Genshin Impact 7.2 "Hour of Ruin" is here. Update maintenance began on 2026/11/04 at 06:00 (UTC+8), and after it finished the game moved to Version 7.2. Check your launcher or game client for your local time.
The patch brings two new Electro characters, two new Snezhnaya areas, the next Archon Quest chapter and a batch of quality-of-life improvements. There's also compensation waiting in your mailbox. Here's what matters.
Maintenance compensation: how much, who gets it, how long you have
HoYoverse estimated the maintenance at 5 hours.
The compensation is 300 Primogems, calculated at 60 Primogems per hour of server downtime.
Who qualifies: Travelers who reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2026/11/04 06:00 (UTC+8).
How it arrives: by in-game mail, within 5 hours after maintenance ends.
How long it lasts: the mail expires after 30 days. The notice also says "Compensation must be claimed before the end of Version 7.2."
There's no announced end date for Version 7.2 yet, so treat the 30-day expiry and the "end of 7.2" line as two separate limits. Claim it early and you won't have to work out which comes first.
The Update Details notice also lists a separate Issue Fix Compensation of 300 Primogems and points players to the relevant mail for details. Who qualifies and the claim deadline for that one haven't been confirmed, so read the mail itself.
The new characters: Mitya and Valeriy
Both join the playable roster as Electro characters, and both bring further enhancements to Stellar-Conduct reactions.
"Rules Set at Naught" Mitya is the 5-star, an Electro Catalyst user. He's an Electro DPS who lets the party trigger Stellar-Conduct and deals Stellar-Conduct reaction DMG in different ways. His Elemental Burst deals AoE Electro DMG, and in exploration the "Detection Reactor" helps find hidden paths and cosmetic rewards.
Valeriy is an Electro Sword character who provides a shield and an Electro DMG bonus to support Stellar-Conduct teams. In other words, he reads as the support half of the pair, while Mitya takes the damage role.
Phase I and Phase II banners
According to Inven Global, Phase 1 of the Event Wishes features Mitya and Valeriy alongside a Furina rerun. Phase 2 reportedly brings reruns for Zabaek and Linnea, plus a new Chronicled Wish with select Natlan characters.
That character lineup comes from that outlet alone. Start and end dates for both phases, the 4-star characters on each banner and the Chronicled Wish roster haven't been confirmed, so check the in-game Wish screen before you plan your pulls.
Phase I weapons
The event-exclusive 5-star weapons Starsealed Edict (Catalyst) and Splendor of Tranquil Waters (Sword) get a drop-rate boost.
The boosted 4-stars are The Dockhand's Assistant (Sword), Prospector's Drill (Polearm), Dawning Frost (Catalyst), Rainslasher (Claymore) and Rust (Bow).
The 5-star weapon types, Catalyst and Sword, match Mitya and Valeriy's weapon types.
New areas in Snezhnaya
Version 7.2 opens two new Snezhnaya areas: Novokitezhgrad and Wingspan Peak. If you want a refresher on how Snezhnaya was set up, our Version 7.0 breakdown covers it.
The new areas include new Fishing Points and "Radiant Spincrystals".
There's one exploration change worth knowing. Once you finish the "An Ancient Song of Flowing Crystal and Stone Chests" quest chain, the Shadow Realm area east of Wingspan Peak recedes. That area uses third-person shooter combat. After the chain, you can freely add characters to your party there.
Story and events
The main course is Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act V, "Hour of Ruin". In the story, as the Nails of Retribution awaken across Teyvat, representatives from all seven nations answer the Tsaritsa's call and gather in Snezhnaya.
iXBT.games also reports a second new Archon Quest, Chapter VII: Act VI "Yesterday from the Other Shore". The title comes from a translated report and hasn't been officially confirmed yet.
On the event side:
A new limited-time event unlocks through Version 7.2 Archon Quest progress, or you can join it directly with the Quick Start feature.
A filming event in Snezhnaya and a mining challenge in Natlan round out the version.
Quality-of-life changes
The update brings a host of quality-of-life improvements, including Specialty Tracking and Prime Ice Construct sending. Check the in-game prompts for how they work when you log in.
What to do first
Grab the compensation mail and don't let it sit. Then decide whether Mitya and Valeriy are worth your Primogems once the banner dates show up in game. If you're catching up from last version, our Version 7.1 recap is a good place to start.
If you pull a new character and want them ready without the grind, our Character Leveling service can help.
