I’ve been counting down the days to Genshin Impact Version 6.5 ever since the beta leaks dropped, and now that HoYoverse has officially revealed the full patch details, I’m already planning my play schedule for the next six weeks. The first phase of the update’s Event Banners is the biggest draw for me right now, featuring two 5-Stars we’ve known about for months—Linnea and Chasca—alongside three 4-Stars that might just be the real stars of the show: Aino, Noelle, and Illuga. 
For anyone who’s been playing through the Nod-Krai region’s content, you know the area’s Lunar Reaction gimmick has been a bit of a letdown for 4-Star characters. Unlike Natlan’s Nightsoul system, which works for every character, only 5-Star Nod-Krai units can trigger Lunar Reactions, so 4-Stars like Aino, Jahoda, and Illuga are stuck as auxiliary support for hypercarries like Flins or Zibai. Even then, they’re often written off as sidegrades to classic 4-Stars like Sucrose, which is a shame because they do have their own niches.
That’s why I’m excited to see Aino and Illuga on the 6.5 first phase banners. They’re both tailored for Lunar Reaction teams, and the first half of the patch is explicitly focused on Lunar-Crystallize, with Linnea as the core. Linnea is a Geo Bow user who’s way more versatile than I expected from early leaks: she boosts Lunar-Crystallize damage, shreds enemy Geo resistance, provides group healing, and deals solid off-field damage. Pairing her with Aino and Illuga will let me test out a full Lunar-Crystallize team without having to pull for a 5-Star support, which is perfect for my free-to-play account.
And then there’s Noelle, one of the oldest characters in Genshin Impact. I still remember pulling her on my very first banner back in 2020, and she’s aged incredibly well through all the meta shifts. She’s a great healer, tank, and even a decent main DPS if you build her right, so having her on the banner is a nice bonus for new players who don’t have a solid Geo support or main DPS yet, and for long-time players who want to get her constellations.
The second half of the patch is focused on Lunar-Bloom, with 5-Stars Lauma and Nefer leading the banners, but I’m even more hyped for the map expansion coming with 6.5. After years of waiting, we’re finally getting to explore Dornman Port, the long-awaited northern half of Mondstadt, and the Temple of Space above it. The Temple of Space has been on the game’s login screen for ages, so seeing it become a playable zone feels like a full-circle moment. 
Two new zones mean a ton of Primogems, too. HoYoverse confirmed that even free-to-play players can earn 77 Intertwined Wishes over the course of the patch, which is a huge boost for anyone who’s been saving for future characters. I’m torn between spending my wishes on the 6.5 banners to build my Lunar-Crystallize team and saving them for the rumored upcoming characters like Nicole, Lohen, Prune, and Sandrone, but having that many wishes gives me a lot of flexibility.
Version 6.5 is also the last major addition to Nod-Krai’s Lunar Reaction system, with Version 6.6 expanding the Hexerei roster and Version 6.7 rumored to introduce Snezhnaya’s regional gimmick. That makes this patch feel like a closing chapter for Nod-Krai, but also a fresh start for Mondstadt with the new zones. I’m already planning to spend my first weekend after the patch drops exploring Dornman Port and the Temple of Space, completing all the quests, and testing out Linnea’s team. The patch launches on April 8, 2026, and runs until May 20, 2026, so I’ve got plenty of time to make the most of it.
This overview is based on Giant Bomb, a long-running games media source known for tracking releases, player impressions, and broader genre trends. In the context of a content-heavy update like Genshin Impact 6.5, that kind of coverage is especially useful for weighing whether banner value comes more from headline 5-Stars such as Linnea and Chasca or from flexible 4-Star options like Aino, Noelle, and Illuga, while also framing how new regions like Dornman Port can shift player priorities toward exploration rewards and longer-term account planning.