Everything you need to know about Genshin Impact's Ganyu banner

Finally, Genshin Impact is putting arrows on ice. Ganyu is a Cryo archer and the latest five-star character to join the Genshin Impact roster. She follows additions like the controversial Zhongli and the forgettable Albedo.

Could Ganyu be the right character to reset the scales, bringing prestige back to five-star characters? Should you spend your hard-earned Primogems on the emissary and secretary for the Liyue Qixing?

Here's everything we know about the Ganyu banner.

When are the Genshin Impact Ganyu banner start time and end time?

Ganyu will start on January 12 at 6 p.m. Eastern and conclude on February 2 at 3 p.m. Eastern.

Presumably, the version 1.3 update will launch shortly after the banner ends.

What characters are featured on the Genshin Impact Ganyu banner?

Ganyu will be the main focus as the new five-star character. She'll be joined by three four-star characters:

• Pyro polearm user Xiangling
• Geo claymore wielder Noelle
• Hydro swordsman Xingqiu

Are you guaranteed to get Ganyu in Genshin Impact?

Not quite. You're not guaranteed to get Ganyu, even if you pull from her banner. Luckily, Genshin Impact does feature a mercy system. If you conduct 89 attempts without getting a five-star reward, you're guaranteed a five-star item on your ninetieth pull. The guaranteed five-star item has a 50 percent chance to be Ganyu. If that first pity five-star wasn't Ganyu, your next five-star will be. This means, at most, you'll need 180 wishes to get Ganyu.

If you participated in a previous event banner without earning a five-star character, your progress will carry over to the Ganyu Banner.

Is Ganyu a good character in Genshin Impact?

She's a-okay! If you have a Pyro character to pair up with Ganyu, she's fantastic to add to your team as a support character. Ganyu's Cryo effect can quickly freeze foes, allowing you to you can follow up with a strong Pyro character to trigger a Melt effect, quickly tearing your enemy's HP asunder.

Ganyu's Elemental Burst also provides a massive area-of-effect Cryo attack, letting you quickly set up the Pyro combination.

If you lack a Pyro character to pair with Ganyu, she likely won't be a boon for your team. Setting this combination up won't be worth the benefit that Ganyu can potentially add to your party.

Ganyu is a reasonably good support character, however, she's nothing worth placing yourself into a tizzy over.

Should you pay for the Ganyu banner in Genshin Impact?

Ganyu alone isn't worth rolling on this banner. She's a decent character, but not quite revelatory.

In addition to Ganyu, the banner features four-star characters like Xiangling. Unfortunately, they're all fairly passable characters, and most free-to-play gamers will have already acquired them through other events. No four-star in this batch is "game-changing."

Xingqiu is the best of the bunch. If you can max out his constellations, he's an incredible character. Using his abilities you can add a water effect to your characters while granting some healing and damage reduction. His abilities make him one of the greatest support characters available in Genshin Impact. Xingqiu can be a massive boon while crafting as well.

When he crafts Character Talent Materials, he has a 25 percent chance to refund one count of one material out of all the crafting materials used.

That's all fantastic, but there's such a slim chance that you'll get enough Xingqiu's to make investing in this banner worth your time.

Even with constellations, Noelle is only a passable healer and Xiangling can only provide so-so support. Pulling on this one will make you feel like other characters are clogging up your path to greatness.

Ganyu and Xingqiu are the only worthwhile characters available on this banner, but they're not enough to salvage the entire banner.

Unless you're in dire need of a support character or you've become infatuated with Ganyu, skip this banner.

What banner comes after Ganyu in Genshin Impact?

Following Ganyu's addition to Genshin Impact, we'll have the version 1.3 update, which is rumored to add both Xiao and Hu Tao to the roster. Neither character has been confirmed officially, but both are currently on Genshin Impact closed beta test server.

If they are the next characters to be added many assume that the banner after Ganyu will be Xiao, followed by Hu Tao. That order has yet to be officially confirmed. We'll likely have clearer details in late January as we get closer to the 1.3 update launch.

Xiao was briefly featured during the Liyue storyline and he's expected to play a big role in the Lantern Rite Festival event occurring in February. He was previously playable during a Genshin Impact beta test and is considered to be very powerful. If you're looking for more damage, save for Xiao.

Hu Tao has never appeared in Genshin Impact, but her addition has been long rumored. She was one of eight potential playable characters to be featured in a leak. Hu Tao is the first one to actually become playable following the leak. You might also know Hu Tao as Zhongli's boss – she runs the funeral parlor where the former Archon works.

Read also: Wishes, banners, pity, and everything to know about Genshin Impact gacha