Genshin Impact: What To Do First In Fontaine

Genshin Impact’s 4.0 update has finally been released, and with it comes the long-awaited addition of the Fontaine region. Fontaine is now the fifth region added to Genshin Impact, the region of Hydro. Like all prior regions, Fontaine includes a ton of new content, new characters, new quests, new achievements, new weapons, and new character and weapon ascension materials for players to grind.

When a new region launches in Genshin Impact, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed or not quite know what to prioritize when exploring and deciding what new content to play, so this is a list meant to serve as some options and advice for interacting with Genshin Impact’s newest update.

7 Finish “The Recollections of a Fontainian” Sumeru Quest Line

Patch 3.8, which was the final patch in the Sumeru arc, introduced a new World Quest called “Recollections of a Fontainian.” This quest can be started at the pier in Sumeru, and it will task players with helping out an anxious man from Fontaine named Augustus Lovelace.

While this quest is not a prerequisite to accessing Fontaine, it will give players a tiny little bit of Fontaine lore and Teyvat world-building, so lore-interested players should definitely check it out either prior to or after handling more pressing Fontaine matters.

6 Fish in Fontaine

Much like Inazuma and Sumeru, fishing in Fontaine will reward the player with a brand new free 4* weapon! The 4* sword, called the Fleuve Cendre Ferryman, comes equipped with an Energy Recharge secondary stat, and a very powerful passive at R5 that will increase players’ elemental skill Crit Rate and increase Energy Recharge even further.

With enough dedication to fishing in Fontaine, players will be able to easily max refine the sword by trading in specific fish at the Fontaine Fishing Association. This sword works great with Lynette, who is given away for free as well, giving players an awesome weapon and character combo without them needing to spend a dime.

5 Complete the Fontaine Archon Quest (Chapter IV)

One of the most anticipated features of the Genshin Impact 4.0 update is the launch of the new Archon Quest! Archon Quests are the most important story content in Genshin Impact, generally being a prerequisite to most (if not all) upcoming content that follows.

These quests are centered on the Traveler and the new cast that Fontaine has introduced. Players should take their time to sit back and enjoy the Archon quest for all it is worth, as Genshin Impact has a very interesting and compelling world and story, and Fontaine promises to not be an exception.

Attached to the Archon quests are also the character quests, with 4.0 introducing the character quest for the new 5* Pyro unit Lyney! Character quests are also generally required to be completed prior to future content, so players should also focus on enjoying and completing this.

4 Unlock the Fontaine Reputation System and Daily Commissions

Each region in Genshin Impact introduces a reputation system and new daily commissions at the Adventurer’s Guild. The former is an important mechanic which unlocks all manner of rewards including teapot furniture, recipes, exploration assisting tools (such as chest compasses), and region-themed cosmetics. Once unlocked, players can progress the reputation system by completing quests, exploration objectives, and weekly bounties and requests. Since some parts of the system can only be completed a limited number of times per week, it is important to unlock this feature relatively early if players seek the rewards that it offers.

There are a couple of requirements to unlock Fontaine reputation:

Complete Archon Quest Chapter IV: Act II “As Light Rain Falls Without Reason” Complete the quest “Steambird Interview”

And to unlock Fontaine daily commissions, the requirements are as follows:

Complete Archon Quest Chapter IV: Act II “As Light Rain Falls Without Reason” Complete World Quest “Another Horizon of Adventure” 3 Unlock The Statues of the Seven in Fontaine

Unlocking a Statue of the Seven in Fontaine will accomplish multiple things, including giving the player access to the Hydro version of their chosen Traveler (Aether or Lumine). It’ll also unlock an extra form of progress for the region, via the Hydroculus collectible system, and will unlock pieces of the Fontaine map, making all exploration and questing much easier to navigate and complete.

Generally speaking, it is good practice to attempt to head to the nearest Statue of the Seven whenever entering a previously unexplored area of the map in Genshin Impact. Luckily, the game steers the player toward the first one in Fontaine via the Archon Quest.

2 Recognize Items Worth Collecting

Like the four previous Genshin Impact regions, Fontaine has launched alongside a whole collection of new local specialties that can be collected during a player’s exploration of the region. It is important for players to distinguish which of these collectible materials is of the most importance, as new characters and weapons released in Fontaine will require them to ascend.

This logic also extends to the new drops that enemies will have for players upon defeat, as well as how players decide to use their resin in Fontaine. Players hoping to ascend Lyney or Lynette should seek Rainbow Roses or Lumidouce Bells, respectively. Other items to keep an eye out for are Romaritime Flowers, and of course, Hydroculi.

1 Familiarize Yourself with Pneuma and Ousia Mechanics

The Fontaine region of Genshin Impact has introduced a new mechanic to the game, the Arkhe System, with two semi-elements, Ousia and Pneuma. While not actually being full elements themselves, these two mechanics will appear in Fontaine and on all upcoming Fontaine characters, with each character able to wieed one or the other (alongside their usual element). An example of this is that Lyney is a 5* Pyro bow unit with access to Pneuma, and Lynette is a 4* Anemo sword unit that has access to Ousia.

Pneuma and Ousia mechanics will have unique reactions with certain enemies within Fontaine, and they can also be used to solve certain puzzles during Fontaine exploration. If a player does not want to use Hydro Traveler (Pneuma) or the free Lynette unit being given out (Ousia), there will be exploration mechanics that will give players temporary control over these elements, similar to Sumeru’s Dendrograna and Inazuma’s Electrograna.

Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.