Genshin Impact officially reveals Nicole's release date

Genshin Impact has officially started its drip marketing for Nicole, revealing new knowledge about Voiceless Angel and confirming her release date for the first half of version 6.6. With version 6.5 underway, Genshin Impact players have sunk their teeth into Dornman Port and Temple of Space, two zones that introduced a much-needed expansion to Mondstadt – the game's oldest region. Version 6.5 also debuted Linnea, a Fae with ties to the Adventurers' Guild, and a 5-star Geo Bow that serves as the capstone for Lunar-Crystallize teams. However, version 6.6 promises a pivot in a completely different direction.

There will be no map expansion in version 6.6, but the upcoming patch is expected to add three new characters Genshin Impact Cast: Nicole, Lohen and Prune. As a 5-star Pyro Catalyst, Nicole will fill the role of a universal support option for Hexenzirkel, where Varka benefits most from her ability kit. In contrast, Lohen is expected to be a 5-star Cryo Polearm with a hypercarry playstyle, while Prune will be a dedicated Swirl support character as a 4-star Anemo Catalyst.

genshin impact version 6.5 event chronicled banner characters linnea chasca nefer lauma

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Genshin Impact reveals all the banner characters for version 6.5

Genshin Impact players will be able to pull for nine different 5-stars during version 6.5, as HoYoverse reveals yet another Chronicled Banner.

Genshin Impact: Nicole will become playable in version 6.6

With Nicole being the first to be revealed by Genshin Impact through her drop marketing, HoYoverse has set her release date: May 20, 2026. She will make her playable debut in the first half of version 6.6, joining Event Banners alongside Durin – who also happens to be a notable option for Varka's team in Genshin Impact. The 4-stars that will accompany them are currently unknown, but many players are hoping that Prune will be among them due to her synergy with Varka.

From a historical perspective, the character profile for Nicole reveals that the silent underbelly of the Witch Circle met Alice as a child, when the bright young witch offered Nicole companionship at a time when she really needed it. This friendship would blossom over the years and form the foundation of Hexenzirkel. As an angel, Nicole is one of the oldest living characters among the playable cast Genshin Impacteasy to match even Zhongli and Zibai in age.

From a gaming standpoint, Nicole in Genshin Impact is a support character that provides ATK buffer, a shield, and coordinated attacks that adapt to the element type of the currently active character. She has been compared to Bennett, but with a wider ability kit, at the cost of needing at least one Hexerei teammate to get the most out of it. While Nicole is largely intended to provide Varka with his ideal support option, she is fully viable to others Genshin Impact hypercarries like Navia or Lyney, only show incompatibility with some characters like Mavuika due to the delayed timing of Nicole's ATK buffer.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)

For players looking to pull for Nicole in version 6.6, there are a few things to keep in mind. The amount of Primogems in the upcoming Genshin Impact patch will be extremely scarce, as free-to-play accounts will only be able to get about 60 interlocking wishes in total. The new map expansion added in version 6.5 should help Nicole fans replenish their moves, but Genshin Impact likely won't have another update with a high number of Primogems until July 2026. Version 6.6 is scheduled for release on May 20, 2026, with Nicole and Durin on the first set of banners.