HoYoverse revealed Genshin Impact’s Version Luna IV update titled Song of the Welkin Moon: Postlude – A Traveler on a Winter’s Night during their special livestream on January 2, 2026. The update launches January 14 and brings the long-anticipated Columbina the Moon Maiden as a playable character, introduces Zibai the White Horse Adeptus from Liyue, continues the Nod-Krai Archon Quest toward its climactic confrontation with Il Dottore, and includes a free outfit for the Traveler. The Lantern Rite festival also returns to celebrate Teyvat’s New Year with festive rewards and activities.
Columbina Finally Becomes Playable
Columbina, the third of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers known as the Moon Maiden or Damselette, becomes a playable character in Version Luna IV. She’s been one of the most mysterious and anticipated Harbingers since her brief appearance in the Teyvat storyline trailer years ago. Players immediately latched onto her eerie, otherworldly appearance and the unsettling way other Harbingers speak about her power. Even Scaramouche warned that she’s dangerous and not entirely human.
Based on the trailer and event details, Columbina utilizes a Lunar Domain mechanic that transforms standard elemental reactions into special Lunar variants. Her Lunar Domain can summon additional thundercloud strikes for Lunar-Charged reactions, generate extra resources for Lunar-Bloom reactions, and increase the number of Moondrift attacks for the new Lunar-Crystallize reaction. She can convert Electro-Charged, Bloom, and Hydro Crystallize reactions into Lunar Reactions, and during adventures in Nod-Krai, she can even revive a fallen teammate.
The New Lunar-Crystallize Reaction
Version Luna IV introduces Lunar-Crystallize, a brand-new elemental reaction triggered when Geo meets Hydro under specific conditions. This represents the first new elemental reaction added to Genshin Impact in years, fundamentally changing team composition possibilities. The reaction summons three Moondrifts near enemies, and after being triggered three times, it activates Moondrift Harmony, dealing Geo DMG to nearby foes with a chance to land critical hits.
This addition significantly impacts Geo character viability, which has been a pain point for the community. Geo characters have historically struggled because the element lacks access to transformative reactions like Vaporize or Melt that amplify damage. Crystallize shields have utility but don’t provide the damage multiplication that other reactions enable. Lunar-Crystallize potentially gives Geo characters offensive scaling they’ve desperately needed, though actual effectiveness depends on damage values and how restrictive the trigger conditions are.
Zibai the White Horse Adeptus
Alongside Columbina, Version Luna IV introduces Zibai, an Adeptus from Liyue described as the White Horse Adeptus. The trailer shows a character with elegant design aesthetics consistent with Liyue’s Chinese-inspired regions. Adepti are divine beings who protected Liyue for thousands of years, with existing playable Adepti including Xiao, Ganyu, Yanfei, and the mighty Zhongli himself as the Geo Archon.
Details about Zibai’s kit, element, and weapon type haven’t been fully disclosed yet, but the character appears during the trailer with graceful animations suggesting either a catalyst or polearm user. The White Horse title likely references Chinese mythology where horses symbolize strength, freedom, and transcendence. Given the timing alongside Lantern Rite and the Luna IV theme focusing on moon imagery, Zibai probably ties into broader narrative threads about Liyue’s history and the Adepti’s role protecting mortals.
The Il Dottore Confrontation
The latest Archon Quest in Version Luna IV reaches its dramatic climax as tensions in Nod-Krai approach critical thresholds. After seizing the power of the Moon Marrows in previous updates, Il Dottore presses forward with his twisted research, setting the stage for an inevitable showdown against the Traveler and their allies. Empowered by this unprecedented force, he draws the battle into his domain where the rules of reality are upended and chaos is meticulously orchestrated.
Il Dottore, also known as The Doctor, is the second of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers and one of Genshin Impact’s primary antagonists. He’s responsible for countless atrocities throughout the story including experimenting on children, creating monstrous war machines, and pursuing forbidden knowledge regardless of consequences. The confrontation with him represents a major narrative milestone after years of building toward this moment.
