Genshin Impact 4.5: The Bleakest Update Yet? A Deep Dive into What's Coming

The year 2026 is looking rather gloomy for Genshin Impact fans as leaks surrounding Version 4.5 paint a picture of what might be the most content-starved update in recent memory. After the spectacular feast that was Version 4.4 with its grand Lantern Rite Festival, expansive Chenyu Vale region, and multiple character additions, players are now staring down the barrel of what appears to be a disappointingly sparse update. But just how bad could it possibly be? Let's dissect the leaks and find out what's really going on.

Solo Character Blues: Chiori Stands Alone

In an unprecedented move for a mid-version update, Version 4.5 is reportedly introducing only one new playable character - Chiori. While veteran players might note this follows the typical pattern of diminishing character releases as we move further from a major nation launch, it's still remarkably thin. Where are all those unreleased Fontaine characters we've been eagerly awaiting? Have they fallen into the Abyss?

The solo character situation wouldn't be so concerning if Chiori were shaping up to be the next must-have powerhouse. However, the rumor mill suggests otherwise. Leaks indicate she may be plagued by the dreaded "double-scaling" curse - requiring investment in both ATK and DEF stats to reach her potential. Anyone who's spent hours (days? weeks?) farming artifacts knows the pain of trying to build a character dependent on multiple stats.

Remember Dehya? The character who needed both HP and ATK and ended up disappointing many players? History may be repeating itself here. Could HoYoverse not have learned from past mistakes? Or perhaps they're setting up Chiori for a surprise buff before release? One can only hope.

Free-to-Play Weapon: More Like Free-to-Skip?

As if the character situation weren't concerning enough, the rumored free event weapon isn't generating much excitement either. According to leaks, the 4-star polearm will function similarly to the craftable Rightful Reward, with only marginally better stats.

What's the point of grinding through an event for a weapon that's barely an upgrade over something you can craft any day of the week? 🤔 This feels like getting socks for your birthday when you were hoping for a PlayStation.

Banner Woes: Where's Albedo?

The rerun situation isn't looking much better. Early leaks had Albedo fans rejoicing at the prospect of his return after a nearly two-year absence. However, more recent information suggests the chalk prince won't be making an appearance in either Phase 1 or Phase 2 banners.

The theory is that HoYoverse doesn't want Albedo competing with Chiori since they fill similar team roles. But doesn't this just highlight the problem with Chiori in the first place? If she's so similar to an existing character that they can't even run concurrently, what's her unique selling point?

A Silver Lining: New Gacha System?

Not all is doom and gloom, however. Multiple reliable leakers have confirmed that Version 4.5 may introduce an entirely new banner system. This would allow players to pull for characters and weapons from specific regions with a mechanism similar to the Epitomized Path for weapons.

For collectors and players who've missed characters from earlier regions, this could be a game-changer. But is one new gacha system enough to save an otherwise barren update? That remains to be seen.

Quality-of-Life Improvements: Small Comforts

The update will reportedly include some quality-of-life improvements, including:

• A new graphic quality setting (though potentially troublesome for players with older devices)

• An artifact recommendation system to help optimize character builds

These are welcome additions, but they feel more like regular maintenance than exciting new content. It's like being served a side salad when you were expecting a five-course meal. Nutritious? Sure. Satisfying? Not quite.

Events: Feline Friends and Not Much Else

The flagship event for 4.5 remains shrouded in mystery, but one of the more notable side events involves... befriending cats. Yes, players will apparently be increasing their reputation with feline friends across Teyvat.

While cat lovers might rejoice (and who doesn't love a good virtual pet?), the fact that this is considered one of the "major" events speaks volumes about the update's overall content density. Is this really what we've come to expect from a game that previously gave us multi-part festivals, combat challenges, and story-rich quests?

The Verdict: A Skippable Update?

When we look at the complete picture of Version 4.5, it's hard not to feel underwhelmed:

• One new character with potentially problematic scaling

• A mediocre free weapon

• No Albedo rerun

• Minimal events

• Some QoL updates

For players who've been with Genshin Impact since its early days, this pattern might feel familiar. The game often experiences content droughts between major releases, but Version 4.5 seems particularly sparse.

Is this a sign that HoYoverse is focusing their resources on the next major region? Or perhaps they're dedicating more development time to their other titles like Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero? Whatever the reason, Genshin players might find themselves with extra time on their hands during this update cycle.

Looking Forward

The saving grace might be that lighter content updates often precede something substantial. Could Version 4.6 or 5.0 be just around the corner with a wealth of new content? History suggests this might be the case.

For now, players might want to use Version 4.5 as an opportunity to:

1. Save primogems for future banners

2. Complete any backlog of quests or exploration

3. Farm materials for future characters

4. Take a brief break and prevent burnout

In the ever-expanding universe of Teyvat, not every chapter can be an epic. Sometimes we get quiet interludes - and perhaps that's exactly what Version 4.5 is meant to be: the calm before the storm.

What do you think? Will Version 4.5 be as bleak as the leaks suggest, or is HoYoverse keeping some surprises up their sleeve? Only time will tell, but one thing's for certain - the Genshin Impact community will continue to thrive regardless of what the next update brings. After all, we've weathered content droughts before, haven't we? 😉