As someone who’s logged into Genshin Impact every day for the past four years, I can safely say Lantern Rite is the most anticipated event on the game’s annual calendar. The entire Liyue region gets decorated with glowing paper lanterns, fan-favorite characters return for heartwarming story beats, and the rewards are far more generous than most standard limited events. If you’re new to the game or haven’t participated before, you’re almost certainly asking when is Genshin Impact Lantern Rite, and what you need to do to make the most of it when it arrives.
When is Genshin Impact Lantern Rite Held Each Year?
Lantern Rite is directly tied to real-world Lunar New Year celebrations, so it always runs in the early weeks of the year, usually between late January and mid-February. The event lasts exactly 21 days, which lines up with the traditional 15-day Spring Festival holiday plus an extra week for players to catch up on content if they’re busy with real-life holiday plans. Lantern Rite always launches as part of the annual x.4 version update, so you can expect it to drop roughly six weeks after the December x.3 update goes live.
HoYoverse usually announces the exact start and end dates for Lantern Rite two to three weeks before the event launches, so you’ll have plenty of time to plan if you follow official Genshin Impact social media accounts. You only need to hit Adventure Rank 28 to access the core event gameplay, so new players don’t have to rush through months of story content to participate. You will get more out of the story if you’ve completed the main Liyue Archon Quest first, but it’s not a hard requirement to unlock minigames and rewards.
In recent years, the event has launched anywhere between January 18 and February 5, so you can mark that window on your calendar if you want to be prepared. It never shifts outside of that range, so you won’t have to worry about missing it if you check in on the game semi-regularly in the first two months of the year.
Key Gameplay Modes and Rewards You Can Expect From Lantern Rite
Every Lantern Rite follows a similar structure, even if the specific minigames and story beats change from year to year. The event opens with a short story quest that sets up the year’s festival theme, followed by three to four rotating minigames that unlock over the first week of the event. You’ll also get access to a special theater mode where you can watch skits and performances from Liyue characters, plus a final global lantern release event at the end of the three-week run.
Every Lantern Rite event lets players pick one free 4-star Liyue character for no extra cost, which is the biggest draw for most players. The selection usually includes all permanent Liyue 4-stars plus one limited-run 4-star that doesn’t appear on the standard banner, so it’s a great chance to get a character you’ve missed out on in past banners. The rest of the rewards are equally generous, and you don’t have to spend any real money to unlock 100% of them.
If you complete all event content, you can expect to walk away with all of these rewards:
- 1300+ Primogems, enough for almost 9 Intertwined Fates for limited character banners
- One free 4-star Liyue character of your choice, including limited run 4-stars that don’t appear on standard banners
- 1 Crown of Insight, the rare material required to level up character talents to level 10
- 5+ million Mora, 20+ Hero's Wit, and 10+ assorted Weapon Ascension and Talent Level-Up materials
- Exclusive namecards, furniture, and lantern-themed cosmetics for your Serenitea Pot
I usually skip a week of artifact farming when Lantern Rite drops, because the time you spend on event minigames gives you way more valuable rewards than hours of random domain drops. The minigames are also far less repetitive than standard farming, so it’s a nice break from the usual daily grind.
How to Prepare for Lantern Rite Before It Launches
You don’t have to do a ton of prep to get the most out of Lantern Rite, but a few small steps will make your experience way smoother. First, if you’re a new player, focus on hitting Adventure Rank 28 before the event launches. You can get to AR 28 in less than two weeks of casual play just by completing main Archon Quests and opening chests around Teyvat, so it’s a very achievable goal even if you just started playing.
You don't have to finish the entire Liyue Archon Quest to play the event, but if you want to avoid major story spoilers, it’s worth pushing through the Liyue main quest first. A lot of major Liyue characters appear in the Lantern Rite story, and you’ll get more out of their interactions if you know their backstories from the main quest. You also don’t need any meta-level teams to complete the minigames, all challenges are balanced for casual players with low-investment characters.
Before the event starts, clear out a few slots in your inventory if you’re running low on space. You’ll be getting dozens of materials from the event, and you don’t want to have to delete items mid-event to make room for new rewards. If you have a specific 4-star Liyue character you’ve been wanting, make a note of it ahead of time so you don’t accidentally pick the wrong one when the free character unlocks. I made that mistake a few years back and picked Xingqiu when I already had him at C6, so I wasted the free pick on a useless constellation.
Common Lantern Rite Misconceptions You Should Ignore
There are a lot of wrong claims floating around online about Lantern Rite, especially from new players who haven’t participated before. The most common one is that you have to spend money to get the free character or premium rewards, which is completely false. All core event content and 100% of the advertised rewards are available for free to any player who meets the AR 28 requirement, no Genesis Crystal purchases needed.
Another common misconception is that you have to log in every single day to get all the rewards. That’s not true either, all event quests and minigames stay available for the full 21 days of the event, so you can catch up on all content even if you miss a week of logins. The only time-sensitive part of Lantern Rite is the global live lantern release event, which only happens once, but you can watch a replay of it in the event menu if you miss the live showing.
Some players also claim that Lantern Rite story content is only for long-time players who know all the Liyue lore, but that’s not the case. The event writers intentionally make the story accessible for new players, with quick context clues for character relationships so you don’t feel lost if you haven’t finished all the Liyue side quests. The minigames are also designed for all skill levels, so you won’t get stuck on a combat challenge even if you only have a few level 50 characters in your roster.
If you’re still wondering when is Genshin Impact Lantern Rite, the short answer is every year in the late January to mid-February window, aligned with real-world Lunar New Year celebrations. It’s easily the most cozy, rewarding event on the Genshin Impact calendar, and even if you only play the game casually, it’s worth logging in for the free rewards and the warm, festive vibe of Liyue covered in glowing lanterns. I’ve made a tradition of releasing a lantern with my group of Genshin-playing friends every year, and it’s still one of my favorite parts of the new year, both in and out of the game.