolling Crossfire” event.

Chiori, the genius Inazuma fashion designer and owner of Chioriya Boutique in Fontaine, will also join as a 5-star Geo sword wielder. Travelers will thus be able to find out more about her in the upcoming update. In combat, Chiori can summon her automaton doll and design assistant, “Tamoto,” to deal with DMG based on her Defense and Attack. If a Geo Construct is nearby, Chiori will summon one additional “Tamoto.” When casting her Elemental Burst, she will draw her twin blades and execute a clean cut, dealing AoE Geo DMG. During exploration, Chiori can increase party members’ Movement Speed by 10% if one of the party members is wearing a non-default outfit or wind glider. She will also reveal more of the challenges and opportunities she faces in her work during Fontaine Fashion Week in her latest Story Quest.

In the Version 4.5 Event Wishes, Chiori and Arataki Itto will be featured in the first half followed by Neuvillette and Kaedehara Kazuha in the second half. Moreover, a brand-new “Chronicled Wish” will also be available for the first time in Version 4.5, bringing with it 5-star characters Albedo, Eula, Mona, Klee, Diluc, and Jean, as well as more than 10 5-star weapons such as Wolf’s Gravestone and Hunter’s Path in the same Wish. Players can chart a course toward their desired 5-star character or weapon, and their second 5-star item obtained will be their desired item (if they did not get it the first time).

To make the adventure and combat experience easier, especially for players in the early stages of the game, the latest version will bring new system optimizations. In the Paimon Menu, the “Training Guide” provides useful tips and suggestions for enhancing the characters in the player’s party based on their level, weapons, artifacts, and talents. For instance, if the player checks the recommendations for a particular character’s weapons, the Training Guide will show how to ascend the equipped weapon, where to obtain ascension materials, and what weapons are commonly equipped for said character according to other players. In addition, the character’s Talents interface will now display upgrade materials, so Travelers can know at a glance which materials they need.