Genshin Impact Version 7.0 “Everwinter Without Mercy” Update: New Areas, Characters, Weapons, Systems, and More

Genshin Impact

Aug 12

Written By Animon

Genshin Impact Version 7.0, “Everwinter Without Mercy,” launches on August 12, 2026, with Snezhnaya, new characters, weapons, quests, reactions, systems, and gameplay. The update also provides Primogem compensation for maintenance and issue fixes.

The maintenance update begins at 06:00 (UTC+8) on August 12, 2026, and is expected to last 5 hours. Eligible Travelers receive 600 Primogems in total, split between maintenance and issue-fix compensation.

Version 7.0 Update Schedule and Compensation

Version 7.0 maintenance starts at 06:00 (UTC+8) on August 12, 2026, with compensation distributed through in-game mail. Travelers who reach Adventure Rank 5 by the required deadline can claim the rewards.

  
        Update Detail
        Information
      
        Version
        Genshin Impact Version 7.0
      
        Update title
        “Everwinter Without Mercy”
      
        Maintenance starts
        August 12, 2026, 06:00 (UTC+8)
      
        Estimated maintenance
        5 hours
      
        Maintenance compensation
        300 Primogems
      
        Issue-fix compensation
        300 Primogems
      
        Total listed compensation
        600 Primogems
      
        Eligibility
        Adventure Rank 5 or above by August 12, 2026, 06:00 (UTC+8)
      
        Maintenance mail expiry
        30 days
      
        Issue-fix compensation deadline
        August 15, 2026, 06:00 (UTC+8)

Maintenance compensation must be claimed before Version 7.0 ends, while issue-fix compensation must be claimed by August 15. The development team will send the compensation within five hours after maintenance finishes.

How to Update Genshin Impact Version 7.0

Each platform has a different update process, but the new client can be installed through the platform’s standard update system.

PC: Close the game, open the Genshin Impact Launcher, and select Update.
iOS: Open the App Store and tap Update.
Android: Open Genshin Impact and follow the on-screen instructions.
PlayStation: Highlight Genshin Impact, press OPTIONS, and select Check for Update.
Xbox Series X|S: Open My games & apps, select Manage, open Updates, and update Genshin Impact.

Snezhnaya Arrives in Version 7.0

Snezhnaya becomes the major new region in Version 7.0, adding five new areas and several exploration systems. Travelers can explore Volkodlak Tundra, White Birch Snowgrave, Everfrozen Earth, Flamefeather Valley, and Fellfrost Peak.

Players who have completed Prologue: Act III “Song of the Dragon and Freedom” will automatically receive a Teleport Waypoint southwest of Volkodlak Tundra. This provides a direct route into Snezhnaya and also grants the associated Primogem reward.

New Snezhnaya Meeting Points

Cryo Sigils can now help Travelers build Meeting Points across Snezhnaya. These locations include Tidesong Cavern, Huntsman’s Cabin, and The Korolevskiy Theater.

Players can raise Meeting Point Levels after unlocking the relevant locations. Higher levels provide valuable supplies.

The Huntsman’s Cabin becomes available after progressing through “Gunfire in the Silent Lands.” Tidesong Cavern and The Korolevskiy Theater require progress through “Silence Alone is Disfavored.”

Snezhnaya also adds new Daily Commissions, Expeditions, Fishing Points, Radiant Spincrystals, and a Fishing Association.

New Genshin Impact Version 7.0 Characters

Version 7.0 adds Odette, Cryo Traveler gameplay, and Alyosha as its new playable characters. Odette is a five-star Cryo Sword user, while Alyosha is a four-star Electro Polearm user.

