Genshin Impact 4.4 characters announced: meet Xianyun and, yes, Gaming

Genshin Impact developer Hoyoverse has revealed two new characters coming to the open-world RPG in update 4.4: Pyro user Gaming and Anemo user Xianyun. 

The two characters have been revealed this morning. Both Xianyun and Gaming (read Gaa Ming according to a widely shared breakdown of the name's linguistic origins) are from Liyue, with Xianyun specifically described as a "new resident in Liyue Harbor." Xianyun's description, coupled with the teaser art, has convinced many people – myself included – that she's the human incarnation of the Adepti Cloud Retainer.

Her design is one clue; while her overall design has scholarly Bayonetta energy, her colors are a dead ringer for Cloud Retainer. Xianyun's teaser art also features a deer and dragon – two other known Adepti forms. But it's her description that really sets the hook. 

Xianyun is said to command "mastery of "mechanics and a knack for making all kinds of little trinkets," which also perfectly aligns with what we know of Cloud Retainer's Adepti engineering. Moreover, she's mentioned by both Ganyu and Shenhe, Cloud Retainer's disciples. 

"She's living incognito in Liyue Harbor," says Ganyu. Shenhe, meanwhile, stumbles over Xianyun's name and insists, "She's a master. Whatever you do, you must not offend her." As if this weren't obvious enough, Hoyo leans into it with this line: "Try asking Xianyun herself then: 'Are you a heroine? Surely you're not... an Adeptus?'"

Less is known about Gaming, aside from the fact that he'll inevitably drive people to Google and YouTube things like "Gaming release time," "best Gaming build," and "how to build Gaming," which cracks me the hell up. The "leonine vanguard" bears a lion motif and seems to be a dancer as well as a "transport guard." 

Gaming was revealed after Xianyun and given a shorter announcement overall, and between this and his more tame design, he's giving off four-star energy to me. He specifically reminds me of Heizou, an Inazuma four-star. It also seems unlikely that we'd get three Pyro five-stars in the 4.X Fontaine era, with Lyney already out and Pyro user Arlecchino looking increasingly likely to become playable. So Xianyun seems like the safer bet for the new five-star of 4.4, but that's just a guess on my part. 

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