Genshin Impact Luna IV Patch Notes: New Characters, Banners, Lantern Rite, Map Expansion, and More

Genshin Impact Version 6.3, also known as Luna IV – A Traveler on a Winter’s Night, pushes the game forward with major story progress, a fresh Nod-Krai map expansion, three new playable characters, a new Elemental Reaction, and the return of Lantern Rite. If you enjoy team optimization, exploration, and event grinding, this update gives you plenty to chase.

Luna IV officially launched on January 14, 2026 and introduces both permanent content and time-limited rewards, making this one of the most content-heavy patches of the year.

Three New Playable Characters Enter the Meta

Luna IV introduces two new 5-Star characters and one new 4-Star support, all designed around Lunar reactions and Geo synergy.

Columbina – 5-Star Hydro Catalyst

Columbina specializes in sustained off-field Hydro application and Lunar reaction amplification.

• Her Elemental Skill summons a Gravity Ripple that follows the active character and deals continuous Hydro AoE damage.
• Teammates generate Gravity whenever they trigger Lunar reactions near the Ripple.
• Once Gravity reaches its cap, Columbina releases bonus damage based on the dominant reaction type.
• Her Elemental Burst creates a Lunar Domain that boosts Lunar Reaction damage for all party members inside the field.

She enables consistent Lunar-Charged, Lunar-Bloom, and Lunar-Crystallize rotations in reaction-focused teams.

See also: Columbina Best Teams in Genshin Impact – Top Lunar Bloom, Charged & Crystallize Comps

Zibai – 5-Star Geo Sword

Zibai functions as a frontline Geo DPS who directly triggers Lunar-Crystallize damage.

• Her Elemental Skill activates Lunar Phase Shift, converting Normal and Charged Attacks into Geo damage.
• She accumulates Phase Shift Radiance during combat.
• Consuming Radiance unleashes a powerful Lunar-Crystallize strike.
• Her Elemental Burst deals wide AoE Lunar-Crystallize damage.

She rewards aggressive melee positioning and high uptime on reaction triggers.

Illuga – 4-Star Geo Polearm

Supports Geo and Lunar teams with buffs and reaction scaling.

• His Elemental Skill summons a messenger bird that deals Geo damage.
• His Elemental Burst grants Nightingale’s Song, increasing Geo and Lunar-Crystallize damage based on Elemental Mastery.
• After casting Skill or Burst, nearby allies gain Lightkeeper’s Oath, boosting CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG for Geo attacks.

Illuga strengthens reaction teams that rely on stable damage amplification.

Banner Schedule and Phases

Luna IV runs across two banner phases with overlapping weapon banners.

Phase 1 – January 14 to February 3, 2026

Phase 2 – February 3 to February 24, 2026

This structure allows players to plan Primogem spending across both new characters and reruns.

New Elemental Reaction: Lunar-Crystallize

Luna IV introduces Lunar-Crystallize, a new reaction that expands Geo synergy.

• When Geo interacts with Hydro under Lunar conditions, three Moondrifts form near the target.
• Triggering Lunar-Crystallize three times activates Moondrift Harmony, dealing Geo damage to nearby enemies.
• The damage can CRIT and scales from all characters who applied elements during the reaction.

This system encourages coordinated team rotations instead of single-unit reaction stacking.

Nod-Krai Map Expansion Opens New Exploration Routes

The Nod-Krai region expands with several new explorable zones:

• Voidsea Outlook
• Wavechaser Plain
• Ashveil Peak

New Meeting Points unlock alongside the expansion:

• The Witch’s Garden
• Favonius Keep
• Cliffwatch Camp

Each Meeting Point unlocks World Quests that gradually open new systems and traversal routes. Players can also discover new Fishing Points, Radiant Spincrystals, wildlife species, and puzzle chains.

Teleport Waypoints now appear on the map even when zoomed out, improving navigation efficiency during exploration.

Lantern Rite Returns With Free Rewards

Lantern Rite arrives through the event “A Lanternlit Ode to the Silver Moon.”

Players can earn:

• Event currency and Primogems
• A free selectable Liyue 4-Star character
• Yaoyao’s free outfit – Rainlit Bamboo Reverie
• Story quests tied to the festival

The event blends combat challenges, mini-games, and narrative content.

New Archon Quests Push the Main Story Forward

Two main story chapters continue the Song of the Welkin Moon arc:

• Act VII – A Traveler on a Winter’s Night
• Act VIII – True Moon

Completing Act VIII unlocks the Traveler outfit As Heaven and Earth Are Made Anew and enhances the Traveler’s combat growth systems. Focused Experience Mode supports streamlined story progression.

Additional World Quests include:

• Reverberation of Heroic Spirits
• Nightingale’s Song series
• To the Rightful Owner, Returned
• Punishment Befits the Guilty
• Echoes of a Forsaken Song
• The Raven Legacy

New Domain: Moonchild’s Treasures

The new Domain of Blessing Moonchild’s Treasures unlocks at Adventure Rank 10 or after completing Archon Prologue Act III.

Players can farm:

• Aubade of Morningstar and Moon
• A Day Carved from Rising Winds

This domain supports reaction and sustained DPS builds.

New Weapons and Artifact Sets

Weapons

Nocturne’s Curtain Call (5-Star Catalyst)

• Increases Max HP and Energy recovery.
• Boosts Lunar Reaction CRIT damage.
• Triggers even when off-field.

Lightbearing Moonshard (5-Star Sword)

• Increases DEF.
• Boosts Lunar-Crystallize damage after using Elemental Skill.

Artifact Sets

Aubade of Morningstar and Moon

• 2-Piece: Elemental Mastery +80
• 4-Piece: Boosts off-field Lunar Reaction damage, scaling with Moonsign level.

