Genshin Impact Luna V will launch on February 25th with the greatest character ever

It has been a minute since we checked in on the competition for longest update name, and Genshin Impact is coming in with a belter. Version Luna V, "Song of the Welkin Moon: Variation - Homeward, He Who Caught the Wind," will launch February 25th, and brings us back to Mondstadt. 

If Mondstadt feels like a distant memory, that is because it is where it all started. Both Genshin and the wave of copycats it kicked off. This update is hitting the nostalgia hard, with the Exchoes of Memory event showcasing familiar scenes, and another event giving you the chance to reconnect with old friends. It might be a filler arc, but I can accept that if it's a trip down memory lane.

It isn’t all warm fuzzies, however.

You can summon the fearsome Knight Shadows and engage in a duel with Combat Challenges, earning a special Catalyst weapon. Or, put your skills to the test in a series of Gliding Challenges. And of course, we have our new recruit, and he is a special one.

Varka, the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius and Knight of Boreas, finally joins the fray, and he is perfect. He is a Claymore user who fights in a dual-wield combat style, dealing two different types of Elemental DMG simultaneously. Anything “dual-wield” immediately has my attention.

His left-hand claymore deals Anemo, whilst his left can either be Pyro, Hydro, Electro, or Cryo, depending on your team. His Hexerei effect will enable him to use his Elemental skill and Charged Attack more often, and I need him in my life now. Flins also returns in the first phase, but who cares? Give me Varka!

In non-Varka news, if I must move on, there is also a slate of new mini-games. Brandish your Kamera and capture iconic sights across Natlan, Fontaina, and Sumeru, or take part in a strategic defence mode to repel waves of enemies. Head to Miliastra Wonderland and play with the new voice feature in a range of modes designed around it.

Genshin Impact is available to download from the App Store and Google Play, with the update and, more importantly, Varka, arriving on February 25th.