‘Genshin Impact’ version 1.6 release date: miHoYo confirms Inazuma’s Sayu and Yoimiya are the next new playable characters

The release of “Genshin Impact” version 1.6 is just a few days away, but fans already know who are going to be the upcoming playable characters. Developer miHoYo unveiled the official images for Sayu and Yoimiya after the characters appeared on leaks in previous weeks.

Sayu is confirmed as an Anemo character and the “resident ninja” of a location known as Shiyuumatsu-Ban. In Kamisato Ayaka’s words, the upcoming “Genshin Impact” playable character loves to hide in the trees every afternoon, but Ayaka says she has her ways to locate Sayu easily. Yoimiya, on the other hand, is a Pyro character and owns the Naganohara Fireworks. Ayaka has high praises for Yoimiya, calling her the “best pyrotechnician” of Inazuma.

Those are the only details miHoYo released about Sayu and Yoimiya so far. But as mentioned, both characters have been revealed in earlier leaks containing more details than what the developer announced on Monday. According to the Honey Hunter World database, Sayu is a four-star character who uses a Claymore-type weapon. The same source lists Yoimiya as a five-star Pyro who will wield a Bow-type weapon.

It is important to note that both Sayu and Yoimiya hails from Inazuma, which also explains why they are introduced by Ayaka. A new region is unlikely to open in “Genshin Impact” version 1.6, but the addition of Inazuma has been in the rumor mill over the past few months. miHoYo has yet to confirm the leaks about Inazuma, but including Sayu and Yoimiya in the next update seems like a subtle nod to the imminent opening of the secluded city-state.

Last April, “Genshin Impact” assets were leaked, supposedly showing that Inazuma is composed of many islands. Leakers also claimed that a future update will allow players to explore these islands, along with the addition of boats in the gameplay.

However, a more recent report suggested that Inazuma might not be unlocked anytime soon. A source from Discord said there is only a 70 percent chance Inazuma will be included in version 1.7. Most of the leaks come from content revealed through “Genshin Impact” beta tests, but fans should take them with a grain of salt because there is always a chance for the planned characters, events, updates, and locations to be tweaked before they are officially released.

Meanwhile, miHoYo confirmed in a blog post that “Genshin Impact” version 1.6 will go live on Wednesday, June 9. The update maintenance is currently scheduled to start at 6:00 UTC / 2 a.m. EDT and will take five hours to be completed.