Genshin Impact’s next big reveal window is almost here. HoYoverse is holding the Version 7.1 Special Program on Saturday, September 12, and it’s the broadcast that turns months of Snezhnaya speculation into a locked-in banner order, event list, and reward package. The version is billed as A Rekviem for the Underworld, and the cover art alone sets the tone: the Traveler, Pierro and Dainsleif share space with the Tsaritsa, Anastasya Feodorovna Snezhnaya, plus the Shade of Death Ronova and the Shade of Life Rhinedottir.
Quick answer: The Version 7.1 Special Program airs Saturday, September 12 at 8:00AM ET (12:00PM UTC) on Genshin Impact’s official YouTube and Twitch channels, and it should confirm the Vesna and Vodyanitsa banners, the 7.1 event lineup, and the sixth anniversary rewards.
Broadcast time: Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 8:00AM EDT (12:00PM UTC)
What is confirmed versus what is still leak territory
Only a narrow slice of 7.1 has been officially stated. The broadcast date is set, and both new characters have been introduced through HoYoverse’s own drip marketing. Everything else circulating right now, including kits, banner phases, and the 7.1 launch date, comes from beta builds and leakers, and all of it can move before the stream.
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Special Program on September 12, 8:00AM ET | Officially announced |
| Vesna (Anemo) and Vodyanitsa (Hydro) as new characters | Officially teased, elements shown |
| Livestream redemption codes during the broadcast | Officially announced |
| Version 7.1 launch on September 23 | Estimated from the six-week patch cycle |
| Character kits, weapon types, banner phases | Pre-release testing only |
| Rerun lineup | Contested between leakers |
Vesna and Vodyanitsa: the two new 5-stars
These two are the headliners, and they’re built to work together. Version 7.0 introduced Stellar Swirl, the Cryo-and-Anemo reaction that creates a Stellar Vortex which later bursts for Cryo damage. Vesna is the on-field payoff for that reaction, and Vodyanitsa is the support meant to sharpen it.
| Vesna | Vodyanitsa | |
|---|---|---|
| Element | Anemo | Hydro |
| Rarity | 5-star | 5-star |
| Weapon (leak) | Sword | Catalyst |
| Role (leak) | On-field main DPS | Support, buffer and healer |
| Affiliation | Commander of the Druzhna | Prima Soprano of the Korolevskiy Troupe |
| JP voice | Aya Hirano | Kanae Ito |
Vesna’s aerial Stellar Swirl kit
Vesna is unusual for an Anemo unit because she wants to stay on the field and deal the reaction damage herself rather than swirl from the sidelines. Her Elemental Skill reportedly lifts her into the air to roughly Chasca’s height, and she can adjust that height, slide forward and back, and fold Charged and Plunging Attacks into her rotation. Staying active builds a personal resource, and hitting a threshold unlocks an enhanced Skill. Her promotional art leans polearm, but the beta has pointed to a sword, so the weapon type is one of the first things worth checking during the stream.
Vodyanitsa’s Hydro support package
Vodyanitsa is a Water Imp Fae and the lead singer of Snezhnaya’s Korolevskiy Troupe, and she sings while using her skills. Her Vision sits on her back, which is how the Hydro element was settled after early reports mislabeled her Electro. She’s described as an HP-scaling support with off-field Hydro application, a quill-style buff that works more like a larger number of weaker Shenhe quills, interruption resistance instead of a shield, and a Burst that is pure healing.
The headline number is her Anemo resistance shred, tied to the party triggering Stellar Swirl. Figures have bounced between 30 and 40 percent across builds, with 35 percent the commonly cited middle. Cryo and Hydro resistance reduction have also been mentioned. Treat all three as unstable until the broadcast, since some of those values may belong to constellations or her signature weapon rather than her base kit.
7.1 banners and the rerun question
Vesna and Vodyanitsa anchor the two phases, with both expected to bring a signature 5-star weapon. The rerun slots are where leakers openly disagree. One camp points to the Cryo pair Skirk and Escoffier; another expects the Geo pair Zibai and Linnea, on the logic that 7.1 carries Lunar-Crystallize buffs and Linnea was designed as Zibai’s dedicated support. No new 4-star character is expected either way.