The Free Traveler Outfit
Upon completing the Archon Quest, players unlock a brand-new outfit for the Traveler completely free. This represents the first major Traveler outfit update in years and addresses one of the community’s most frequent requests. The outfit offers deeper insight into the Traveler’s personal journey and evolving understanding of elemental power according to HoYoverse’s announcement.
The Reddit community erupted with celebration when the free outfit was confirmed. One of the biggest points of contention in recent versions has been the lack of Traveler development and customization options despite them being the protagonist. While other characters receive multiple skins, redesigns, and costume variations, the Traveler has remained largely unchanged since launch. This free outfit signals HoYoverse is finally addressing that complaint, and making it free rather than a paid skin demonstrates genuine goodwill toward the player base.
Lantern Rite Returns
The beloved Lantern Rite festival returns to celebrate Teyvat’s New Year with a variety of festive rewards and activities. Lantern Rite has been Genshin Impact’s annual flagship event since the game’s first year, taking place in Liyue during the Chinese New Year period. The festival traditionally features special quests, minigames, limited-time rewards, and opportunities to obtain a free 4-star Liyue character of your choice.
While specific details about Luna IV’s Lantern Rite activities haven’t been fully revealed, past iterations have included activities like tower defense minigames, photography challenges, cooking competitions, and elaborate story quests exploring different characters’ backgrounds. The event typically runs for multiple weeks and provides substantial Primogem rewards for free-to-play players saving for upcoming banners.
Nod-Krai Expansion Northward
Version Luna IV expands the Nod-Krai region northward for the first time, revealing Piramida, the headquarters of the Lightkeepers faction. This expansion area is titled The Lament of the Cliff-Shadowed Hollow according to promotional materials. Players can obtain additional time-limited rewards after reaching certain exploration percentage thresholds in the new area, incentivizing thorough exploration.
The Lightkeepers are a key faction in Nod-Krai’s storyline, locked in an ongoing battle against the Wild Hunt, a mysterious threat plaguing the region. Piramida serving as their headquarters suggests the area will be significant for understanding Nod-Krai’s history, the nature of the Wild Hunt, and how these conflicts tie into the broader Fatui storyline involving Il Dottore’s schemes.
Three new Meeting Points will also be available in the expanded map. Meeting Points are a feature introduced in Version Luna I that allows players to explore characters’ daily lives in Teyvat. Chatting with characters at Meeting Points and completing unique events reveals more stories about each character’s respective faction and the world. This system has been praised for adding depth to character development beyond the main story quests.
Banner Schedule and Predictions
Version Luna IV launches January 14, 2026, and runs until February 24, 2026. The Phase I banner starting January 14 almost certainly features Columbina as the main 5-star character given her prominence in promotional materials. The 4-star character lineup for Phase I hasn’t been officially announced yet but will be revealed during the special program.
Phase II banners, running approximately from February 5 through late February, typically feature reruns of characters who haven’t appeared in six or more months. Community speculation suggests Zibai might be a 4-star character appearing in Phase I alongside Columbina rather than a separate 5-star banner, though this remains unconfirmed. If Zibai is a 5-star, Phase II could feature either Zibai’s banner or reruns of popular characters due for rate-up opportunities.
The Version Luna Series Context
Version Luna IV represents the fourth major update in Genshin Impact’s Luna series, which began in September 2025 with Version Luna I. The Luna series marks Genshin Impact’s transition into its sixth year of content, following the Version numbering system that replaced the traditional 5.X format. Version Luna I introduced the Nod-Krai region as the seventh explorable area in Teyvat, launched ahead of the game’s fifth anniversary celebrations.
