If you’re a newer Genshin Impact player joining in 2026, or a long-time fan who missed her original 2021 crossover run, you’ve probably been searching for how to get Aloy in Genshin Impact for months. The Horizon Zero Dawn crossover character was once a limited-time exclusive drop, but HoYoverse has brought her back for periodic reruns as of 2025, so you don’t have to stress about missing her permanently. I picked up Aloy during her 2026 spring rerun, and I’ve tested all the current methods to unlock her, so I’ll walk you through exactly what works this year, no outdated info from old 2020s guides.
2026 Eligibility Requirements for Getting Aloy in Genshin Impact
Before you wait around for the next rerun, you’ll want to make sure you meet the basic requirements to claim her, since HoYoverse hasn’t adjusted these rules since the first rerun. Adventure Rank 20 or higher is the minimum threshold, and it’s easy to hit that within your first week of play if you focus on main story quests and waypoint unlocking. No paid Primogem purchase required is another huge perk, since Aloy is one of the only permanent free 5-star characters ever added to the game.
You’ll also need completion of the Prologue Act 3 quest "Song of the Dragon and Freedom" to access the event claim page. That means you have to finish the Mondstadt main story arc and defeat Dvalin before you can pick her up. If you already unlocked Aloy during a past rerun, you won’t get a duplicate copy – instead, you’ll get a free Stella Fortuna for her first constellation, which boosts her elemental skill damage by 15%. There’s no way to get her outside of official crossover events, so don’t waste time scrolling the standard banner wish history looking for her drop rate.
2026 Rerun Event Details to Claim Aloy for Free
HoYoverse announced two official Aloy reruns for 2026, timed to align with the Horizon Forbidden West complete edition PC release and the 5th anniversary of Genshin Impact. The first ran in Version 4.8 from April 12 to April 26 2026, and the second is scheduled for Version 5.2 from September 20 to October 4 2026, available to players on all platforms including PC, PlayStation, mobile, and Nintendo Switch 2. You don’t have to complete any long event quests or battle pass tiers to claim her, which makes this one of the easiest character unlocks in the game right now.
The step-by-step process to claim her during the event window is straightforward:
You don’t need to spend any Primogems, Genesis Crystals, or real money to get her, even if you’re a completely free-to-play player. You also don’t need to own any Horizon franchise games to qualify for the unlock, which is a common misconception I see new players repeat all the time. You can find the exact 2026 rerun start and end dates for your region on the official HoYoverse Genshin Impact news page to avoid missing the window. If you can’t make the 2026 reruns, HoYoverse has confirmed they will run the event at least once a year through 2028, so you’ll have more chances later.
Common Mistakes That Stop You From Getting Aloy in 2026
I’ve seen dozens of players miss out on Aloy in past reruns because of avoidable mistakes, so I’m listing the most common ones here to save you the frustration. Waiting to meet AR requirements after the event starts is the top mistake – if you’re AR 18 when the rerun goes live, you only have 14 days to grind the two extra ranks, which is doable but stressful if you don’t plan ahead. I recommend grinding a few extra levels in the week leading up to the announced rerun date if you’re close to AR 20.
Assuming she’s available in standard or limited character banners is another big mistake that costs players hundreds of wasted Primogems. Aloy is never added to any wish banner, so you can’t pull her no matter how many rolls you do. I talked to a player last month who spent 120 wishes on the standard banner trying to get her, which is a total waste of resources that could have gone to a limited 5-star you actually want. Claiming her on the wrong server is the third most common mistake – if you have main accounts on both NA and EU servers, make sure you log in to the one you play most first, since event rewards are server-locked and can’t be transferred later.
That said, Aloy’s constellations are only available during rerun events, so if you want to max out her kit, you’ll need to log in for every rerun until you collect all her Stella Fortuna. There’s no other way to get her constellation items right now, and HoYoverse hasn’t announced any plans to add them to the Paimon Shop or other reward pools.
What to Do After You Get Aloy in Genshin Impact
Once you’ve added Aloy to your roster, you’ll want to prioritize building her to get the most out of her kit, since she’s an incredibly strong free-to-play Cryo DPS option that holds up even in 2026’s endgame Spiral Abyss content. Her best free-to-play weapon is the Prototype Crescent, which you can forge at the Mondstadt blacksmith for free using Northlander Bow Billets you earn from weekly bosses. If you’re willing to spend a small amount of Primogems on the weapon banner, her best 5-star weapon is the Polar Star, but the Prototype Crescent works for 90% of playstyles.
Her best artifact set is the Blizzard Strayer 4-piece, which you can farm from the Peak of Vindagnyr domain in Dragonspine. This set boosts her Cryo damage by 15% and gives her a 40% crit rate boost against enemies affected by Cryo or Frozen, which pairs perfectly with her elemental skill and burst. For team comps, she works best in freeze teams paired with a Hydro enabler like Xingqiu or Yelan, and an Anemo support like Kazuha or Sucrose to group enemies and boost her damage.
If you’re a new player, she can easily carry you through all early and mid-game story content and world exploration, so it’s worth leveling her up to 80 at minimum even if you eventually pull a stronger Cryo DPS like Ganyu or Ayaka later. She’s also a great option for players who prefer bow user playstyles, since her charged shots deal heavy Cryo damage that’s perfect for breaking elemental shields and hitting distant enemies.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to get Aloy in Genshin Impact in 2026 is way simpler than a lot of old guides make it sound, now that HoYoverse is running regular reruns for the character. She’s one of the only free 5-star characters in the game, and her kit holds up really well even in 2026’s endgame spiral abyss content, so it’s well worth carving out 2 minutes to claim her during the next rerun. If you have any questions about her build or team comps after you unlock her, drop a comment below and I’ll help you out.