A new trailer for Genshin Impact shows off the various moves and abilities for Xiao. Developers MiHoYo showcase exactly how the the upcoming character will play when he arrives in Genshin Impact.
Update 1.3 for the free-to-play action game is coming tomorrow, February 3, bringing additional content. The main aspect players will be enjoying is the start of Xiao's event wish, Invitation to Mundane Life. The character has seen a lot of pre-release hype due to his story as a yaksha adeptus. Despite his young looks, he has been defending Liyue for over 2,000 years. Once the event starts, lucky fans will be able to get Xiao as a drop to add to their collection.
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The newest trailer gives a good look at Xiao's move set and internal struggle. As a guardian of the lands, he is no stranger to fighting demons. Players will pick up on this immediately through his fast and aggressive playstyle. With a polearm as his main weapon, Xiao can strike with precision or hit multiple targets. The main attack is Whirlwind Thrust, and has two ways to engage with enemies. It can either perform up to 6 quick strikes or players can consume stamina to unleash an upward thrust attack.
As an ancient demon-slaying conqueror, it makes sense that Xiao has some impressive powers in his kit. One of these reflects his mobility, the Lemniscatic Wind Cycling move. This high-speed dash also serves a dual purpose. When players perform this against enemies, it will dish out Anemo damage to everything in Xiao's path. Starting with 2 charges, it can also activate in mid air. The final ability shown in the trailer is the Bane of All Evil attack. Xiao unlocks his yaksha power to gain a series of buffs. Jumping ability, attack AoE, damage, and elemental reaction all see improvements while in this form. However, it comes with a cost as he will continuously lose health while the ability is active.
From the trailer, it looks like Xiao is shaping up to be a memorable addition to the cast. With his unique details, story, and moves fans will be non-stop wishing for him to drop. Much of the lead-up to his release showcases the conflict he deals with as a yaksha. His sole purpose is to kill demons, but after thousands of years fighting the bloodshed is beginning to take a toll. MiHoYo follows through on this by designing a kit which is powerful but not without risk.
Though, as is with any gacha game, some players may struggle to access the new character. Since gacha mechanics are completely random, there is a chance other heroes will drop during the Wish event. Getting a repeat team member over Xiao will surely be a real disappointment for many. With such hype behind him, it would have been nice if miHoYo included a way to earn a lower star rating version of Xiao through a quest or mission. The developer does promise high drop rates during the Genshin Impact event, so fans should be able to snag Xiao eventually.
Genshin Impact is available now on Android, iOS, PC, and PS4. PS5 and Switch versions are in development.
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