We knew it was coming soon, and now it’s almost here. The next big regional update to Genshin Impact was officially announced in the latest Special Program stream. Although the biggest portion of it was dedicated to the next version, which is still a Sumeru patch, Fontaine sneaked its way into the last minutes.
And with this first glimpse at the new region, we could have an (official) look at what’s awaiting us in the French-flavored land of justice in Teyvat, complete with its outrageous outfits, exotic sea creatures and, most importantly, the most polite dogs you’ve seen this week.
From the Same Creators of Underground Puzzles, Meet Underwater Puzzles
Our first visit to Fontaine is focused on three different settings: the urban area, a seemly underground zone and (probably the most impactful) the oceans. Some earlier teases pointed out to the Traveler exploring the ocean’s depth, but now we see the real deal.
The ocean is ours to conquer. And for that, we’ll do our usual chores: completing tons of puzzles, encountering exotic creatures and maybe fighting underwater with whatever we got in our hands. The video doesn’t show much of that, and more should be revealed in the following month. Let’s hope it doesn’t get as confusing as the underground areas were in Sumeru.
A Social Commentary in My Mobile Game?!
Going back to the surface, we follow an Amy Rose expy in her daily duty of maintaining justice and order in the streets of Fontaine. Here’s where we get to see what this seemly futuristic city looks like, and god, it looks great!
Characters have consistently referenced Fontaine as the main technological and artistic hub in Teyvat. This is the home of the Steambird, the journal for which Mona and Charlotte both write. The Kameras (and tons of different gadgets we use throughout events) were invented here. Xinyan’s main inspirations hail from these Victorian-like walls. It’s just too good to be true.
So yeah, something is definitely off here. Our justice hero is seen for some moments in a way less developed area, where we see people who are seemly in poor conditions. As we know, the Hydro Archon is obsessed with justice and punishing criminals, so maybe this is where they’re sent.
Related: Genshin Impact Primogem Codes List (June 2023)
This evokes a similar feeling to what we’ve seen recently in Star Rail’s Overworld and Underworld dynamics in Jarilo-VI. What happens to those who break the rules? How far should a punishment go? Depending on the answers, can it even be called justice, at this point? These are definitely things to be questioned in the next Archon Quests, and we can’t wait for that.
French Dogs are Just Built Different
But none of that could be more important than the ACTUAL biggest star in this mini teaser: the elegant dog that appears around the 6 seconds mark. Forget about the new characters, forget about areas and puzzles. Screw the Archons and I don’t care about my brother/sister anymore. This good boy over here is ALL that I need in my life right now.
This little fella right here looks like he’s ready to lecture me for an hour on how to behave inside these walls, and I would be delighted to hear it all day. Its sheer aura is powerful enough to make this expansion the best one in Genshin yet.
But seriously, I cannot help but be excited about this new region, and the teaser reminded me that detailed, breathtaking sights are not the only reason people enjoy exploring this game. Sometimes a dog with a wig and dressed better than I did in my cousin’s marriage is enough.
We’ll still have to wait quite a bit for it, though. We’re not even done with 3.7, and there’s still 3.8 on the way there. It will be a long wait, but definitely worth in the end.
