Genshin Impact first anniversary event: start time, web events, rewards, and more

Genshin Impact
(Image credit: MiHoYo)

Genshin Impact's first anniversary event kicks off this week and you'll be able to claim lots of rewards over the next few weeks. New content will also drop alongside these rewards, but so far the community reaction has been a little frosty. Many of the rewards are focused around what fans are calling free publicity for MiHoYo as they focus on creating fan art and cosplay entries, and a gacha-like reward scheme despite asking for a lot of effort from fans. Ouch.

Regardless, here's when the anniversary event begins, and everything else you need to know.

Genshin Impact Anniversary start time

The first anniversary event begins on September 28 when Version 2.1 drops at the usual time. 

Genshin Impact web events

If you share your wishes online ahead of the event, you'll be entered into a raffle for the Engraved Wishes event. If you've never entered a wish before, you can do so via the official Genshin Impact website and 50,000 lucky players will have their names engraved on a giant Paimon block. You can also connect your social media to your Genshin Impact account if you want a chance of winning in-game goodies, as well as a PS5 or Amazon gift card irl.

From September 29 until October 7, you'll also be able to take part in the A Message in Time event by creating your own anniversary card. You'll then be selected to receive the Blessing of Welkin Mood reward, with others receiving 100,000 Mora. There's even an event where you can share your congratulatory art where you can enter for a chance to win an iPhone Pro Max via Facebook and Twitter.

This rewards system does sound a bit gacha-like, as I said before, but it's optional to take part.

Other events include:

  •  Let's solve word puzzles (October 7-13) 
  •  Cosplay competition (September 22-October 20) 
  •  Photo submission contests (September 1-October 11) 
  •  Fan art content (September 16-October 17) 
  •  Video contest (September 16-October 17) 

Daily login rewards, livestream, and more 

Some top Genshin Impact builds

The Raiden Shogun in Genshin Impact

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Genshin Impact Raiden build: Electro Archon
Genshin Impact Ganyu build: Secretary of Yuehai Pavillion
Genshin Impact Hu Tao build: Pyro prankster
Genshin Impact Zhongli build: The Geo Archon

Alongside the raffles, you'll also get various rewards just for logging in to Genshin Impact. You'll be able to claim these rewards until mid-October—unfortunately, we don't have a solid date, but you'll have until just before Version 2.2 drops on October 13. You won't need to log in every day, either—these rewards will drop in the following order, but you don't need to log in on consecutive days to get them.

Here's what you can expect to receive throughout the event, as long as you're at least Adventure Rank 5:

  • Day 1: Intertwined Fate x1 
  • Day 2: Mora x80,000 
  • Day 3: Intertwined Fate x2 
  • Day 4: Mythic Enhancement Ore x18 
  • Day 5: Intertwined Fate x2 
  • Day 6: Hero’s Wit x8 
  • Day 7: Intertwined Fate x5 

It's unclear whether a new banner will become available during the event, so watch this space for more info. There will also be a livestream on September 28 to celebrate the event, though details on that are still thin on the ground. You'll also be able to view your own anniversary theater to see your journey so far, which you can access via the official community.

More details can be found on the official Genshin Impact community page here, such as links to all the events and rewards.

Genshin Impact guide:Genshin Impact characters: Genshin Impact code:Genshin Impact build:

Genshin Impact guide: Beginner tips
Genshin Impact characters: Full tier list
Genshin Impact code: Redeem for free rewards
Genshin Impact build: Best of the bunch

Guides Editor

The first three games Lauren played on PC were Star Wars: X-Wing, Zoo Tycoon and Barbie Fashion Designer, which explains her love of all things space, strategy and aesthetically pleasing. Lauren recently took over as PC Gamer's Guides Editor after three years of writing many dozens of Destiny 2 guides at VG247, as well as casually trying to shoehorn in The Witcher 3 articles wherever possible. When she's not trying to force everyone to play as a Warlock in Destiny 2, Lauren is either mastering her SEO abilities to help smash the competition, or patting one of her red sons.

Read more
Genshin Impact 5.5 livestream codes - Flower festival
All Genshin Impact 5.5 livestream codes
Genshin Impact 5.4 codes - Mavuika fighting Il Capitano
All Genshin Impact 5.4 livestream codes
Monster Hunter Wilds events - Ajarakan roaring
All Monster Hunter Wilds event quests and rewards
Zenless Zone Zero codes - Miyabi and section four
All Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codes
A hunter in Monster Hunter Wilds shows off their snazzy new earring while striking a pose.
Monster Hunter Wilds' next set of event quests let you snag a snazzy earring, plus armor and weapon decorations
Destiny 2 Rite of the Nine: The Emissary, massive, ominously standing at the edge of a water basin.
Everything we know about Destiny 2 Rite of the Nine
Latest in RPG
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again
Junah beginning a battle in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Today's RPG fans are 'very sensitive to feeling like they wasted time' when they die, says Metaphor: ReFantazio battle planner—but Atlus still made combat hard anyway
Image of Cersei Lanniser from Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Steam early access trailer
A new Game of Thrones RPG is coming to Steam today with a cast of 'familiar faces,' which is good because it's really the only way to tell it's a GoT game at all
A Viera looking confused in Final Fantasy 14.
Old armor continues to fall victim to Final Fantasy 14's bizarre two-channel dye system, unless you're super into changing the colour of teeny-tiny eyelets: 'Why even bother at this point?'
Starfield: Shattered Space
By the time Bethesda was on Starfield, you'd 'basically get in trouble' for breaking schedule, says former dev: 'A lot of the great stuff within Skyrim came from having the freedom to do what you want'
Sphene applauds in Final Fantasy 14's patch 7.2 story.
I'm not yelling 'we're so back!' yet, but Final Fantasy 14's patch 7.2 story could be the first sign the MMO is returning to what made it so critically-acclaimed
Latest in Features
Blue Protocol players dancing minutes before the game closes forever
What will we do at the end of the world? If MMOs are any indication: mostly what we already do, plus a lot of dancing
Sphene applauds in Final Fantasy 14's patch 7.2 story.
I'm not yelling 'we're so back!' yet, but Final Fantasy 14's patch 7.2 story could be the first sign the MMO is returning to what made it so critically-acclaimed
Several tight-wearing superheroes surge towards the camera in a heroic fashion in City of Heroes.
One year later, City of Heroes' officially recognized fan server has me praying it's the future of dead MMOs
Immortal Pillars expansion for Age of Mythology: Retold
Age of Mythology Retold's new Chinese pantheon expansion takes a bold stance on updating an old game: Just make good new stuff
Ragnarok Battle Offline
After punishing my graphics card with Monster Hunter Wilds, I've returned to the rock-solid frame rates of my old hunting grounds: Windows XP
Ghoul in sunglasses
I'm convinced being a ghoul in Fallout 76 is the best way to vibe in West Virginia, thanks to these powerful perk cards and my new true love: Radiation