Hoyoverse’s stellar open-world game, Genshin Impact, is set to welcome a brand new expansion to its colorful and lively setting. But unlike the other nations we’ve explored so far in the world of Teyvat, the writers at Hoyoverse made sure that we know almost nothing about Genshin Impact’s upcoming new region–Natlan.
As the debut of the Genshin Impact’s sixth region comes ever so close, Hoyoverse has been revealing more and more information about the mysterious nation of Pyro, and everything we’ve been shown so far has only stoked the fire of excitement inside every Genshin fan.
Let’s ignite the flames of adventure as we discover the High Five things we know about Natlan.
A New Playground Full of Geographic Wonders
From Genshin Impact
The first bits of information we learned about Natlan were about its lands and geography. According to Aikawa Susumu, an NPC we can find in the streets of Inazuma, the land of Pyro is home to natural hot springs that were created from volcanic activity in the area. Aside from hot springs and volcanoes, we also learned from a Fontainian NPC in Sumeru that Natlan is located in the western part of Sumeru’s vast desert region.
As seen in recent trailers, Natlan is a region with a rich geographic profile filled with deserts, colorful mountains, rainforests teeming with life, and canyons unlike anything we’ve ever seen before in the game. And following the trend of recent regions, you can also find huge underground areas in Natlan that are both home to an ecosystem of brand new creatures, and swarming with some of the most dangerous hostile enemies you can find in the game.
From Genshin Impact
As with every region, Natlan is another open-world playground that’s filled with treasure, enemies, and brand new game mechanics that bring more variety to the gameplay of Genshin Impact. But more importantly, the region is another artistic masterpiece brought to you by the designers of Hoyoverse that comes with a brand new atmosphere that definitely sets it apart from the other regions of Teyvat.
Natlan is a whole new world brimming with wonders as far as the eye can see, and players can only wait in anticipation to dive into all the epic adventures that await in the realm of the God of War.
A Land of Fearsome Dragons and New Adventuring Buddies
Every gamer loves having an animal buddy when going on an adventure in a brand new world, but while Genshin Impact does include characters like Fischl’s Oz and Xiangling’s Guoba that accompany their respective playable characters in the game, the open-world game is honestly lacking when it comes to having our own animal friends. This is finally changing once we arrive in Natlan.
As revealed by Neuvillette at the epilogue of Fontaine’s Archon Quest, aside from being known as a land of war, Natlan is also home to dragons known as Saurians. The Saurians are dragons that have undergone long years of development and evolution, and unlike other dragons in the game’s lore, Saurians have coexisted peacefully with humans and have made their place in Natlan’s society as companions to Natlan’s warriors.
From left to right: a Yumkasaurus, a Tepetlisaurus, and a Koholasaurus
The introduction of Saurians means we will finally be having our own cute adventuring buddies (sorry, Paimon) that will be alongside us as we travel the diverse terrains and environments of Natlan. Saurians come in different forms, shapes, sizes and abilities, with each tribe in Natlan having their own respective Saurians that act as their representative.
So far, there are five Saurian species that are set to be introduced in the game: the Yumkasaurus that live alongside the Huitzlan tribe, the Tepetlisarus that live in the mines of Natlan alongside the Nanatzcayan tribe, the Koholasaurus that live alongside the Meztli tribe, the Iktomisarus that have the ability to fly, and the Qucusaur whose traits and abilities are yet to be revealed.
A Land of War and Rich Culture
Throughout its 4 years of existence, Genshin Impact has done an excellent job when it comes to taking inspiration from real-life cultures that serve as the foundations of each nation’s storylines and atmospheres. The amount of detail and creative vision between each nation’s design makes it possible for Genshin Impact to be refreshing and exciting despite being a long-running game.
With Mondstadt being based on Germany, Liyue based on China, Inazuma based on Japan, Sumeru based on both India and Mesopotamia, and Fontaine based on France. Genshin Impact dives into a completely different culture with Natlan, with the land of Fire being heavily inspired by Mesoamerican culture and mythology.
Natlan follows a tribal society, with six tribes that follow their own rules. So far, we’ve only been introduced to three tribes: the Nanatzcayan people whose people are miners and excavators and represent Geo, the Meztli people whose people are guides and explores and represent Hydro, and the Huitzlan people whose people are couriers and hunters and represent Dendro.
While it is known that Natlan is the nation of war, what we’ve seen from trailers is something more similar to the Olympics, with each tribe competing against each other in a series of trials and challenges to determine who is the strongest. The recent 5.0 trailer also reveals that these battles are also a way to collect “Contending Flames,” a form of energy that helps fuel Natlan’s Sacred Flame that keeps the nation safe from the dangers of the Abyss.
An All-New Cast of Characters
Image from Hoyoverse
A new region means we’ll also be welcoming a brand-new cast of characters into Genshin Impact’s ever-expanding roster, with the first batch of new playable characters being Kachina from the Nanatzcayan tribe, Kinich from the Huitzlan tribe, and Mualani from the Meztli tribe.
Aside from these new characters, we’ll also be introduced to more in the upcoming versions that will definitely keep the players burning with excitement. Some future playable characters include the likes of: The current Pyro Archon Mavuika, Citlali, Xilonen, Iansan, Chasca and more.
The Exciting Prelude to the Grand Climax
While it’s easy to get lost with excitement from the amount of new content we’ll be getting in this upcoming version, let’s not forget that Natlan is the sixth nation we’ll be visiting in our journey throughout Teyvat. The arrival of Natlan means we’ll have already visited six out of the seven nations that exist in the game, with Snezhnaya—the nation of Cryo and home to the Tsaritsa—being the only nation left unexplored.
Based on the amount of information we’ve been shown in the latest trailer for version 5.0, it’s only fair to assume that we will be embarking on one of the most intense storylines we’ve ever seen in Genshin Impact, as it’s revealed that Natlan is facing a calamity that may result in the end of the entire nation. But as usual, the Traveler will have a hand in saving the day.
As we continue the Traveller’s journey into Natlan, we are also getting closer to the climax of Genshin Impact’s Travail Chapter. Even still, the journey is far from over. While we may not exactly be sure if Genshin Impact will reach its conclusion after the last two regions have been unlocked, what we’re sure about is there are a lot more places to explore, treasures to open, friends to meet, mysteries to uncover, and adventures to experience.
Are you excited to play Genshin Impact’s newest region? Share your thoughts in the comments below.