Firearms arrived in Genshin Impact with version 7.0, which added a proper third-person shooter mode called TPS. These weapons are separate from anything that came before. You cannot pull them out in the open world, and they only work inside dedicated shooter stages built around cover, sliding, and elemental gunplay.
Quick answer: Get to Snezhnaya and play through roughly twenty minutes of the Archon Quest Chapter VII storyline to earn the Eye of Graeae accessory. Once it is in your inventory, guns, firearms, and TPS mode are unlocked.
How to unlock guns in Genshin Impact
The Eye of Graeae is the single item that turns firearms on. You obtain it by traveling to Snezhnaya and following its Archon Quest storyline for about twenty minutes. You do not need to be caught up on the entire main questline to do this.
You will know it worked because the game immediately prompts you to choose a control scheme the moment firearms become available.
Starting firearms you unlock
Obtaining the Eye of Graeae hands you a small starting arsenal. One additional rifle comes slightly later through a separate challenge, and more firearms are planned for future updates.
| Firearm | Type and role |
|---|---|
| Shatanaya’s Frostsilver | Cryo Rifle for precise shooting |
| Balsag’s Sunwheel | Grenade Launcher dealing large AOE elemental damage |
| Frag Crystals | Four different types of elemental grenades |
| Ashamez’s Thunder | Electro Rifle with automatic lock-on, unlocked in a later challenge |
Where you can use firearms
TPS mode is Genshin Impact’s take on cover-based shooters, complete with ducking and sliding between cover points. The Genshin twist is that each gun and Frag Crystal carries a different element, and you can trigger a “Breakthrough,” which functions like an Ultimate.
Firearms do not work in the open world, so you cannot use them against roaming Hilichurls or Slimes. Instead, TPS combat happens inside Shadow Realm stages. You reach the Shadow Realm through spots marked purple on the map, and through the Edge of Survival mode found in the shooting range aboard your personal train.
Inside a stage you swap between firearms and use the environment, such as explosive barrels and breakable ice, to clear enemies and bosses. Your objective is either to defeat every enemy or to defeat as many as possible within a time limit. Regular Shadow Realm stages are approachable, while high-difficulty Edge of Survival runs demand more skill and pay out larger rewards. A shooting range sits right beside Edge of Survival if you want to practice first.
Set your TPS controls
As soon as firearms unlock, you are asked to pick between two control presets. Preset 1 follows traditional shooter layouts, while Preset 2 keeps things closer to standard Genshin Impact controls for players who would rather not adjust to a shooter scheme.
If neither preset suits you, open the Settings menu to remap your key bindings. The same menu holds several assists worth knowing about.
- Aim Assist for players who struggle with tracking targets.
- Auto Snapping, which is customizable.
- An option to switch to aiming mode automatically when firing, which you can enable or disable.
- Gyro controls for players using a controller.
After adjusting these, a quick visit to the TPS shooting range lets you confirm the settings feel right before heading into a real stage.
How to upgrade guns and install accessories
Upgrades happen at a Firearm Workbench or through the Eye of Graeae itself. Equip the Eye of Graeae as your gadget, use it, and select the Assemble option to work on your firearms without a bench nearby.
To reach an actual workbench, pull up the Eye of Graeae’s HUD near a railway track and call your personal train. The train carries a Firearm Workbench on board.
Upgrades run on blueprints. Once you craft and install a firearm part from a blueprint, it adds effects such as faster reloading, more ammo, or improved damage. You can adjust your loadout from the same Eye of Graeae screen.
Where to find blueprints and accessories
Gun accessories and their blueprints come from three activities.
- Clearing Shadow Realms.
- Playing Shadow Realm – Edge of Survival.
- Accessing Shadow Realm Vaults.
Shadow Realm Vaults are gated behind barriers. To lower them, upgrade the “mysterious access card” you carry to a high enough level. When you are ready to craft a blueprint, open the Eye of Graeae menu or visit the Firearm Workbench on your train to install it.
With the Eye of Graeae in hand, a control preset chosen, and a few blueprints installed, you are set to take on the Shadow Realm and put every element to work in Snezhnaya’s shooting stages.