The Luna series has focused heavily on Nod-Krai’s storyline, the Fatui Harbingers, and the mysterious forces threatening the region. Previous updates introduced characters like Durin in Luna III and established the Hexerei character mechanic. Luna IV serving as the climactic confrontation with Il Dottore suggests the immediate Nod-Krai arc is reaching its conclusion, though whether the region receives additional expansions in future Luna updates remains to be seen.
Community Response
The Genshin Impact community responded enthusiastically to the Luna IV reveal, particularly celebrating the free Traveler outfit. Reddit threads exploded with comments declaring the coping and doompost can finally stop, referencing months of community frustration about the lack of Traveler attention. The fact that HoYoverse made the outfit free rather than monetizing it as a paid skin generated significant goodwill.
Columbina’s playable debut also generated massive excitement. As one of the most mysterious and hyped Harbingers, her arrival has been anticipated for years. Players immediately began theorycrafting team compositions utilizing the new Lunar-Crystallize reaction and speculating about whether Columbina’s kit will be meta-defining or primarily for fans. The ability to revive teammates in Nod-Krai suggests she might have unique utility that makes her valuable regardless of raw damage output.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Genshin Impact Version Luna IV release?
Version Luna IV launches January 14, 2026, following approximately six hours of maintenance starting early that morning. The update runs until February 24, 2026.
Is Columbina a 5-star character?
Yes, Columbina is confirmed as a 5-star character and will be the featured banner character in Phase I starting January 14, 2026.
How do I get the free Traveler outfit?
Complete the new Archon Quest introduced in Version Luna IV that features the confrontation with Il Dottore. The outfit unlocks automatically after completing the quest.
What is Lunar-Crystallize?
Lunar-Crystallize is a new elemental reaction triggered when Geo meets Hydro under specific conditions. It summons three Moondrifts near enemies, and after being triggered three times, activates Moondrift Harmony dealing Geo damage with critical hit potential.
Is Zibai a 5-star or 4-star character?
This hasn’t been officially confirmed yet. Community speculation suggests Zibai might be a 4-star character, but official details will be revealed during the special program.
When does Lantern Rite start?
Lantern Rite typically begins shortly after the version launches. Expect the event to start within the first few days of Version Luna IV going live on January 14, 2026.
Will there be redeem codes for Luna IV?
Yes, HoYoverse traditionally releases three redeem codes during special programs that provide free Primogems and other rewards. Check official Genshin Impact social media channels for the codes after the special program concludes.
What weapon types do Columbina and Zibai use?
Official weapon type confirmations haven’t been announced yet. This information will be revealed during the special program and in official character preview materials.
What This Update Means for Genshin’s Future
Version Luna IV represents a significant milestone for Genshin Impact as it addresses long-standing community requests while advancing major storylines toward climactic confrontations. The free Traveler outfit signals HoYoverse is listening to feedback about protagonist development. The introduction of Lunar-Crystallize shows willingness to expand core gameplay systems even six years into the game’s lifecycle. Columbina’s playable debut delivers on years of anticipation for one of the most mysterious Harbingers.
The confrontation with Il Dottore likely won’t be the final word on his character given his importance to the overarching narrative, but it represents a major turning point in the Fatui storyline. Where Genshin Impact goes after resolving the immediate Nod-Krai arc remains unclear. Will Version Luna V introduce new regions or focus on existing areas? How will Columbina’s playable status affect her role in future story quests? These questions will be answered in the coming months as HoYoverse continues Genshin Impact’s journey into its sixth year.
What’s certain is that Luna IV launches January 14, 2026, bringing free rewards, new characters, major story progression, and the introduction of mechanical systems that could fundamentally change team building strategies. Whether the new Lunar reactions prove meta-defining or niche curiosities depends on actual damage calculations and trigger conditions that only become clear after players get hands-on time with the update. Either way, Genshin Impact continues demonstrating why it remains one of the world’s most successful live-service games nearly six years after launch. The game that started as a Breath of the Wild clone has evolved into something entirely its own, and Version Luna IV pushes that evolution forward in meaningful ways.