Genshin Impact is getting a virtual trading card game

polygon.com:

The developers of Genshin Impact have announced yet another feature that will be added to the increasingly giant adventure game. Players can now look forward to Genius Invokation, a virtual trading card game that you can play within the world of the game. Hoyoverse provided some details on Genius Invokation, but it won’t be launching until version 3.3 of the game, which is scheduled to be released on Dec. 7.

The cards are all based on characters and creatures from Genshin Impact. In the game you’ll be able to invite various NPCs and other characters to play. (The newly announced character Cyno apparently enjoys playing it.) If you don’t want to face a computer, you can also play with friends. The developers said that it will mainly be a PvE mode that’s “light and casual,” and PvP won’t have any rewards.

Footage showed turn-based combat between two sides, with cards based on characters like Keqing, Diluc, Xingqiu, and Mona on the board. The developers said “all cards can be acquired through gameplay,” so it’s looking like players won’t need use gacha elements to get all the cards.

The news was shared as part of the upcoming 3.1 update stream, which teased the next mainline quest for the game. The 3.1 patch will bring a celebration in Mondstadt as well as a daring adventure in Sumeru where you take on two leaders of the Fatui Harbingers: Dottore and Scaramouche.