The Version 7.1 Special Program settled one of the biggest questions hanging over Snezhnaya’s story arc. Ronova, the Shade of Death, becomes a boss you actually fight, and Dainsleif is in the battle with you. The version teaser opened with the two of them trading blows, which is the first direct confrontation between them since the Curse of Death fell on Khaenri’ah.
Quick answer: Ronova is a new boss battle in Genshin Impact 7.1, fought as part of the Chapter 7 Archon Quests, with Dainsleif assisting the Traveler. Version 7.1 launches September 23, 2026 on all platforms.
Ronova boss fight in Genshin Impact 7.1: What’s confirmed
HoYoverse confirmed Ronova as a brand-new boss encounter in the patch, not just a cutscene appearance. That makes her the first of the Four Shades players get to face directly, after Version 7.0 built up the Tsaritsa’s conflict with Celestia and its forces.
The teaser frames the fight as a serious escalation. Other major characters are shown down and unconscious while Ronova and Dainsleif clash, which suggests she does considerable damage before the Traveler steps in.
| Detail | What’s confirmed |
|---|---|
| New boss | Ronova, the Shade of Death |
| Ally in the fight | Dainsleif aids the Traveler |
| Where it happens | Snezhnaya, during Chapter 7 story content |
| Version | 7.1, “A Rekviem for the Underworld” |
| Release date | September 23, 2026, all platforms |
Dainsleif’s role in the Ronova fight
Dainsleif has been absent since the Luna II questline, and he skipped the opening of the Snezhnaya arc entirely. Version 7.1 changes that. He shows up as a combat ally during the Ronova encounter rather than appearing only in cutscenes.
The history between them is the reason this lands so heavily. Ronova is tied to the Curse of Death placed on Khaenri’ah, the event that made Dainsleif what he is. He is walking into this fight with a grudge that has been building since long before the Traveler arrived in Teyvat.
When you can fight Ronova and which quests lead there
Version 7.1 goes live on September 23, 2026. Since the livestream has already aired and the date is locked in, a delay at this point is unlikely.
Two Archon Quests arrive with the update. Chapter 7 Act 3, “White Night, Like a Dream Upon Waking,” picks up where Act 2 left off, and Chapter 7 Act 4, “A Rekviem for the Underworld,” shares its name with the version itself. You will need to work through that story content to reach the Ronova encounter, so clearing the Version 7.0 Archon Quests first is the practical prerequisite.
Tip: Completing Archon Quests while the version is still live grants extra rewards, so there is a real benefit to finishing them before 7.1 ends rather than catching up later.
Rhinedottir, Pierro, and the Tsaritsa in the 7.1 story
Ronova is not the only heavyweight in the patch. The teaser closes on Rhinedottir, the Hexenzirkel witch also known as Gold, shown inhabiting Naberius’s body and seated across a chess board from the Cryo Archon. The framing points to her overseeing the pressure being applied to Snezhnaya.
Pierro, Director of the Fatui Harbingers, is also part of the lineup, alongside the Tsaritsa herself. Three Khaenri’ahn-linked figures converging in one patch is why 7.1 is being treated as a lore turning point rather than a routine story update.
Ronova is not the new field boss
One point worth separating. Version 7.1 also adds a new field boss called the Guardian Blade of Drifting Snow, located in Snezhnaya, and it is a different encounter entirely. The Guardian Blade is a repeatable field boss tied to character ascension farming and the event sword Silver Light. Ronova is a story boss fought through the Archon Quest.
If you want to be ready the moment the quest opens, the useful prep is straightforward. Clear the existing Chapter 7 acts, keep a Cryo-heavy or Stellar-Swirl capable team leveled for Snezhnaya content, and leave yourself room in the schedule on launch day. The Ronova fight is the payoff the region has been building toward, and it arrives at the front end of the version rather than the tail.
