The Genshin Impact community is always looking forward to new playable characters. Because miHoYo only announces new characters a patch or two before they release, there are still quite a few leaked or rumored characters that don’t have a release date yet. It is possible, however, to make an educated guess about which of these leaked characters may be coming soon.
When it comes to character speculation, there are few things to keep in mind. There have been instances when characters are announced or known about but then don’t release for quite some time. For instance, Ayaka, who was a beta character but only released at the end of July, or Cyno, who was announced in the region roadmap released last year and still doesn’t have a release date. Additionally, the current characters that are being released also seem to be Inazuma characters as that is where the story of the game is currently focused. That’s not to say that Liyue or Mondstadt characters can’t also become available, but it seems like the Inazuma characters are in the spotlight, for now.
The only confirmed new playable character so far is Thoma, who should be available in Version 2.2. There are, however, some other Inazuma characters that could also become playable. Yae Miko played a rather significant role in the 2.1 Archon Quest and in the Inazuma storyline, as a whole. As the Raiden Shogun’s closest companion, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Miko were to get her own banner. Because the new characters releasing at the moment seem to be oriented around Inazuma, it is possible that Miko will be releasing in the next few updates. Gorou, a leader of the Sangonomiya Resistance, has also yet to be given a release date. Considering he has already been introduced in the storyline, it is likely that he may also be releasing soon.
And then there is Kamisato Ayato, Ayaka’s elusive brother and leader of the Kamisato Clan. Ayato has yet to make an appearance in-game, but it has been possibly leaked by former Genshin Impact leaker Sukuna that Ayato may be coming soon. There has been no official word on Ayato – his appearance isn’t even known – but he is rumored to be a Hydro claymore user. Another as-yet-unseen character that may be coming soon is Arataki Itto, who is mentioned by Sayu and Yoimiya as being the leader of the Arataki Gang. Itto is rumored to be a Geo user by Dimbreath on Twitter, whose account has sadly been deactivated.
All of the above characters are somehow connected to Inazuma and are, therefore, most likely to be coming soon with new updates. However, there are also a few Liyue characters that have been leaked recently. The most likely of these characters to be releasing soon is Yaoyao, who used to study alongside Xiangling and now works for Ganyu. Her arrival may coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival – or the Moonlight Merriment Event in Genshin Impact – which is currently underway. The 2.2 livestream this Sunday would be the perfect time to announce her. It is also possible that Yaoyao could be the first playable Dendro character added to the game. As the Dendro region, Sumeru, is the next stop for Genshin Impact’s storyline, it would make sense to start introducing the element now.
Yunjin and Shenhe are also Liyue characters that have been leaked. Yunjin will likely be releasing in the future since there is no indication that she is coming soon. Shenhe may not be playable at all, as there isn’t even official artwork for her, and it is rumored that her design was used for other characters. There are also other characters that have been in the game that have yet to be made playable – namely Baizhu and Scaramouche. As Baizhu is a Dendro character – and may have connections to the Chasm – he will probably not be made available in 2021. Scaramouche, on the other hand, is a bit of a wild card. Though he may at some point be made playable, it is possible that he will never get his own Banner. For now, however, players will just have to wait for confirmation from miHoYo to learn when new Genshin Impact characters are coming to the game next.