  
    
        Character
        Rarity
        Element
        Weapon
        Main Role
      

    
        Odette
        5-Star
        Cryo
        Sword
        Support and Stellar Glimmer enabler
      

        Traveler
        5-Star
        Cryo
        Sword
        Off-field, quick-swap, and on-field DPS
      

        Alyosha
        4-Star
        Electro
        Polearm
        Healing support and continuous Electro DMG
      

  

Odette

“Swirling Snow” Odette is a five-star Cryo Sword support character from Snezhnaya. She helps teams trigger Stellar-Conduct and Stellar Swirl while dealing Stellar Glimmer DMG from off the field.

Odette can also provide consistent Cryo application and increase the party’s Stellar Glimmer DMG. Her identity as a Snezhnayan ballerina also ties closely into the region’s frozen aesthetic.

Cryo Traveler

The Traveler gains access to Cryo abilities after resonating with Cryo in Snezhnaya. This version allows the Traveler to trigger Stellar Glimmer reactions and deal damage from off the field.

The Traveler can also become an on-field damage dealer while using the “Radiance: Stellar-Conduct” state.

Alyosha

“Swift-Striding Hound” Alyosha is a four-star Electro Polearm support character. His kit combines continuous Electro DMG with healing for party members.

His character description presents him as a professional hunter familiar with Snezhnaya’s harsh snowfields.

New Weapons and Artifact Sets

Version 7.0 adds new five-star weapons, forgeable weapons, Battle Pass weapons, and two Artifact sets. These additions are closely connected to Snezhnaya and the new Stellar Glimmer mechanics.

Five-Star and Special Weapons

Whitelake Frostfeather is a five-star Sword available through Event Wish content. It boosts ATK and Stellar Glimmer CRIT DMG while also restoring Elemental Energy.

Exaiphanes Blade is another five-star Sword designed specifically around the Traveler. Players can obtain it by progressing through the Snezhnaya Archon Quest and enhance it after awakening and connecting to Statues of The Seven.

Version 7.0 also introduces five new forgeable four-star weapons: Emberwell, Blade of Atonement, Song of the Vigil, Echoes of the Heart, and Covenant of Frost and Snow.

New Battle Pass Weapons

Five additional four-star weapons join the Battle Pass weapon pool in Version 7.0. These are Heretic’s Molten Blade, Forged by the Golden Melody, Frostbreath, Clash of Kings, and Jade Vista.

After unlocking Gnostic Hymn and reaching Battle Pass Level 30, Travelers can select one weapon from the expanded pool of 15 weapons.

New Artifact Sets

The new Inverted Glacier Domain introduces the Scarlet Proof and Heart of the Furnace Artifact sets.

Scarlet Proof provides an ATK bonus with its two-piece effect. Its four-piece effect improves CRIT Rate and Stellar Swirl damage after triggering Stellar Swirl.

Heart of the Furnace also provides an 18% ATK bonus with two pieces. Its four-piece effect increases ATK and boosts Stellar Glimmer reaction damage for nearby party members.

New Archon Quests and World Quests

Version 7.0 expands the main storyline with two new Archon Quest acts. Chapter VII: Act I is “Everwinter Without Mercy,” while Chapter VII: Act II is “Wraith’s Nocturne.”

Both quests become permanently available after the Version 7.0 update.

Act I requires Adventure Rank 18 and completion of “Prologue: Act III - Song of the Dragon and Freedom.” Act II requires Adventure Rank 18 and completion of Act I.

Travelers who meet the requirements can use the automatically unlocked Teleport Waypoint to reach Snezhnaya, even without completing certain preceding Archon Quests.

New World Quests

Snezhnaya adds multiple new World Quest chains alongside the main Archon Quest. These include Hesperides of Love and Hate, In the Dwelling of Life, On One Side a Palace, On the Other a Tomb, Her Palace Collapses Into the Blizzard, and The Soft Song She Sang.

Additional quests include Small Jack Frost, Big Problems, Forested Snowfield, and For an Ice Mirror Fragment.

Stellar Swirl Becomes a New Elemental Reaction

Stellar Swirl is the major new Elemental Reaction introduced in Version 7.0. Under specific conditions, Anemo and Cryo can trigger the reaction.

