Last verified 2026-09-21 by ReviewGamers Editorial
Starting Genshin Impact requires only an internet connection and a device, but new players benefit from understanding how accounts, progression systems, and core mechanics work before playing. This guide covers account setup, the progression system, the wish mechanic that underpins character acquisition, how the elemental combat system works, and cross-platform features.
Account creation and server selection
When you create a Genshin Impact account, you can use a HoYoverse Account, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple ID, or Game Center on global servers. Account creation happens once and determines your initial server region.
Genshin Impact operates on four separate game servers: America, Europe, Asia, and TW/HK/MO (Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macau). When you create an account, you will be assigned to a server region based on your geographical location or the region you select during setup. Server selection is permanent and cannot be changed without creating a new account. If you already have a character on one server, that character’s progress does not transfer to other servers—you would start fresh.
This matters for multiplayer. To play co-op with friends, you must all be on the same server. Coordinate server selection with any players you plan to join.
Adventure Rank: Your progression metric
Adventure Rank (AR) is your account-level progression separate from individual character levels. As you complete quests, explore, defeat enemies and bosses, and claim rewards, you accumulate Adventure EXP, which increases your Adventure Rank.
Reaching specific Adventure Ranks unlocks game features:
- AR 12: Daily Commissions become available. You receive four random daily missions that reward Mora, Adventure EXP, and Primogems. Completing all four commissions and claiming rewards from Katheryne at the Adventurer’s Guild awards 500 Adventure EXP (fixed) plus individual commission rewards.
- AR 16: Co-op multiplayer mode unlocks.
- AR 20: Spiral Abyss and Battle Pass access unlock.
- AR 25: Additional domains for farming artifacts and character materials open.
The fastest daily sources of Adventure EXP are Daily Commissions and spending Resin (the game’s energy system). The strongest one-time sources are Archon Quests (story missions), exploration, and opening chests for the first time.
The wish system: How characters and weapons enter your account
In Genshin Impact, you acquire new characters and weapons through the “wish” system, a randomised pull mechanic. Understanding how wishes work is essential because this is the primary way to build your roster.
Wish currencies: Primogems and Fates
Primogems are the premium currency you earn through gameplay (daily commissions, Spiral Abyss, events, story completion, and exploration) and can optionally purchase. One Intertwined Fate costs 160 Primogems.
Intertwined Fate is used exclusively on limited-time event wish banners (where new characters debut). Acquaint Fate is used on the permanent Standard Banner. Both currencies can be earned through gameplay without spending money. You can earn up to five Intertwined Fates and five Acquaint Fates per month through exchanging Stardust in Paimon’s Bargains; additional fates beyond these five require Primogems or Starglitter (a currency earned from duplicate pulls).
How wish pulls work
One Intertwined Fate or Acquaint Fate equals one wish. You can wish one at a time or use ten Fates at once (called a 10-pull). Each wish is a randomised pull from a banner pool:
- Event Wish banners (limited-time): When you win a 5-star outcome, you have a 50% base chance (“50/50”) of it being the debuting featured character; otherwise you receive a different 5-star from the standard pool, but your next 5-star on that banner type is then guaranteed to be the featured character. Since version 5.0, HoYoverse’s “Capturing Radiance” mechanic gives a further chance to win the 50/50 even on a loss, which HoYoverse states raises the overall featured-character rate to an effective 55% across all pulls.
- Standard Banner (permanent): Draws from a permanent roster of characters and weapons.
Pity guarantees
The wish system includes “pity” protections to guarantee rarer outcomes over time. According to documented game mechanics:
- If you do not obtain a 5-star character within 90 wishes on a single banner, the 90th wish guarantees a 5-star.
- At every 10 wishes, you are guaranteed at least a 4-star character or weapon.
Pity counters are separate per banner type, meaning your 90-wish counter on an event banner does not carry to the Standard Banner or vice versa.
Stardust and Starglitter
Every pull yields a currency: Stardust (from 3-star and 4-star outcomes) or Starglitter (from 4-star and 5-star outcomes, or from pulling duplicates of already-owned characters/weapons). These can be exchanged in Paimon’s Bargains for Fates, character materials, and weapons.
Elemental system: Seven elements and reactions
Genshin Impact features seven elements, and combat strategy revolves around combining them. Each playable character is aligned with one element.
The seven elements
- Pyro (fire)
- Hydro (water)
- Cryo (ice)
- Electro (lightning)
- Anemo (wind)
- Geo (earth)
- Dendro (nature)
Elemental reactions
When you apply one element to an enemy already affected by another, an Elemental Reaction occurs, producing additional effects:
- Pyro + Hydro = Vaporize: Amplified damage.
- Pyro + Cryo = Melt: Amplified damage.
- Cryo + Hydro = Freeze: Freezes the target in place.
- Cryo + Electro = Superconduct: Deals area-of-effect Cryo damage and reduces the target’s physical damage resistance for 12 seconds.
- Electro + Hydro = Electro-Charged: Deals repeated Electro damage over time.
- Pyro + Dendro = Burning: Applies Pyro damage over time for approximately 5 seconds.
- Hydro + Dendro = Bloom: Creates a Dendro Core that can trigger additional effects.
- Electro + Dendro = Quicken: Applies a Quicken aura (no direct damage but affects follow-up reactions).
- Anemo + any element (Pyro/Hydro/Cryo/Electro) = Swirl: Deals additional elemental damage and spreads the element to nearby enemies.
- Geo + any element (Pyro/Hydro/Cryo/Electro) = Crystallize: Creates an elemental shard that grants a shield of that element’s damage type.
New players do not need to memorise all reactions immediately. Early combat is forgiving, and you learn reactions naturally as you use different characters.
Exploration and world structure
Genshin Impact is an open-world game with seven regions to explore (corresponding to the game’s lore nations). You can explore freely at your own pace, though some areas and challenges scale in difficulty as your Adventure Rank increases.
Exploration yields Adventure EXP, Mora (in-game currency), character materials, and weapons. First-time discoveries—opening chests, finding waypoints, completing domains, and unlocking fast-travel points—award one-time Adventure EXP bonuses. As you explore, you accumulate experience naturally.
The game world is designed for non-linear play: you can pursue story quests, tackle optional dungeons (domains), defeat world bosses, or simply wander and collect resources. Early progression does not mandate a specific path.
Cross-platform play and account linking
You can play Genshin Impact on Android, iOS, PC (Windows 10/11), PlayStation, and GeForce NOW. Your progress can be synchronised across platforms through account linking.
Account linking options
HoYoverse Account Linking: Log into any supported platform (mobile, PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or GeForce NOW) using the same HoYoverse Account, and your game progress is shared across all platforms.
Microsoft Account (Xbox): If you play on Xbox, you can link your Microsoft Account to a HoYoverse Account. This allows you to log in on iOS/Android/PC using your HoYoverse Account or on Xbox using the linked Microsoft Account and resume your progress.
PlayStation Network (PSN): Link your PSN account to a HoYoverse Account. Log in on iOS/Android/PC with your HoYoverse Account or on PlayStation with your PSN account to resume progress.
Important: You can unlink your Microsoft Account from your HoYoverse Account only once, so plan carefully before linking.
Getting started
Create your account, select your server (choosing the same server as friends if you plan to play co-op), and begin playing. Early gameplay is a guided tutorial; you do not need to optimise immediately. Focus on completing story quests, exploring, and learning which elements and characters suit your play style.
For continued updates on Genshin Impact across platforms, check the game hub. For platform-specific performance and settings, see Android, iOS, PC, or GeForce NOW.