Genshin Impact’s next major update will add two beautiful new biomes

theverge.com:

Genshin Impact’s impending Sumeru update is set to add some beautiful new areas to explore, and the game’s developers shared a look at some of the new zones in a new video.

The new areas will be divided into two major zones: a rainforest and a desert, environment artist Jax Huang says in the video. The rainforest is filled with rolling hills, lush vegetation, and towering trees. The desert biome, on the other hand, is more sparse but also contains ruins with intricate architecture. Both look like natural additions to Genshin Impact’s rich and colorful environments.

Each biome has some more fantastical elements, too. The forest has a city built on a huge tree and zones with giant, glowy plants, while the desert has ruins that are floating upside down in the air. And the mysterious remains of a giant robot can be found in each biome — they make me think of the inert Guardians you can find in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. (Though there’s a lot about Genshin Impact’s world that might remind you of Breath of the Wild.)

The Sumeru update will be Genshin Impact’s 3.0 release. It doesn’t have an official release date just yet, but it’s expected to launch near the end of August. For more on the new update, check out this explainer from our good friends at Polygon.