Phase order is typically the last thing HoYoverse finalizes, so the pairings matter for planning. A phase that stacks two main DPS units from different reaction systems is a very different decision from one that offers a carry plus a support.
Version 7.1 release date and phase schedule
Genshin patches run on a roughly six-week cadence. Working from 7.0’s August 12 launch, the widely used projection lands 7.1 on September 23. Nothing here is announced, and HoYoverse has reshuffled patch lengths before, so the broadcast is the first point at which these become real dates.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Version 7.0 launch | August 12, 2026 (confirmed) |
| Version 7.0 Phase 2 | September 1, 2026 (confirmed) |
| 7.1 Special Program | September 12, 2026 (confirmed) |
| Version 7.1 launch | Around September 23, 2026 (estimate) |
| Version 7.1 Phase 2 | Around October 14, 2026 (estimate) |
Story: two Archon quests with Dainsleif and Rhinedottir
The Snezhnaya main story continues with two Archon quests in a single patch, and the figures involved are the reason people are paying attention. Dainsleif and Rhinedottir, also known as Gold, are both slated to feature, which puts two of the game’s longest-running lore threads on the table at once. The Shades appearing on the cover art suggests 7.1 pushes further into the setting’s underlying mechanics than a typical regional chapter.
Events: Moon Chase returns, plus new Imaginarium Theater poses
The Moon Chase festival comes back to Liyue as the flagship event. The expected reward package is a free 4-star sword at refinement 5, a Crown of Insight, and roughly 1,000 Primogems, which is the standard shape for a Genshin flagship event.
The Imaginarium Theater picks up new thespian tricks, the photo poses tied to specific characters, with Dehya, Varka, Ineffa and Aino named as recipients. Smaller side events and combat minigames round out the patch, alongside a set of quality-of-life and system optimizations.
Sixth anniversary rewards on September 28
Genshin turns six on September 28, which falls inside the 7.1 window. Following the pattern of previous years, the package should include 1,600 Primogems delivered by in-game mail, a seven-day login card worth 10 Intertwined Fates, a commemorative wind glider, and a Sanctifying Elixir for artifact crafting.
The biggest item is the free standard 5-star character selector. That pick comes from the Wanderlust Invocation pool, which currently holds Diluc, Jean, Mona, Keqing, Qiqi, Tighnari, Dehya and Mizuki. HoYoverse has also historically reset the Initial Top-Up Bonus across Genesis Crystal tiers for a limited stretch, though that has not been stated for this anniversary.
Primogem income and pull budgeting for 7.1
Between the anniversary mail, the login event, Moon Chase, quest rewards and the usual patch content, a free-to-play account is looking at roughly 15,000 Primogems across 7.1, which works out to around 95 pulls. That’s a strong patch by income standards, but it still falls short of a full double guarantee.
| Goal | Maximum wishes | Primogems |
|---|---|---|
| One 5-star (hard pity) | 90 | 14,400 |
| One guaranteed limited 5-star | 180 | 28,800 |
| Two guaranteed limited 5-stars | 360 | 57,600 |
Note: most accounts never hit every ceiling, but planning against the worst case is the only way to guarantee a target. If the Cryo Archon is your real goal, leaks place her further down the Snezhnaya roadmap, so protecting pity through 7.1 is a defensible call.
Codes
Three limited-time codes are handed out during the broadcast, each worth 100 Primogems for a total of 300. They expire fast, usually within 24 to 48 hours of the stream ending, so redeem them the same day. You can enter them in-game through Settings, then Account, then Redeem Code, or use the official gift redemption page with an Adventure Rank 10 or higher account.
Until the stream goes live, the sensible move is to hold your Primogems and wait for the banner order. Kits shift between beta builds, phase pairings change late, and the difference between a Vesna-plus-support phase and a two-DPS phase is worth a few hours of patience.
