MANILA – After weeks of postponement, action role-playing gacha game Genshin Impact will release its 2.7 update on May 31.

The update – titled "Hidden Dreams in the Depths" – highlights the debut of five-star character Yelan, a hydro character that claims to work for the Ministry of Civil Affairs in the Liyue region of the game.

Games such as Genshin Impact implement the gacha system, where players spend in-game currency to receive a random virtual item. In Genshin's case, people "wish" for characters using "fates" with the possibility of receiving weapons, 4-star characters, and in lucky instances, rare 5-star characters such as Yelan or Xiao for a certain period.

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Players may pull for Yelan from May 31 to June 20 – Phase I of version 2.7 – in a wishing banner titled "Discerner of Enigmas." Her story quest – which focuses on her character's lore and allows players to try her character out at the same time – will be released at the same time. Adeptus Xiao, who plays a crucial role in version 2.7's lore, will have a rerun banner titled "Invitation to Mundane Life" during the same period.

The weapon banner will also feature two five-star weapons – Aqua Simulacra, which is tailor-made for Yelan, and Xiao's weapon, the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear.

Yelan and Xiao will be featured in another Archon Quest in the Chasm titled "Perilous Trail" situated in The Chasm in Liyue. Tagged as an interlude, "Perilous Trail" alludes to transition travelers towards the Sumeru region, set to be released in the 3.0 update, as they continue their quest to find their lost siblings.

Geo five-star character Arataki Itto and his sidekick, 4-star character Kuki Shinobu, will also make an appearance in the interlude chapter and will be available to wish for in Phase II of the 2.7 update.

An event of the same name will be released in June 20, with various currencies and ascension items such as primogems, mora, and an event-exclusive bow weapon "Fading Twilight" at stake.

Other limited-time events such as "Core of the Apparatus," "A Muddy Bizarre Adventure," and the "The Almighty Arataki Great and Glorious Drumalong Festival" will be released during version 2.7, with the exact dates yet to be announced.

Genshin Impact will also have certain adjustments and optimizations as version 2.7 of the game drops.

Likewise, the months-long maintenance of the "home-making feature" Serenitea Pot, which barred players from placing furniture and characters, will end when 2.7 starts.

The 2.7 update was set for a mid-May release but Shanghai-based gaming development company MiHoYo announced it was postponing the release, citing project delays.

This development came as COVID-19 surges spurred lockdowns in the city and paralyzed economic activity. MiHoYo did not mention if the lockdowns spurred delays in the game's release.

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