Genshin Impacthas revealed the lineup of its Event Banners for Version 5.6, as Escoffier, Navia, Kinich, and Raiden will all feature in the upcoming patch. One notable change in Natlan compared to Fontaine and Sumeru has been the way developers approach banner schedules. Preferential treatment is given to popularGenshin Impactcharacters, leaving niche 5-Stars like Shenhe, Kokomi, and Eula behind. While players were initially concerned by this change of direction, the use of Chronicled Banners has allowed HoYoverse to feature less popular characters without disrupting its schedule for the Event Banners.
As such, Version 5.6 marks the debut of anInazuma Chronicled Banner toGenshin Impact, allowing players to pull for characters such as Itto, Ayaka, and even Chiori. On the other hand, the Event Banners continue to be stacked with modern favorites – in this case Navia and Kinich. The former has established herself as the most popular Geo hypercarry, while the latter brings a unique playstyle to the table.
Ahead of Version 5.6,Genshin Impacthas officially confirmed the Event Banners for the upcoming patch, revealing that Escoffier and Navia will headline the first half of the update, while the second half will feature Kinich and Raiden. It should be noted that HoYoverse has only confirmedIfa inGenshin Impactas the featured 4-Star character in Version 5.6, but previous datamining implies that Lynette, Layla, Sara, and Thoma will accompany him as well. Apart from Ifa being in the first half, their distribution across the overall lineup is unknown.
Sara– 4-Star Electro Bow
Thoma– 4-Star Pyro Polearm
Despite not being confirmed by HoYoverse, it makes sense for Thoma and Sara to appear in the second half, as both characters have notable synergy with the accompanying 5-Stars. This potentially leaves Lynette and Layla for the first half of Version 5.6, but players should nonetheless wait for official news. One thing to keep in mind is thatEscoffier inGenshin Impactis expected to draw plenty of interest, as her ability kit allows Freeze teams to catch up with the current meta.
As a character, Escoffier is meant to pave the way for future 5-Stars like Skirk, who is set to release in Version 5.7 alongside Dahlia. From an investment standpoint, she is definitely the biggest draw from the Event Banners in Version 5.6, but only if players are willing to build aFreeze team inGenshin Impact. Version 5.6 is expected to come out on May 19, 2025.
