HoYoverse has released a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Snezhnaya, the next region of Genshin Impact that players have been anticipating and hearing about since the launch of the game in 2020.
To show off what the development team has been doing, a few developers were asked questions about the region and Genshin Impact as a whole as it enters Snezhnaya soon. These developers include R&D Engineer Xiaodan and Combat Designer Aquaria.
To start with, the two discussed the idea that most Travelers know quite a bit about Snezhnaya already, as it’s the last of the seven nations of Teyvat that players have been anticipating since the start.
Aquaria points out that Travelers have had an evolving perspective on Snezhnaya, as it was introduced as a region that’s almost villainous in the early regions of the game. However, now players have seen the complex nuances behind the ambitions of Snezhnaya, which is led by the Tsaritsa and is focused on defying fate and the Heavenly Principles.
The Fatui, essentially the Snezhnayan military, has been a part of every nation players have seen in Teyvat, which has given players a feel for Snezhnaya already. The region is technologically advanced, which players will be able to see particularly in trains.
While technology is pretty advanced in Snezhnaya, it’s also home to the fae, one of the oldest and most powerful races in Teyvat from Hypoborea. There’s already quite a bit of lore about their ties to the Heavenly Principles and angels, but there’s still a lot of mystery around them in modern Teyvat. Snezhnaya will explore this even more.
Exploration in Snezhnaya is supposed to be more immersive than ever before, and players will be able to alter the world around them. It’s based on the Arctic Circle and Eastern Europe, and players can look forward to music inspired by classic symphonies and Slavic folk music that embody the heavy struggle of living in the frosted land.
Aquaria also touched on the idea that combat design is getting more complex and will show more of the character’s personality than ever before. As for enemies, they’ll have smarter mechanics (to reflect the Fatui’s military status) and will join in as backup in ways that they haven’t before.
Additionally, Genshin Impact will continue improving the graphics of the game. This includes things like rendering and even the designs of characters, which Xiaodan pointed out took some of the team members by surprise when seeing the upgrades for the first time.
A few glimpses of the trains and the environments of Snezhnaya were shown off throughout the video, including what looks like a few skins for the Traveler. Other news was given in the form of a reward code: SNEZHNAYA20260812 (200x Primogems that expire on August 27, 2026, at midnight UTC-4).
The video ends by discussing the future of Genshin Impact, along with some heartwarming sentiments about what Genshin Impact means to both developers and players.
Players can check out the entire Genshin Impact behind-the-scenes look at Snezhnaya below:
