Summary
Genshin Impacthas fulfilled a long awaited request from its community, as players will finally be able to choose one 5-Star from the Standard Banner for free on every anniversary going forward. Throughout much of its history, anniversary rewards forGenshin Impacthave been mired in controversy. While 13 extra pulls are nice to have, manyGenshin Impactplayers felt that the developers could have offered more substantial rewards, either by increasing the number of Intertwined Wishes or by giving players a free 5-Star character.
Regardless of which side of the argument an individual player stood, there was mutual understanding that these community requests would never be fulfilled by the developers. The generosity of other HoYoverse games such asHonkai: Star Railfurther contributed to a growing resentment amongGenshin Impactfans, ultimately sparking anothercontroversy during the Lantern Rite in 2024. While there was never any expectation that HoYoverse would hand out a free 5-Star character inGenshin Impact, it seems that the team has changed their minds for Version 5.0 and beyond.
After announcing theEvent Banners for Version 5.0,Genshin Impacthas also revealed an unexpected reward for the game’s fourth anniversary. Starting from Version 5.0 and going forward, players will be able to obtain a free 5-Star character of their choice from the Standard Banner during every anniversary event. Given how valuable certain constellations can be, such as those of Dehya and Tighnari, this is a reward that greatly benefits newcomers and veterans alike.
Genshin Impact Fourth Anniversary Free 5-Star Characters
WhileStandard Banner characters inGenshin Impactare often considered a tier below the Event Banner characters, the Fontaine era has been extremely kind to some of these old units. Furina has dramatically improved Jean’s value as a healer, and Diluc is one of Xianyun’s best partners. Curiously, the developers were also quick to note thatGenshin Impactwould be releasing more Standard Banner characters in the future, which will only further increase the value of this event for subsequent anniversaries.
A plethora ofquality-of-life updates are coming toGenshin Impactin Version 5.0, and some of them are truly game-changing. For example, the much maligned Fate Points system on the Weapon Banner is getting an overhaul, as players will now only need one Fate Point to complete their Epitomized Path and obtain the 5-Star weapon of their choice. Version 5.0 is launching on June 25, 2025.