A Day Carved from Rising Winds

• 2-Piece: ATK +18%
• 4-Piece: Grants stacking ATK and CRIT bonuses after attacks.

New Outfits and Pricing

Traveler Outfit

• As Heaven and Earth Are Made Anew
• Unlocked after completing Archon Act VIII.

Neuvillette Outfit – Melusent Gift

• Limited-time discounted price: 1,350 Genesis Crystals
• Regular price after discount: 1,680 Genesis Crystals
• Discount ends February 23, 2026.

Yaoyao Outfit – Rainlit Bamboo Reverie

• Earned free through Lantern Rite event.
• Purchasable later in the outfit shop.

New Weekly Boss and Elite Enemies

The Doctor – Weekly Boss

The Doctor joins the game as a major weekly boss encounter.

• He manipulates lunar authority mechanics during combat.
• Players must follow temporary rule mechanics or face punishment phases.
• The fight rewards Talent Ascension materials.

Lord of the Hidden Depths – Field Boss

This boss deploys Deepdark Shields and summons Fishers of Hidden Depths. Elemental attacks and Lunar reactions break shields efficiently, creating faster clear windows.

Additional enemies include:

• Frostnight Scions with elemental alignment mechanics
• Radiant Glacial Wolves that trap players in Radiant Cocoons
• Swarm-based Fishers of Hidden Depths

These enemies encourage reaction-based team building rather than raw DPS stacking.

New Weapons and Artifact Sets

Weapons

• Nocturne’s Curtain Call (5-Star Catalyst)
  • Boosts Max HP, Energy recovery, and Lunar Reaction CRIT damage.
  • Designed for Columbina and reaction-focused catalysts.
• Lightbearing Moonshard (5-Star Sword)
  • Increases DEF and Lunar-Crystallize damage after Skill usage.
  • Synergizes strongly with Zibai.

Artifact Sets

• Aubade of Morningstar and Moon
  • Boosts Elemental Mastery and off-field Lunar Reaction damage.
• A Day Carved from Rising Winds
  • Increases ATK and grants stacking offensive buffs after hitting enemies.

Both sets support sustained reaction teams and hybrid DPS rotations.

Spiral Abyss Rotations (Two Phases)

Phase 1 – January 16 Update

Floor 11 Bonuses

• +60% Electro DMG
• +60% Hydro DMG

Floor 12 Bonuses

• First Half: +75% Charged Attack DMG
• Second Half: +75% Lunar Reaction DMG

Blessing: Surgestrike Moon
Triggering Lunar reactions unleashes shockwaves dealing True DMG every 3 seconds.

Phase 2 – February 16 Update

Floor 11 Bonuses

• +60% Geo DMG
• +60% Hydro DMG

Floor 12 Bonuses

• First Half: +75% Lunar-Charged DMG
• Second Half: +75% Lunar-Crystallize DMG

Blessing: Stonehold Moon
Lunar-Crystallize damage triggers shockwaves dealing True DMG every 3 seconds.

Spiral Abyss and Endgame Adjustments

Spiral Abyss rotates Lunar bonuses across Floors 11 and 12:

• Increased Electro, Hydro, and Geo damage bonuses depending on phase.
• Charged Attack and Lunar Reaction damage multipliers.
• New Blessings trigger shockwaves when players activate Lunar reactions.

These changes heavily favor reaction-driven teams rather than brute-force comps.

Miliastra Wonderland Expansion

Miliastra Wonderland receives major creator upgrades:

• Classic Mode for full stage logic customization
• Colorful Surprise Box creator monetization system
• New cosmetic components, expressions, and effects
• New Public Lobby themes
• UI lighting and filtering optimizations
• Additional customization controls for Manekins

Players can now build more complex interactive stages and experiment with deeper logic systems.

Genius Invokation TCG Balance Updates

The card system receives multiple adjustments:

• New Character Cards: Skirk, Ororon, and Consecrated Horned Crocodile
• New Action Cards available from Prince at The Cat’s Tail
• HP tuning for several characters
• Cost and effect adjustments for multiple Event and Equipment Cards

These changes stabilize balance and improve competitive variety.

New Recipes, Collectibles, Wildlife, and Achievements

New Recipes

• Crispy Spring Rolls
• Veggie Pot Soup
• Mushroom Phantasm
• Fireside Merriment
• Lucky Snow Delight
• Berry Herbal Candy

Character Specialty Dishes

• Columbina – Moonlit Mirage
• Zibai – Flavor of Spring
• Illuga – Nightwatch Soup

Wildlife Additions

• Thornback Gecko
• Crowned Eagle
• Cinderneck Stork

Achievements and Collectibles

• New achievement series
• New namecards for Columbina, Zibai, and Illuga
• Additional fishing points and Spincrystals
• Seed Dispensary expansions

Quality-of-Life Improvements and Fixes

Quest UI Upgrades and Quality-of-Life Improvements

Major usability improvements include:

• Unified Quest Overview interface
• Cutscene replay via Recollection
• Permanent Event Quest access
• Improved Travel Log filtering
• Waypoint visibility upgrades
• Audio balancing improvements
• UI clarity fixes
• Co-op stability fixes
• Visual and animation corrections

These changes reduce friction during long gameplay sessions.

Luna IV does more than add content. It reshapes team building through Lunar reactions, expands Nod-Krai exploration, strengthens endgame variety, and delivers meaningful story progression. Between Lantern Rite rewards, new characters, and system improvements, this update offers strong reasons to log in daily and experiment with new team comps.

If you enjoy reaction optimization, exploration, and seasonal events, Luna IV delivers one of the most complete patches Genshin Impact has shipped in recent memory. Play Now!