The next region to come into Genshin Impact will be Fontaine. Based on France, the country is allegedly filled with rivers and waterways, and prides itself on its culture.
The land of Teyvat has seven regions, four of which we have in the game, three of which remain mostly a mystery aside from the name and some tidbits. All seven areas were introduced in the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview released way back in 2020. This teaser video named all seven regions, and showed off prominent characters for each, letting us know the game had only just begun.
If you're a fan of Genshin Impact, check out our up-to-date codes page for some free Primogems, and our tier list to check where the newcomers stand.
When is the Fontaine region release date?
Chapter four of the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview, Masquerade of the Guilty, will see Fontaine's release into Genshin Impact. For now, this could be anywhere from June 2023 onwards, allowing room for patches 3.2 to potentially 3.7 to release.
There is potential that an access route area to Fontaine will be added to the game before the full region, with leaks suggesting that it may come in 3.5-3.7 patches.
A leak pertaining to version 3.6 suggested that an area called the 'sunken jade valley' will be added. This could be a working name for Qiaoying Village - an area that has popped up in name a few times that is likely the route to get from Liyue to Fontaine.
What is Fontaine's Archon and Element?
Fontaine, as the name suggests, will be the land of the Hydro element. The Archon will therefore be the Hydro Archon. Other than that, the only thing we know is that they are known as the 'God of Justice'.
Where is Fontaine located?
This is where the rumours get a little more substantial. From what has been leaked, it seems like Fontaine will be located up and behind Liyue, to the west of Stormterror's Lair.
click to enlarge
+ 2There will allegedly be a new way to get there added, somewhat like a valley and waterway, with the aforementioned Qiaoying above it. Here, players will be able to take a boat from Liyue to Fontaine. An area named Chenyu Vale has been mentioned too, which is potentially the name of the waterway.
Which Fontaine characters will there be?
Even in Genshin Impact's story, not a single prominent cast member is from Fontaine. We've met a few NPCs, but no possibly playable characters have come up.
We met Bertrand the toy maker at an event, Francis the travelling merchant in Port Ormos, and Xavier at the Mikage Furnace in Inazuma. They're both dressed differently than NPCs from other regions, so it gives us a look at what Fontaine's clothing styles are.
Other than that, a recent quote about Lesser Lord Kusanali was posted to the Genshin Facebook page, from 'Chief Justice Neuvillette', a character in Fontaine. She has not appeared in any other aspect of the game yet, so who she is and what relevance she has is a mystery.
The two characters in the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview are known as Lyney and Lynette; two pale, blonde people wearing almost circus-like clothes. Lyney appears on the left, dressed like a ringmaster, and Lynette is the cat-girl floating on the right. Given that Fontaine is the region of the arts, we assume these characters are circus and vaudeville themed.
Banner schedule
So far there are absolutely no rumours or leaks about possible characters or reruns in Fontaine's updates. Lyney and Lynette are really the only two characters we know of that will likely feature on banners. Whether they will be 4 or 5-Star is a mystery for now. It doesn't seem likely that Hoyoverse would release two similar-looking 5-Stars at once to usher in a new area, so they may be a 4 and 5-Star combo, or both 4-Stars.
The Hydro Archon, whoever they may be, will be a playable character released probably in the middle of the 4.x updates as the previous archons have, along with some other characters that provide synergy in a team for them.
click to enlarge + 2What do we know about Fontaine's story and lore?
Information is thin on the ground regarding any history of Fontaine, but there are some interesting tidbits that give us hints as to what we can expect.
Dainslief's quote in the chapter trainer is as follows:
“The God of Justice lives for the spectacle of the courtroom, seeking to judge all other gods. But even she knows not to make an enemy of the divine.”
The Court of Fontaine is where the Hydro Archon resides, and justice is a highly regarded thing in the region.
In contrast to this, Fontaine is a country that "reveres true beauty and elegance" according to an NPC. Rock and roll comes from this area, as does most artwork and music. Their dress sense, as we've seen, has a certain style - almost steampunk in some ways, and a little over the top.
Fontaine has been said to have access to its own range of technology. The Kamera was invented here, and there is allegedly an 'air-rail' system for travelling the region.
As a cultural nation, Fontaine wouldn't be without its own publication: the Steambird is a newspaper read all across Teyvat and is published by the Court of Fontaine. Mona is a writer employed here, as is a reporter, Gaston, who appears at the Palace of Alcazarzaray in Sumeru.
However, this doesn't mean the area is flourishing. There is an 'energy' that Fontaine uses, that is decaying and running low. The people of the area are no longer happy, hence why the likes of Bertrand the toy maker have left the region.
We need to wait for more information, but while we do, why not check out some of the new Sumeru characters? We've already got Tighnari and now Nilou, but there's Alhaitham and Dehya to look forward to.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Genshin Impact page.