The impact of Version 1.5 was monumental.
The reruns of Venti and Tartaglia alone delighted both new and veteran players, given their immense popularity. Venti, in particular, became a beacon for newcomers who missed his initial banner and veterans who had finally saved enough Primogems to chase his constellations. Tartaglia, while slightly less sought-after than Venti, still outperformed Albedo's banner by a wide margin—even as a rerun.
But these were secondary. Even the Windblume Festival and the "Wishful Drops" event paled in comparison to the true heart of this update: the long-awaited reunion of the twin protagonists.
Undeniably, while the twins rarely topped popularity polls and were often benched in co-op teams, their narrative significance made them the emotional core of Genshin Impact. Polls couldn't capture their true resonance—after all, many players reflexively overlooked them in surveys. Yet this very oversight proved their importance. Why else would players rage when the protagonist was reduced to a "camera" or a mere prop to hype up gacha characters?
The twins were Genshin Impact. Their journey—to reunite with their lost sibling—was the primal force driving millions through Teyvat. Players became them, seeing the world through their eyes. No gacha character could ever replicate that bond.
So when the reunion finally came—brief and bittersweet—it ignited a tsunami of emotions. Those who chose Lumine saw her brother Aether as the Abyss Prince; those who chose Aether glimpsed Lumine as the Abyss Princess. Regret flooded both camps: "Why didn't I pick the other twin?!"
"PUT THEM IN THE GACHA ALREADY!!!!!!!!"
Countless players vowed to create alt accounts just to relive the moment with the sibling they'd missed. The hype reached stratospheric heights. Old trailers like "Footprints" and "We Will Be Reunited" resurfaced, dissected frame by frame. The latter's emotional weight—particularly Lumine's conflicted demeanor as the Abyss Princess—contrasted sharply with her in-game reunion, revealing layers of unspoken pain.
"We will be reunited."
"But not here… Not now."
"At journey's end, we will meet again, brother… Go, witness the culmination of all things."
"When the time comes, you will understand."
Whether players chose Aether or Lumine, the twins' bond transcended the screen. With Genshin's player base now exponentially larger than at launch, this narrative crescendo was inevitable.
Amidst the twin-mania, another subtle plot thread simmered: the "Wishful Drops" epilogue. After meeting Endora (a pure water spirit from Fontaine), the Traveler took her to meet Astrea (Rea). The encounter took an unexpected turn:
Endora: "You… aren't from Fontaine, are you?"
Rea (nervously): "O-of course I am!"
Endora: "Impossible. I'd recognize a Fontainian. You're… different."
Rea (hesitant): "If you mean by your definition of 'Fontainian,' then no… But I am from Fontaine. Truly."
Paimon: "Huh? So she's someone who moved to Fontaine and became a citizen? That's normal, right?"
Endora: "But… there's something else. A secret I can't share."
Rea's evasive reply—"Pure water spirits were once the Hydro Archon's familiars… That's why they can sense who's truly Fontainian"—reeked of deception. The Traveler and Paimon dropped the topic, but players latched onto the mystery. What made Fontainians "different"? Why couldn't Endora explain?
Before theories could spiral, Version 1.6 arrived, shifting focus to the Golden Apple Archipelago. Yet this cryptic exchange lingered—a breadcrumb for Fontaine's future lore.