Two days. Snezhnaya — the frozen nation Genshin Impact has been building toward since Version 1.0 — finally opens on Wednesday, August 12 at 11:00am SGT. We covered the initial reveal back in late July; here’s everything that has since been confirmed, including the banner reruns, Alyosha’s free-character details, and the TPS combat mode that’s been turning heads.
Snezhnaya at a Glance
Snezhnaya is the seventh and final mainline nation on Teyvat’s map, and the version number reflects it — HoYoverse jumped straight from 6.7 to 7.0, skipping 6.8 entirely. The region is a perpetually frozen industrial landscape of sparse, snow-buried settlements connected by a train network that serves as Snezhnaya’s primary transport system. The capital, Snezhnograd, rises above the tundra in gothic Slavic-inspired architecture and is where most of the Archon Quest takes place.
The Tsaritsa, Snezhnaya’s Archon and the de facto villain of the game’s overarching story, is present in the narrative but is not a playable character in Version 7.0. Travellers looking for a Tsaritsa banner will have to wait.
Odette — The Banner Pick
Version 7.0’s debut five-star is Odette, a 5★ Cryo Sword user and prima ballerina of the Korolevskiy Troupe — who doubles as a Fatui agent by night. She plays primarily as an off-field damage enabler: her dance-double summon applies Cryo, triggering the new Stellar-Conduct reaction (Cryo + Electro) and Stellar-Swirl (Cryo + Anemo) for team-wide damage buff fields.
Phase 1 (August 12 — September 1): Odette debut banner, plus an Arlecchino rerun. Alyosha features as a rate-up 4-star on both banners this phase. If you’ve been sitting on your Primogems for Arlecchino, this is your window.
Phase 2: Reruns of Flins and Ineffa. Exact Phase 2 dates to be confirmed when the update goes live.
Get Alyosha Free — and His Dog Too
The version’s free four-star is Alyosha, an Electro Polearm user from Sretomoryzsk who comes with his canine companion Tugarin. He functions as a healer and support, applying Hunting Marks for party ATK buffs and off-field Electro damage — a natural pair for Odette’s Stellar-Conduct setup.
Critically: Alyosha is obtained entirely through the Archon Quest, not by pulling on a banner. You do not need to spend a single Primogem to add him to your roster. Better still, completing the new Archon Quest yields up to 560 Primogems in total rewards — a solid top-up heading into the banner phase.
Eye of Graeae — Genshin Gets Guns
The standout new mechanic is the Eye of Graeae, a tool unlocked early in Snezhnaya’s story. It serves three purposes: it provides cold protection so you can survive the nation’s relentless blizzards; it lets you call the train network for fast travel; and — most excitingly — it activates a third-person shooter (TPS) combat mode.
Three new firearms are introduced in 7.0, each with customisable attachments that change how they handle in combat. This is the biggest shift in Genshin’s core gameplay loop in years, and the TPS sequences are woven into both story exploration and co-op encounters. The Eye also enables crafting Prime Ice Constructs — environmental objects used in both puzzle solving and multiplayer interactions.
For those already planning team compositions, the two new Stellar reactions to keep in mind are Stellar-Swirl (Cryo + Anemo, creates an expanding buff field) and Stellar-Conduct (Cryo + Electro, amplifies coordinated off-field damage).
Singapore Timing — Set Your Alarm
Version 7.0 maintenance begins at 6:00am SGT on Wednesday, August 12. The servers are expected to go live at approximately 11:00am SGT, giving you a full day to explore Snezhnograd before the work week resumes.
The free Primogem code EVERWINTER (100 Primogems + 10 Mystic Enhancement Ores) from the Special Program remains active — redeem it in-game under Settings > Account > Redemption Code if you haven’t already. Genshin Impact 7.0 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, iOS, and Android. Check out our Game News section for more on the week’s biggest releases.