As Genshin Impact players eagerly anticipate the release of Version 5.0, HoYoverse has released an exciting announcement. Two new artifact sets, specifically designed for the upcoming Natlan region are on their way. These artifacts named "Obsidian Codex" and "Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City," are tailored to work with the region's unique "Nightsoul's Blessing" mechanic.
This reveal comes just days before the launch of Genshin Impact's sixth playable region, Natlan. With new characters, weapons, and now these game-changing artifacts on the horizon, Version 5.0 is shaping up to be one of the most important updates since the game's release.
The Nightsoul's Blessing Mechanic
Before we get into the artifacts themselves, let's quickly talk about the new Nightsoul's Blessing mechanic. Exclusive to Natlan characters, this special state can be entered when characters activate their abilities. While in this state, characters accumulate Nightsoul points, visible as a gauge on their left side.
Each Natlan character will utilize these points in unique ways, adding a new layer of strategy to combat.
A Close Look at the New Sets
Obsidian Codex offers a whopping 15% damage increase when the character is in the Nightsoul's Blessing state and on the field. Its four-piece bonus is even more impressive, granting a 40% crit rate increase for 6 seconds after consuming a Nightsoul point. This set is particularly powerful for on-field Natlan DPS characters like Kenich and Mulani.
Meanwhile, the Cinder City set provides energy regeneration and elemental damage bonuses. Its two-piece effect grants 6 energy when triggering a Nightsoul burst, while the four-piece bonus can provide up to a 40% elemental damage bonus for the entire party when reactions are triggered in the Nightsoul's Blessing state.
Potential Impact on Gameplay
There will definitely be a notable impact on how players approach combat when the new version releases. Particularly, the Cinder City can create powerful elemental reaction teams, buffing up to three elements simultaneously in some cases.
A character like Kachina could trigger a Pyro crystallize reaction to grant the entire party a substantial Pyro and Geo damage bonus. This means there are endless possibilities for team synergies in the game.
However, it's worth noting that these artifacts are currently limited to Natlan characters, which has sparked some discussion in the Genshin Impact community. Some players are speculating about future possibilities, such as characters or weapons that might enable the Nightsoul's Blessing mechanic for non-Natlan units, similar to how some existing characters can enable certain effects for others.
If future updates allow non-Natlan characters to access the Nightsoul's Blessing state, that would be another positive. Surely, the community would be hoping for this. Having characters or weapons that enable Nightsoul's Blessing for non-Natlan units would be sick.
The Bottom Line
Dreaming aside. With the launch of Version 5.0 just around the corner, Genshin Impact players will be eagerly waiting to experiment with these powerful new tools in their artifact arsenal.
It doesn't matter whether you're a casual Genshin player or a hardcore min-maxer. The addition of Obsidian Codex and Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City sets will bring fresh strategies and exciting challenges to the world of Teyvat.