Genshin Impact Next Banner Schedule and Featured Characters

If you're wondering what is the next banner in Genshin Impact, the short answer is Version 6.6, Luna VII, which is currently expected to go live on May 20, 2026. Right now, Version 6.5 (Luna VI) is still active through May 19, with Linnea debuting in Phase 1 alongside Chasca, then Lauma and Nefer taking over in Phase 2. Once 6.5 wraps up, the most consistent leak reports — including datamines and well-known insiders like Kuroo — point to Nicole and Lohen as the new 5-star banner leads, with Prune joining as a new 4-star and Durin plus Mavuika returning as reruns.

What Is the Next Banner in Genshin Impact 6.6

Version 6.6 is projected to launch on May 20, 2026, which lines up with HoYoverse's usual 42-day patch schedule. We should also get the 6.6 Special Program around 8 to 12 days before release, so likely sometime in early May 2026. That livestream is the point where banner speculation turns into official confirmation, so for now, everything below should still be treated as leak-based rather than final.

Based on the strongest reports available so far, the 6.6 banner schedule looks like this:

Phase	Banner Window	New Characters	Rerun
Phase 1	May 20 – June 10, 2026	Nicole (5★ Pyro Catalyst)	Durin
Phase 2	June 10 – July 1, 2026	Lohen (5★ Cryo Polearm) + Prune (4★ Anemo Catalyst)	Mavuika

So, Phase 1 is expected to center on Nicole with a Durin rerun beside her. Then Phase 2 shifts into Lohen's release, while Mavuika returns on the other limited banner. Prune is also locked in for 6.6, although leakers were still narrowing down her exact phase placement around mid-April 2026.

Current Banner and Banner Timeline Genshin Impact

The current Version 6.5 banners end on May 19, 2026. Phase 1 ran from April 8 to April 28 and featured Linnea (5★ Geo Bow) together with a Chasca rerun. Phase 2 runs from April 28 to May 19 and brings back both Lauma and Nefer. On top of that, a Fontaine-themed Chronicled Wish with Emilie, Clorinde, Navia, Sigewinne, and Lyney is available during the full 6.5 Phase 2 period.

If you're trying to pin down what is the next banner in Genshin Impact once 6.5 ends, May 20, 2026 is the date to keep in mind. The official livestream should happen roughly 10 days earlier, and that's when the banner lineup gets fully locked in. Until then, exact placements and 4-star rate-ups can still move around a bit, which honestly has happened plenty of times in past beta cycles.

Genshin Impact 6.6 Banner Characters

Nicole Banner Value

Nicole, also known by her Hexenzirkel codename "N," is a 5-star Pyro Catalyst and one of the biggest story-relevant names in the Nod-Krai arc. Her Elemental Skill, Revelation Edict: Unmanifest Light, deals AoE Pyro DMG, creates a Blazing Radiance Shield that scales from her ATK and has 250% Pyro DMG Absorption, and gives the team a Selfless Boon ATK buff. Her Burst is where things get especially interesting: it triggers coordinated attacks based on the active character's element, which means those follow-up hits do not force extra Pyro application and won't mess up Melt or Freeze setups for your main DPS.

That detail is a huge part of why Nicole has so much hype around her. The real debate right now is whether her buffs are limited to Hexenzirkel teammates. Early leaks claimed non-Hexerei units only got about one-third of the full value, but more trusted insiders like Full Stop Chan and hxg_diluc pushed back on that and suggested Nicole is actually shaping up to be a universal support with Bennett-level utility. If that version survives beta, she could end up being one of the most flexible supports we've seen in years, with obvious value for Varka Pyro teams, Arlecchino Melt, Mavuika comps, and pretty much anything else that wants ATK buffs plus defensive comfort.

Lohen Banner Value

Lohen is a 5-star Cryo Polearm main DPS tied to the Knights of Favonius, and he ascends with CRIT DMG. His kit uses a two-resource setup: Delight (or Joy, depending on translation) comes from his own on-field attacks, while Zest (sometimes called Triumph) is generated through teammates dealing off-field damage. Once he enters his Elemental Skill state, Stratagem, his Normal Attacks convert to Cryo DMG and that infusion cannot be overridden — even Bennett's Pyro infusion doesn't replace it. His enhanced Skill, Piercing Erosion, spends Delight and Zest for heavy Cryo hits, while his Burst consumes Zest for a six-hit Cryo combo.

For pull planning, one detail matters a lot: Lohen is expected to move to the Standard banner after his limited debut. That changes the value equation quite a bit. If you lose the 50/50 on his release banner or decide to wait for a future selector, there's still a realistic path to getting him later. Even so, his synergy with Durin looks seriously strong, because Durin's off-field damage helps generate Zest very quickly, which makes the whole rotation feel smoother and more explosive. Players who want that Durin Melt core right away still have a very real reason to pull him during 6.6. His signature weapon, Calamity and Remorse with 674 base ATK and 22.1% CRIT Rate, pushes that loop even further.

