The Genshin Impact 7.0 Special Program is live right now — and Snezhnaya, the game’s long-awaited final Teyvat nation, is confirmed to open on 12 August 2026. As we previewed in our watch guide earlier this week, tonight’s broadcast is the biggest Genshin reveal in years. Here is everything HoYoverse has confirmed for Version 7.0: Everwinter Without Mercy.
Snezhnaya — Teyvat’s Seventh and Final Nation
The frozen nation ruled by the Cryo Archon has been Genshin Impact’s final mainland destination since launch in 2020. Version 7.0 builds a map around tundra, snow-buried Slavic architecture, and industrial sprawl — including a train network that Travellers will use to navigate the region. The update name “Everwinter Without Mercy” sets the tone: this is not a gentle winter festival, but a nation where HoYoverse has said hope and suffering exist side by side.
The Tsaritsa, Finally Revealed
HoYoverse officially unveiled the Cryo Archon’s name and design in the Transcendence Trailer “Sudden Snow” (released 26 June 2026): Anastasya Feodorovna Snezhnaya. Her visual design leans fully into the ice-and-authority aesthetic — silver hair, crystalline weapons, a wintry crown — after years of speculation from the community. Whether the Tsaritsa joins the playable roster in 7.0 or a later version is still to be confirmed by tonight’s program.
New Characters: Odette and Alyosha Lead the 7.0 Launch Banners
The two confirmed launch-banner characters are Odette (5-star, Cryo, Sword) and Alyosha (4-star, Electro, Polearm).
Odette carries the title “Swirling Snow.” By day she is the Prima Ballerina of the Korolevskiy Troupe, her combat style shaped by Swan Lake-inspired choreography. By night she operates as a Fatui agent — a dual life she reportedly finds exhausting. Her English voice actress is Alexis Tipton; the Japanese dub features Sumire Uesaka. Mechanically, she summons an off-field dance double that applies Cryo and enables Stellar reactions, pushing her team’s elemental damage through her Elemental Burst.
Alyosha is a hunter from Sretomoryzsk who fights through Snezhnaya’s snowfields alongside his hunting hound Tugarin. His kit revolves around Hunting Marks: tagging an already-marked enemy triggers a party-wide ATK buff, while Tugarin’s bite attacks add off-field damage and light healing. As a 4-star, he is the accessible pick for players who cannot pull the 5-star — and his Electro kit is designed to slot directly into Odette’s Stellar reaction architecture.
Beyond the launch-banner duo, HoYoverse has revealed eight new characters in total for the Snezhnaya arc: Vodyanitsa, Alyosha, Odette, Valeriy, Vesna, Danica, Noy, and Mitya. Which of these appear in 7.0 versus future versions will be confirmed as the special program continues — check the official Genshin Impact YouTube channel for the full reveal.
Two New Stellar Reactions to Build Around
Version 7.0 expands the Stellar Reaction system with two new elemental interactions unlocked by Snezhnaya’s Cryo energy:
- Stellar-Conduct (Cryo + Electro): generates a team-wide elemental damage buff field
- Stellar-Swirl (Cryo + Anemo): a similar buff field from a different element combo
Both favour team-wide damage windows rather than single-hit spikes, which is why Alyosha’s Electro kit pairs so deliberately with Odette’s Cryo. The Traveller also gains a Cryo form in 7.0, their seventh elemental resonance.
Free Primogems — Redeem Before They Expire
The 7.0 Special Program drops three redemption codes live during the stream, totalling 300 Primogems. One is confirmed:
- EVERWINTER — 100 Primogems + 10 Mystic Enhancement Ores
The other two drop during the broadcast. Codes expire within 24 hours of issue, so if you’re catching the replay rather than watching live — including Singapore Travellers at HoYo FEST at Suntec this weekend — redeem them as soon as you spot them in the stream. Use the HoYoverse gift code page or enter them in-game under Settings > Account > Redeem Code.
With 12 days until the 12 August launch, now is the window to spend any remaining Intertwined Fates on current banners and save fresh Primogems for Odette’s Phase 1 banner. Check our Game News section for the full 7.0 banner schedule once the program wraps tonight.