With Version 5.0 and our adventure in the nation of Natlan fast approaching, Genshin Impact has begun rolling out the drip marketing for the second major Natlan patch, Version 5.1. While 5.0 will feature our first batch of Natlan natives – Mualani, Kinich, and Kachina – the following version update will continue that trend as the first playable 5-star of 5.1 is Xilonen.
Xilonen is a new 5-star Geo character who we first saw in the “A Name Forged in Fire” teaser trailer. She joins a small batch of characters including Diona and Tighnari who bear animal features as Xilonen has the ears and tail of a leopard or jaguar. Similar to the other Natlan characters, her design elements lean towards a more modern style of dress than any other nation in Genshin Impact, with denim shorts and a fuzzy furry jacket at her back.
When it comes to Xilonen’s weapon of choice, she’ll likely end up as a Geo Sword unit. While her drip marketing doesn’t much away, all of the current craftable Natlan weapons seem to correlate with the first batch of new Natlan units (for example, the HP% Catalyst works excellently on Mualani). The Flute of Ezpital, Natlan’s 4-star Sword, has both a DEF% substat and increases DEF% on Elementa Skill use, a stat mainly used by Geo characters. This would make Xilonen the third 5-star Geo Sword behind Albedo and the recently released Chiori.
Xilonen, Famed Smith
According to Xilonen’s character bio, she’s a famed blacksmith whose skill with the forge is renowned throughout Natlan. However, she cares little for titles and puts her position as an artisan above everything else. She’s also well-acquainted with Mauvika, the Pyro Archon, as Xilonen is the artist behind her stylish sunglasses. Lastly, Xilonen seems to enjoy her free time, with both her character bio and appearance in the “A Name Forged in Fire” teaser showing her slacking off her work.
If the phrase drip-marketing is new to you, it’s a term used to describe promotional material for gacha games that are released before a unit is officially unveiled. For Hoyoverse titles like Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero, drip marketing for new characters tends to release a full version before they come out, giving players time to save up their Primogems.
Xilonen is the first featured 5-star of Version 5.1 which releases sometime in early-to-mid October. Meanwhile, the first Natlan patch, Version 5.0, releases on August 28th.