The reaction creates a Stellar Vortex that deals Anemo DMG before detonating and dealing AoE Cryo DMG. Repeated Stellar Swirl reactions can increase the vortex’s level, expanding its range and improving its damage.

The reaction can also provide nearby characters with the Radiance: Stellar Swirl effect. Certain characters can use this effect to enhance their Talents or other abilities.

New Enemies in Snezhnaya

Version 7.0 adds new enemies designed around the frozen region and Stellar Glimmer mechanics. The most notable threats include the Immortal Construct and Chimeric Winged Lion.

The Immortal Construct uses the Lifeflare state and creates multiple HP-restoring shields. Travelers must destroy these shields to prevent it from recovering health.

The Chimeric Winged Lion alternates between Thundercall and Galeforce states. Stellar Glimmer reactions can help disrupt some of its mechanics.

Other additions include Wildwood Leshys, Volkodlak Brutes, Aberrant Chimeric Monsters, Glacial Wardens, Glaciomancers, Winged Halberd-Knights, and Winged Soarer Knights.

New Domains and Gameplay Systems

Version 7.0 adds three new Domains covering weapons, Talent materials, and Artifacts. These include Scars of Cursed Obsession, Relics of the Fallen Grace, and Inverted Glacier.

All three can be unlocked from Adventure Rank 10 or through the stated early-game quest requirements.

Eye of Graeae

The Eye of Graeae becomes a major utility item for Snezhnaya exploration. The strange monocle-like device can call trains, support travel between cities, craft items, and help claim Daily Commission rewards while aboard.

It can also create Prime Ice Constructs across the open world.

Prime Ice Constructs

Prime Ice Constructs add a new cooperative exploration feature to Snezhnaya. Travelers can create these constructs to leave messages and materials for players in other worlds.

Players can also encounter constructs created by other Travelers. Helpful constructs can receive Likes from visitors.

Third-Person Shooter Gameplay

Version 7.0 introduces third-person shooter combat in the Shadow Realm. Players can use firearms and equipment while combining them with Elemental Reactions.

The associated Special Recruitment Project: Cycle Training provides weekly Training Quests and rewards. Players can also visit the train’s shooting range to challenge the simulated Shadow Realm Edge of Survival.

The All Records leaderboard becomes available on August 17, 2026, after the required data compilation.

Miliastra Wonderland and Genius Invokation TCG Updates

Miliastra Wonderland receives new cosmetic sets, lobby themes, stage features, and creation-discovery tools. New sets include Whimsical Spectacle, Azure Mountainshade, Sleuth’s Verdict, Twilight Phantom Thief, Letter Crane Courier, Scary Cat, and Precision Strike.

The Public Lobby also changes to “Miracle Theater: Dreamcraft,” while a new Private Lobby called “Miracle Theater: Light and Shadow Spectacle” becomes available through the Miliastra Pass.

Genius Invokation TCG also receives new cards and balance changes. New Character Cards include Durin, Jahoda, and Hydro Hypostasis, alongside their corresponding Talent Cards.

New Action Cards include Witch’s Homework, Feasting in a Shared Toast, Temporal Wind’s Eulogy, Phantasmal Nocturne, Genesis of Starsigns, and Sparkborne Magic.

Imaginarium Theater and Spiral Abyss Updates

The new Imaginarium Theater season begins on September 1, 2026, with Hydro, Electro, and Dendro as its required Elements. Opening Characters include Columbina, Xingqiu, Cyno, Kuki Shinobu, Lauma, and Kaveh.

Special Guest Stars include Odette, Sandrone, Sucrose, and Nicole.

Spiral Abyss Phase 1 updates on August 16, 2026, while Phase 2 follows on September 16. The new Blessing of the Abyssal Moon effects also support mechanics such as Stellar Swirl, Stellar-Conduct, Swirl, and Electro-Charged.

The Abyss also replaces certain Domain Reliquary Artifact rewards with Scarlet Proof and Heart of the Furnace sets.

