Summary
WhileGenshin Impactis approaching the latter half of its Fontaine updates, a recent leak has confirmed information relating to Xbalanque, a highly anticipated character from Natlan. The main appeal ofGenshin Impacthas always been twofold: its addictive open-world exploration, and its memorable cast of characters. Though the game started with only Mondstadt and Liyue, each subsequent year has givenGenshin Impactplayers a whole new region of Teyvat to explore, complemented by a steady stream of characters belonging to that region (with a few wildcards sprinkled in).
Genshin Impactcharacters such as Neuvillettehave become a mainstay, and fans eagerly await to see how Arlecchino will shake up the meta in Version 4.6. While HoYoverse doesn’t favor the concept of power creep inGenshin Impact, the developers have still managed to create new characters that provide unique gameplay or expand upon an underrepresented niche (such as Xianyun enabling plunge teams).
The recent leakposted on theGenshin Impact Leakssubreddit, in what many fans consider to be a period of drought, concerns the Natlan character of Xbalanque. Second only to the Pyro Archon in terms of player excitement, Team Mew claims that Xbalanque has the boy model template in his concept art. The medium male body type – as it is alternatively known – has been used by manyiconicGenshin Impactcharacters, such as Cyno, Wanderer, and Venti.
Who Is Xbalanque in Genshin Impact?
Though no current concept art of Xbalanque exists,Natlan inGenshin Impactis expected to draw from Latin American, Mesoamerican, and West African influences – both colonial and pre-colonial. Earlier leaks have described Xbalanque as a darker-skinned Bennett, which certainly lines up with the latest information. Considering the inspiration behind his name, it’s safe to assume that Xbalanque will most likely be a Pyro character, if not the Pyro Sovereign himself.
As a Pyro Polearm,Arlecchino inGenshin Impactis expected to be an on-field character with a focus on Overload. However, there are many underutilized aspects of the Pyro element that Xbalanque could contribute to. Outside Xiangling, and to a lesser extent, Thoma and Dehya, there are few off-field Pyro options when it comes to team-building. Having an alternative to Xiangling would open up more versatile Spiral Abyss builds, similar to how Xingqiu and Yelan inhabit the same role within the same team. Ultimately, it may be some time untilGenshin Impactplayers receive their first official glimpse of Xbalanque, but with Version 4.5 releasing on Jun 04, 2025, the nation of Natlan isn’t too far away.
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds…
