Genshin Impact’s Fontaine Fully Revealed in 4.0 Special Program, Release Date Confirmed

The highly anticipated Fontaine region has finally been shown off in detail during the Version 4.0 Special Programme for Genshin Impact. After being teased for several months, this hour-long livestream has given us our first proper look at Fontaine’s story, environment, characters, events and more. The Special Programme also detailed several quality-of-life updates as well as what Event Wishes will be in Version 4.0. As with any major update, there is a ton of new information and details to sift through. 

As always with a Genshin Impact Special Programme, there are several codes Travellers can enter to earn themselves some free rewards. In total, entering all three codes will net you 300 Primogems, as well as some useful upgrade materials. Be quick, though, as these codes will expire very soon: 

• 3BRLL59ZCZKD
• WA845MQHUHKH
• ZT8MLL8GCYKM

Lyney the Magician

First off, we have the first Fontaine 5-Star unit, Lyney. He is our third Pyro Bow character after Amber and Yoimiya, but he has quite a unique playstyle built around his role as a magician. With his Charged Normal Attacks, Lyney shoots Prop Arrows that create decoy Grin-Malkin Hat on hit which will taunt any nearby enemies before exploding. Meanwhile, his Elemental Skill is a massive burst of fireworks that deal high damage to nearby opponents, whereas his Burst transforms Lyney into a Grin-Malkin who can blast away foes with ease. Interestingly, Lyney’s kit seems to specialise and promote, mono-Pyro teams so keep that in mind when using him. 

Accompanying Lyney is his twin sister and assistant, Lynette. She is a 4-Star Anemo Sword specialising in dealing high damage from the shadows. With her Elemental Skill, Lynette will flick her magician’s mantle and perform an attack called the Enigma Thrust: this attack will restore Lynette’s HP on impact but then drain her HP slightly over the next few seconds. If you simply the button, Lynette will instantly perform an Enigma Thrust. If you hold it, though, she will enter a high-speed state (similar to Yelan) which marks a nearby target and cause her to teleport to that target to perform an Enigma Thrust once the state has ended. 

Alongside the twin magicians, we have their younger brother, Friminet. He is a 4-Star Cryo Claymore who builds special stacks called Pressure after using his Elemental Skill. By building this Pressure, Freminet can perform increasingly powerful Cryo-infused attacks, which grow stronger with each Pressure Level. Then, in his Burst, Freminet will unleash a wave of frost and ice that damages nearby enemies while enhancing his ability to sufficiently gain Pressure stacks. 

As for what Character Event Wishes will be active during Version 4.0, phase 1 will feature our newest Fontaine 5-Star Lyney along with the mysterious Yelan. Meanwhile, in phase 2, Travellers can summon to either get their hands on the Geo Archon Zhongli or the battle-hungry Harbinger Childe. Additionally, Lynette will be available as a rate-up 4-Star on both Lyney and Yelan’s banners, whereas Friminet will be on rate-up on Zhongli and Childe’s banners. 

The livestream revealed many interesting things about Fontaine and its world. Separated from the rest of Teyvat by a massive waterfall suspended on a heightened plate, Fontaine is unlike anywhere else in Genshin Impact. Taking inspiration from France, Fontaine is the Land of Hydro built (quite literally) on trials and the judicial system. Criminal trials generate the energy and resources used to power Fontaine’s mechanical world and everything from their Meka aids and helpers to their Aquabus travel system and more rely on this energy to thrive. It appears that Fontaine’s story will heavily touch on this brand of performative justice and how everyone in the region – including the Hydro Archon – revels in its cruelty. 

The biggest thing touched on, though, was an in-depth exploration of underwater exploration. While in Fontaine’s borders, players can dive into any significant body of water to instantly begin underwater exploration. One thing emphasised in the livestream was that, to prevent a feeling of irritation or annoyance, there won’t be an oxygen meter or stamina bar when swimming: there is a separate Aquatic Stamina Bar used for swimming faster but running out of this won’t result in drowning. There will be tons of different areas to explore and things to do, including some special underwater environments suspended in the air above Fontaine. 

As for how combat works underwater, it’s completely different from overworld combat. Instead of using Elemental Skills and Bursts like usual, players will be able to “capture” the abilities of certain underwater creatures: these include a special type of shield, a blast of water and more. These abilities are how Travellers will be able to contend with the horrors lurking under Fontaine’s waters in Genshin Impact 4.0. 

Underwater Exploration

Next up is the Events roster for Genshin Impact 4.0. As always, there are a bunch of different events and activities players can participate in to earn unique resources, materials and Primogems. Mega Meka Melee is the flagship event for 4.0, a broad event with everything from underwater racing to combat challenges to even a rhythm game. This event, alongside the usual suite of rewards, will give everyone access to Bennett as a free character, allowing you to add him to your team. 

Perhaps the most exciting event in Version 4.0 concerns one of our new 4-Stars, Lynette. Once Travelers have reached Adventurer Level 25, they will be able to claim one copy of Lynette, completely free, allowing you to add a brand new Fontaine character to your ranks without summoning. Additionally, you’ll receive the upgrade materials necessary to raise Lynette to Ascension Rank 1, which will be a big help for any newer players looking to use her. 

There were also some smaller details worth mentioning. Firstly, the Fontaine Archon Quest will run without breaks from Version 4.0 to 4.2, allowing Travellers to fully experience the main story without a lull between Versions. Secondly, an update to the map system will allow it to start displaying multi-layered environments. 5 new weapons also join the Battle Pass, allowing you to choose from 10 different weapons whenever you hit level 30. Finally, the party screen is getting some nice cosmetic upgrades, with characters having unique exit and entrance animations as well as special poses, similar to how it works in Honkai: Star Rail. 

So when is all this coming out? Genshin Impact Version 4.0, including the new Fontaine region and its new Archon Quest, releases on August 16th.

New Party Set-Up Screen

SOURCE: Genshin Impact Version 4.0 Special Programme