Prune 4-Star Rate-Up

Prune is a 4-star Anemo Catalyst support with a kit built around Swirl reactions and off-field utility. Her Elemental Skill deals Anemo DMG, and if you trigger Swirl on an enemy, it upgrades into a stronger version that converts into the absorbed element. Her Burst summons a following bell that keeps dealing AoE Anemo DMG, proccing Swirls consistently and giving the active character a DMG bonus based on Prune's ATK. That buff caps at 35% once she reaches 4,500 ATK. She also has a Hexerei passive that boosts her own ATK by up to 65% when there are at least two Hexerei characters in the team, which makes hitting that cap much easier.

As a 4-star, she's also the kind of unit players may end up chasing constellations for. A quick breakdown:

• C1 restores 2 Energy every 1.8 seconds on transformed mallet hits, helping a lot with her 70-cost Burst

• C2 adds another ATK bonus during and after her Burst

• C6 gives allies affected by Resounding Flash a flat 350 ATK

Since Prune is expected to appear on both Nicole's Phase 1 banner and Lohen's Phase 2 banner, players going for either 5-star will likely pick up at least a few of her constellations along the way.

Next Weapon Banner in Genshin Impact

The Version 6.6 Epitome Invocation weapon banner is expected to feature Dustlight Septenary, Nicole's signature catalyst, in Phase 1 and Calamity Regret, Lohen's signature polearm, in Phase 2. Based on current leaks, Dustlight Septenary has ATK% as its secondary stat and activates a Guiding Light passive after the user generates a shield. For every 1,000 ATK the wielder has, active characters can deal up to 26% more DMG. It also has an extra Hexerei-related passive that shares 50% of that bonus with off-field Hexerei teammates, which fits Nicole's support role perfectly. Calamity Regret, meanwhile, comes with a 22.1% CRIT Rate substat and builds its damage loop around Merciless and Unhealing effects after Elemental Skill use, matching Lohen's intended rotation very closely.

That said, weapon banner risk is still very real in Genshin Impact. With Epitomized Path, your chosen weapon is guaranteed within 240 pulls, and in the worst-case scenario that means roughly 38,400 Primogems. For most players, the safer rule is simple:

1. Get the character first.

2. Only consider the weapon if that character is a major account priority.

3. Skip if you already have a strong 5-star substitute.

Nicole's catalyst stands out a bit more than usual because it can keep providing team value even when she's off-field. Lohen's polearm is more of a classic carry weapon — excellent if you're fully committing to him, but a lot less urgent if you're just testing him out.

Should You Pull or Save in Genshin Impact 6.6

For F2P players, Nicole should be the top priority in 6.6 if the universal-support version of her kit is confirmed at launch. An ATK buffer with shielding who also avoids disrupting Melt and Freeze reactions is the kind of support that fits almost anywhere. That's huge pull value. Lohen being headed to the Standard banner also matters here, because missing him in 6.6 doesn't close the door on getting him later, while Nicole's limited status makes her much easier to miss for a long time.

Newer accounts should get the most immediate value from Nicole. She looks like the kind of unit you can slot into a wide range of teams without needing a super specific roster around her, whether you're building toward Varka Pyro, playing Mavuika Melt, or just trying to free Bennett for a second Spiral Abyss side. For more established players, Durin's Phase 1 rerun is also worth a look if you're missing a premium Pyro sub-DPS. And if you're planning ahead for the meta heading into Snezhnaya, a Nicole + Durin core could age very well into Version 7.x.

Looking a little further out, Version 6.7 on July 1, 2026 is currently expected to introduce Sandrone, the Fatui Harbinger known as The Marionette, along with a Columbina rerun. After that, the game should start moving steadily toward the Snezhnaya launch around Version 7.0 in late 2026, where Alice and the Cryo Archon are already shaping up as major community targets. So if those future banners matter more to your account, saving through part of 6.6 — especially by skipping the weapon banner — is completely reasonable. Primogems are limited, and for F2P players, that long-term planning matters way more than chasing everything.

Conclusion

So if you're still asking what is the next banner in Genshin Impact as Version 6.5 comes to a close, the current answer is Nicole and Lohen in Version 6.6 on May 20, 2026, with Prune as the new 4-star and Durin plus Mavuika filling the rerun slots across both phases. For most accounts, Nicole looks like the standout target thanks to her shielding, coordinated damage, and possible universal support value. Still, it's best to wait for the official 6.6 Special Program in early May before locking in your pulls, because that's when leak-based planning finally turns into confirmed banner decisions.