Genshin Impact 7.1 Release Date and Anniversary Rewards

Genshin Impact's sixth anniversary lands in two days, and for the first time HoYoverse is handing out two separate free 5-star character selectors instead of one — on top of the two brand-new 5-stars debuting on the same patch. That is a genuinely bigger giveaway than any previous anniversary, and it comes with a maintenance window, a banner order and two selector deadlines you need to plan around before September 23.

Here is everything confirmed so far, sourced against the official HoYoLAB announcements and the Genshin Impact Wiki's live Version 7.1 tracker.

When Does Genshin Impact 7.1 Release?

Version 7.1, "A Rekviem for the Underworld," goes live on September 23, 2026. HoYoverse's official Update Maintenance Preview lays out the exact window:

The 300 Primogems get mailed out within 5 hours of maintenance ending and expire from your mailbox after 30 days — claim them, don't let them sit. Pre-installation is already live, so if you have the storage free, downloading now means you're not waiting behind everyone else when the servers flip back on.

Two New 5-Star Characters: Vesna and Vodyanitsa

Both debut characters are Snezhnaya natives tied directly to the Tsaritsa's inner circle, and both release the moment servers come back up on September 23.

Vesna — Commander of the Druzhna

Vesna Strivozha is a 5-star Anemo Sword character, titled "Snowy Banquet's Sharp Blade" and, in-story, Commander of the Druzhna — the Tsaritsa's personal guard. She's obtained through the Event Wish "When Warm Winds Cavort," which goes live alongside the version.

Vodyanitsa — Prima Donna of the Korolevskiy Troupe

Vodyanitsa is a 5-star Hydro Catalyst character, titled "Lingering Siren-Song" and billed as the Prima Donna of the Korolevskiy Troupe. She's obtained through the Event Wish "Surging Ballad," running in the same window as Vesna's banner.

Neither character's talent numbers are published on the wiki yet — the ascension and talent tables are still blank stubs as of this writing, which is normal for a character two days from release and not something worth trusting a leaked number over. Once the servers are live and the kits are confirmed in-game, that's the point to go looking for a build guide, not before.

Banner Schedule: Two Phases

Version 7.1 runs the standard two-phase banner structure, and only Phase 1's dates are officially locked so far.

Phase 1 also carries a boosted 4-star pool alongside Vesna: Diona, Faruzan and Chongyun get the standard drop-rate bump on "When Warm Winds Cavort." Phase 2 is Skirk and Escoffier reruns — both previously released characters, not new debuts — and while the wiki's event-wish page for Phase 2 has the character locked in, its exact start and end times are still placeholder entries rather than a published date. Treat "mid-October" as a planning estimate, not a locked date, until HoYoverse posts the Phase 2 wish article.

The Sixth Anniversary: Two Free 5-Star Selectors

This is a genuine first, not just marketing framing: per the wiki's own change history for this event category, the standard-banner selector has run every anniversary since it was introduced in Version 5.0, but the limited-banner selector is being added as a category in Version 7.1. That makes this the first anniversary with two free 5-star picks instead of one. HoYoverse's official Benefits Overview also confirms Intertwined Fate ×10, Primogems ×1,600, and a reset of your Genesis Crystal first-time top-up bonus as additional anniversary rewards, with further specifics promised via later in-game announcements.

Both selector events run September 23, 2026 (11:00 UTC+8) through November 3, 2026 (14:59 UTC+8) — that's your deadline for both, not just one.

The Limited Selector (Quest-Gated)

The event "Tabletop Troupe: A Gathering on Adventure's Eve" gives you one event-exclusive 5-star character of your choice, plus that character's ascension materials. It requires Adventure Rank 18 and completing the Version 7.1 Archon Quest, Chapter VII Act IV, "A Rekviem for the Underworld."

The Standard Selector (No Quest Needed)

The event "Across the Frozen Wilds, Honing One's Edge" gives you one character of your choice from the Standard Wish "Wanderlust Invocation," plus ascension materials. The only requirement is having unlocked the Wish feature at all — no quest, no Adventure Rank floor beyond that.

Each selector can only be used once, and picking a character you already own still nets you that character's ascension materials — useful if your roster already overlaps with one of these lists and you'd rather bank the mats than duplicate a pull.

New Archon Quest, Flagship Event and World Boss

Version 7.1 continues the Chapter VII Archon Quest with two new acts: Act III, "White Night, Like a Dream Upon Waking," and Act IV, the version's namesake, "A Rekviem for the Underworld" — the same quest that unlocks the limited anniversary selector above.

The flagship event is Silverwing in Pursuit of the Moon, part of the returning Moonchase Festival and set in Chenyu Vale's Yilong Wharf. It doesn't start with the version — it opens a day later, on September 24, 2026 at 10:00 UTC+8, and runs through October 12. Total confirmed rewards: 950 Primogems, 1 Crown of Insight, a free copy of the new 4-star sword Silver Light, and 4 Tea-Scented Tassels.

Snezhnaya also gets a new farmable Normal Boss, the Guardian Blade of Drifting Snow — distinct from the Trounce/weekly bosses in our weekly boss drop guide, since Normal Bosses don't share that guide's resin-discount or Original Resin cost structure. Confirmed drops are the exclusive material Vagabond's Cracked Armor plus artifact pieces from the Berserker/The Exile and Prayers for Destiny/Lucky Dog sets. Her elemental type isn't listed on the wiki yet, so we're not guessing at it here.

Also Shipping: TCG Cards, Weapons and Edge of Survival

A few smaller additions round out the patch:

• Genius Invokation TCG: new character cards for Columbina and Illuga (both existing Genshin characters getting card representation, not new playable debuts), plus a new action card, Return of the Three Moons. If you're new to the card game, our Genius Invokation TCG guide covers how reactions actually work at the table, which is not the same math as the open world.
• New weapons: two 5-stars tied to the new characters (a sword and a catalyst) plus four 4-stars, including the event-reward sword Silver Light.
• Edge of Survival: two new stages added to the Version 7.0 shooter mode. If you haven't touched it yet, our Edge of Survival / Shadow Realm guide covers the base loadout, ammo economy and unlock gates before you walk into the new stages blind.

For where to spend the Primogems this version hands you — 300 from maintenance compensation, 1,600 from the anniversary, plus whatever Silverwing pays out — our wish and pity guide breaks down exactly what a pull costs and how the 74-wish soft pity ramp works before you decide whether to pull Vesna, Vodyanitsa, or save. And if you're chasing the livestream codes that came with the Version 7.1 reveal, check our codes tracker — the three from the September 12 Special Program are already expired, but new ones tend to land around major version launches.

Quick Action Checklist

• Version 7.1 goes live September 23, 2026 after a ~5-hour maintenance starting 06:00 UTC+8 (11:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM PT on September 22).
• Log in during or right after maintenance to claim 300 compensation Primogems (Adventure Rank 5+ required; claim within 30 days).
• Vesna (Anemo Sword) and Vodyanitsa (Hydro Catalyst) release day one; Skirk and Escoffier reruns follow in Phase 2, date TBA.
• Complete the Version 7.1 Archon Quest to unlock the limited anniversary selector: Baizhu, Nilou, Varesa, Tartaglia, Chiori or Clorinde.
• Use the standard anniversary selector any time after unlocking Wishes: Jean, Diluc, Qiqi, Mona, Keqing, Tighnari, Dehya or Yumemizuki Mizuki.
• Both anniversary selectors close November 3, 2026 at 14:59 UTC+8 — don't sit on them.
• Silverwing in Pursuit of the Moon opens a day later than the version, September 24, and pays a free 4-star sword plus 950 Primogems.