After almost 2 years, Genshin Impact confirms Arlecchino for update 4.6 in one of the open-world RPG's most-anticipated reveals ever

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Arlecchino will be the second playable Fatui Harbinger

Genshin Impact Arlecchino
(Image credit: Hoyoverse)

Arlecchino, one of the Fatui Harbingers introduced in Genshin Impact's July 2022 story trailer, is coming to the open-world RPG in update 4.6, due April 23. 

Developer Hoyoverse confirmed Arlecchino's impending debut as a playable character earlier today. It seems Arlecchino will be the only new character in update 4.6, but that hasn't stopped Genshin players from losing their minds. 

Arlecchino's become a central character of the main story quest for Genshin's newest region, Fontaine, and she's a likable anti-hero of sorts. Her Harbinger name , The Knave, has been largely outshined by her title as the head of the House of the Hearth, which also includes other playable characters like Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet. (If I were a gambling man, and as a Genshin player I obviously am, I'd bet on at least some of these three being featured in Arlecchino's banner in some way.) 

In the lore snippet attached to her reveal post, Arlecchino discusses other members of the House, collectively referred to as "children" while she herself is known as the "Father" of the house. 

"Placing her cup back down, Arlecchino stood up, and in a calm, measured tone, called out several names: 'Chapleau, you're with Lyney. Retrieve the required intelligence. Foltz, you and Filliol are on guard duty. Stay back and tend to the Hearth...'" 

Arlecchino will be Genshin Impact's first new Pyro 5-star unit since Lyney in update 4.0. She'll also be the game's second-ever playable Fatui Harbinger (arguably third, accounting for Scaramouche, but that's a whole can of worms), following in the footsteps of Tartaglia, or Childe, who was released way back in update 1.1 in November 2020. Her reveal is a welcome shot of excitement as Genshin gears up for six weeks of naptime with update 4.5, which is positioned as a filler patch with no major developments. 

Oh no, here I go again: Genshin Impact dev's new-again action RPG Honkai Impact 3rd gets Part 2 release.

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Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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