Genshin Impact’s Arlecchino drip marketing has begun, with HoYoverse teasing new art and character bios for the new version 4.6 characters. If you’ve played Honkai Impact, you can probably guess the fan reaction. Alecchino is to Genshin Impact what Kafka is to Star Trek, a domineering woman who commits crimes but also brings kindness and an impeccable sense of style.
The Genshin Impact community has been eagerly waiting for this moment for nearly two years. Although Arleccino only appeared once before the start of Fontaine’s story, the main Arlecchino subreddit (a type of Genshin Impact subreddit dedicated to teaching players how to play different characters) already has 26,000 members.
In typical Genshin Impact fashion, plenty of Alecchino lore has been scattered throughout the game – if you know where to look. Some of these are tied to Fremine’s character stories, which you can only unlock if you spend a lot of time with him.
More background on Alecchino’s Rise is hidden in a hidden Lightning World quest that’s hidden behind a hidden exploration puzzle, because of course it is. Arleccino even appeared in HoYoverse’s Lazzo video for Winter Night, released in mid-2022, and was never promoted again.
Or you could, you know, read the fan wiki and get a good summary there.
In short, if Genshin Impact were Oliver Twist, Alecchino would be playing Fagin’s role. She manages a group of orphaned or abandoned children, sending them out on intelligence-gathering missions that usually don’t end well, although unlike her predecessor, she won’t sell her own children.
In fact, she is the user of the Pyro polearm and the first user of the combination Thoma Appearing in late 2021. Ahead of the official release, bits of marketing from HoYoverse have only revealed character elements and weapons, and the leaked scenes vary greatly depending on who you listen to. A few months ago, it was agreed that Arleccino would only work on the Overload team. But that idea disappeared, and now the idea is that her gear is similar to Lenny’s, with skills that reduce health to increase strength, then reset her buffs and restore health.
However, it will still be a long time before we see Alecino in action. If there are no delays, Genshin Impact 4.6 is expected to start around April 26, 2024. Meanwhile, version 4.5 will begin on March 13, 2024, and introduce the new 5-star Geo character Chiori and her exquisite fashion doll.