Other Version 7.0 Additions

The update adds new recipes, character specialty dishes, achievements, wildlife, fish, namecards, and Local Legends. New recipes include Glupov Rye Bread, Stroganina, Rimecurrant Ice Creams, Snowball Blooms Atop Snowfields, and Snowrealm Okroshkas.

Odette receives the specialty dish Lakeside Snow Swan, while Alyosha’s specialty is The Bullseye Roast.

Version 7.0 also adds the Snezhnaya: Long Night, Odette: The Singular Swan, Alyosha: Sit, Travel Notes: Frostfarer, and Achievement: Enigmatic Core namecards.

New wildlife includes the Nochhornowl, Red-Bellied Plover, Fuzzbadger, Severelk, Polyarbear, Fluffahog, and Morozhound. New fish include Charcoal Snowfin, Cream Snowfin, Moonlight Snowfin, and several Starbloom Fish.

For North American collectors, Animon Life also follows official HoYoverse merchandise releases connected to characters and major game updates. Merchandise availability remains separate from the in-game content listed in the Version 7.0 announcement.

Version 7.0 Quality-of-Life Improvements

Version 7.0 improves exploration, inventory management, quest navigation, and map functionality. Some quest objectives now support direct teleportation from the Map screen.

The Map pin limit increases from 300 to 350, while Character Development Items, Food, Materials, Gadgets, Quest Items, and Precious Items share a larger combined inventory capacity of 2,600.

The Artifact inventory limit also increases from 2,400 to 2,700.

Multi-Layered Maps receive updated visibility rules, while Oculus icons receive higher display priority when multiple exploration markers overlap.

Version 7.0 Bug Fixes and TCG Adjustments

The update fixes issues affecting quests, enemies, characters, audio, Miliastra Wonderland, the Serenitea Pot, and other systems. Several fixes address animation problems, incorrect visual effects, abnormal enemy behavior, voice-over issues, and interface problems.

The update also changes several Genius Invokation TCG mechanics. For example, Ifa’s Elemental Skill now costs three Anemo Dice instead of two but deals two Anemo DMG instead of one.

Other adjustments affect Wayward Hermetic Spiritspeaker, Tonatiuh, Tide-Turning Sacred Lord, and In Every House a Stove.

Short Summary

Genshin Impact Version 7.0 “Everwinter Without Mercy” is a major update built around Snezhnaya and the new Stellar Glimmer system. The August 12, 2026 update introduces new areas, Archon Quests, characters, weapons, Artifacts, enemies, Domains, exploration tools, and combat features.

The update also adds third-person shooter gameplay, new Miliastra Wonderland content, Genius Invokation TCG cards, Imaginarium Theater changes, Spiral Abyss updates, and several quality-of-life improvements.

Travelers eligible for compensation can receive 600 Primogems from the listed maintenance and issue-fix compensation. The update also increases inventory limits and adds new systems designed around Snezhnaya exploration.

Animon Life continues to follow and update official merchandise releases like this for North American customers.

FAQs About Genshin Impact Version 7.0

When does Genshin Impact Version 7.0 release?

Genshin Impact Version 7.0 “Everwinter Without Mercy” releases on August 12, 2026. Maintenance begins at 06:00 (UTC+8) and is expected to last five hours.

How many Primogems does Version 7.0 compensation provide?

The listed compensation totals 600 Primogems. This includes 300 Primogems for maintenance and another 300 Primogems for issue fixes.

What new region comes with Genshin Impact Version 7.0?

Snezhnaya is the major new region introduced in Version 7.0. Its new areas include Volkodlak Tundra, White Birch Snowgrave, Everfrozen Earth, Flamefeather Valley, and Fellfrost Peak.

What are the new characters in Version 7.0?

Version 7.0 introduces Odette, Cryo Traveler gameplay, and Alyosha. Odette is a five-star Cryo Sword support character, while Alyosha is a four-star Electro Polearm support character.