I’ve been logging into Genshin Impact every week since it launched, and one question I see pop up in every new player Discord server and Reddit thread nonstop is what are all the nations in Genshin Impact. Teyvat’s world is massive, and HoYoverse keeps adding new regions every year with unique stories, characters, and mechanics that tie directly to each nation’s core theme. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you first spawn in Windrise and realize there are six whole other regions waiting for you to unlock, plus one that hasn’t even dropped yet. This guide breaks down every nation, released and upcoming, so you know exactly what to expect as you work your way through the Teyvat storyline.
What Are All the Nations in Genshin Impact That Are Currently Playable?
If you’ve ever wondered what are all the nations in Genshin Impact that you can visit right now, the list currently sits at six, with the seventh coming in the next couple of years. Each nation is tied to one of the seven elements of Teyvat, ruled by an Archon that embodies a core ideal, and has distinct cultural inspirations that shape its scenery, characters, and quests. I’ve 100% completed every released nation so far, and each one has a very different vibe that makes the grind to explore fully worth it.
All currently playable nations in Genshin Impact are:
- Mondstadt: Anemo Archon Barbatos, theme of freedom, Germanic-inspired rolling hills and windmill-dotted cityscapes
- Liyue: Geo Archon Morax, theme of contract, Chinese-inspired mountain ranges and bustling harbor cities
- Inazuma: Electro Archon Raiden Shogun, theme of eternity, Japanese-inspired isolated archipelago with vibrant cherry blossom forests and stormy coastlines
- Sumeru: Dendro Archon Nahida, theme of wisdom, mix of South Asian-inspired rainforests and Middle Eastern-inspired desert landscapes
- Fontaine: Hydro Archon Furina, theme of justice, French-inspired steampunk nation built around massive lakes and floating aquatic cities
- Natlan: Pyro Archon Murata, theme of war, volcanic tribal landscapes inspired by pre-Columbian and West African cultures
Natlan just launched recently, and it’s already a fan favorite for its fast-paced combat challenges and vibrant community-focused side quests. I spent the first three days of its launch just running around the volcanic valleys collecting flaming flowers and fighting the new Pyro Hypostasis variant, and it’s easily the most dynamic region released so far. Each nation also has its own set of local specialties, reputation rewards, and hidden world quests that can take dozens of hours to fully complete.
Unreleased Nation: What We Know About Snezhnaya So Far
Snezhnaya is the seventh and final core nation of Teyvat, ruled by the Cryo Archon Tsaritsa. We’ve gotten bits and pieces of lore about it since the very first Mondstadt Archon quest, when we first met the Fatui Harbingers who operate as the Tsaritsa’s elite military and diplomatic force. All the Harbingers we’ve met across other nations hail from Snezhnaya, and their character stories give small hints at what the icy nation is really like.
From what we’ve gathered so far, Snezhnaya is a frozen, industrialized nation where the Tsaritsa has absolute control over her people. She’s currently collecting all the Archon Gnoses from other nations for a planned war against Celestia, the divine realm that rules over Teyvat. A lot of fans theorize that Snezhnaya will have the darkest storyline of all the nations, since we’ve already seen how ruthless the Fatui can be when they’re pursuing their goals.
I’m personally most excited to see how Harbingers like Childe and Arlecchino are portrayed in their home region, since we’ve only seen them acting as antagonists in other nations so far. HoYoverse hasn’t announced an official release date for Snezhnaya yet, but they’ve been dropping more teasers with every update, so the wait won’t be too much longer.
How Each Nation Shapes Genshin Impact’s Gameplay Experience
HoYoverse doesn’t just change the scenery when they launch a new nation, they build core gameplay mechanics around each region’s theme that stick around even after you finish the Archon quest. For example, Mondstadt introduced wind currents and gliding, which are still the most used traversal tools in the entire game. Liyue added steep mountain climbs and geo puzzles that reward players for exploring every hidden crevice.
Inazuma brought in electrograna that let you cross electrified water and pass through barrier gates, plus the thunder sakura bounties that gave us a new way to farm upgrade materials. Sumeru’s four-leaf sigils made fast traversal across large desert and rainforest areas way easier, and it was the first region to add Dendro reactions that completely changed the meta for team comps. Fontaine introduced underwater exploration that let you swim without stamina, a feature fans had been begging for for years. Natlan added lava traversal and dynamic weather events like volcanic eruptions that force you to adapt your playstyle on the fly.
But not all region mechanics are universally loved, right? A lot of players hated Inazuma’s constant thunderstorms that would strike you out of nowhere when you were halfway up a mountain, and Sumeru’s desert puzzles got pretty repetitive after you’d done 20 of them in a row. That’s part of the fun though, each region feels distinct enough that you never get bored moving from one to the next. You can always tell which nation you’re in just by the gameplay mechanics you’re using, which is a really cool touch from the devs.
Tips for Exploring Every Nation in Teyvat Efficiently
If you’re planning to run through every nation back to back to catch up on the story, there are a few tricks I’ve picked up over the years that will save you hours of wasted time. First, always prioritize unlocking the Seven Statue of each area first before you do anything else. You don’t just get a waypoint, you also unlock the full map of the surrounding area and get increased stamina if you offer up oculi.
Second, make sure you pick up local specialty items as you explore, instead of waiting until you pull a new character that needs them for ascension. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to spend three hours running around Sumeru’s desert looking for padisarahs after I pulled Nahida on her last rerun. Third, level up your nation reputation as soon as you unlock it. The quality of life features you get from reputation rewards, like oculi resonance stones and portable waypoints, make exploring 10x easier.
Fourth, pay attention to Adventure Rank requirements for each nation’s Archon quest. You can’t access Inazuma until you hit AR 30, Sumeru at AR 35, Fontaine at AR 40, and Natlan at AR 42, so don’t waste time trying to unlock the next region before you’ve leveled up enough. If you’re stuck on AR exp, just do your daily commissions and spend your resin on ley line outcrops, that’s the fastest way to grind. You don’t have to 100% each region before moving on to the next, but I recommend at least finishing the Archon quest first to avoid spoilers.
Whether you’re a new player just starting out and trying to figure out what are all the nations in Genshin Impact, or a long-time player who’s 100% completed every region and is just waiting for Snezhnaya to drop, there’s always something new to discover in Teyvat. Each nation has its own hidden secrets, side quests, and small details that make re-exploring worth it even if you’ve already finished the main story. I’ll be updating this guide as soon as HoYoverse drops more news about Snezhnaya, so check back later for more lore breaks and exploration tips.