Imagine having twice as many options for building your team in Genshin Impact. What if characters you’ve long forgotten could suddenly be essential to a winning strategy? That’s the exciting possibility of improving underused characters. Currently, the game often feels limited, with players relying on the same few powerful units. But by updating the abilities of characters from Liyue who aren’t often used, the entire way people play the game could change. For example, Qiqi could become the core of a brand-new team built around specific reactions, or a redesigned Ningguang could become a top choice for taking down single, powerful enemies. This isn’t just about making old characters stronger – it’s about encouraging players to experiment and making combat more varied and enjoyable for everyone.
Key Takeaways
- Liyue’s heroes feel left behind for a reason: The game has evolved with new mechanics and more versatile character kits, which makes the specialized abilities of many older Liyue characters feel less effective in today’s endgame.
- Meaningful buffs are about more than just bigger numbers: The best updates should address core gameplay issues like clunky mechanics, high energy costs, and poor survivability to make these characters feel smoother and more enjoyable to play.
- Updating old characters benefits the entire game: By making these units viable again, we open the door to more creative team compositions, validate player investment in their favorites, and foster a more balanced and diverse meta.
Liyue’s Benchwarmers: Which Characters Need a Buff?
Liyue is known for its popular characters, like the powerful Geo Archon and the dedicated Yaksha. Players have invested time and resources into building and battling with them. However, with the introduction of stronger characters from newer regions like Inazuma and Fontaine, some of Liyue’s original heroes are starting to fall behind. It’s frustrating when a character you love struggles to perform in challenging content like the Spiral Abyss as the game gets harder.
Look, it’s not that the older characters are bad, it’s just that the game has moved on. Every time a new character drops, they seem to have way more going on – more complex abilities, they work better with teammates, and sometimes they’re specifically designed to beat the newest villains. It’s like a power creep, and it’s made some of my favorites feel really weak. Their abilities cost too much energy, take forever to recharge, or just don’t do enough damage to keep up with the new, super-powerful characters. They feel kinda clunky and one-dimensional now.
There’s been a lot of talk among players recently about certain characters not feeling as strong or enjoyable as they used to. Some feel Xiao’s risky playstyle is more frustrating than effective, while others find Beidou’s abilities awkward in fast-paced fights. Even Zhongli, who was improved after his release, is getting criticism for not dealing enough damage. Players aren’t necessarily asking for every character to be the best, but they want their favorites to be useful and fun to play. Let’s take a look at which characters could really use an update.
Baizhu: The Healer Who Deserves Better
Baizhu, the owner of Bubu Pharmacy in Liyue, was a highly awaited character. Known for his unique appearance – including a talking snake companion – and intriguing story, he quickly gained a dedicated following. When he became a playable five-star character specializing in Dendro magic and using a catalyst, players were excited to add a powerful healer and protector to their teams. His abilities seemed ideal: he can heal allies, create shields, and apply the Dendro element. It appeared he had everything players could want.
He tries to do a lot, but doesn’t excel at any one thing, particularly when compared to other characters. His healing isn’t very strong, his shields break easily, and he doesn’t apply Dendro effects effectively. In a game that rewards teamwork and efficiency, Baizhu often feels like a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Characters like Yaoyao, Kirara, or Kuki Shinobu can often do his job better or provide more helpful abilities. It’s ironic that a skilled doctor seems to be the one who needs improvement. Let’s take a closer look at his weaknesses.
Why We Love His Concept
Baizhu has a fantastic concept. His skill sends out a spirit that damages enemies and then heals your whole team – it’s a simple, effective way to balance attack and defense. He really embodies the idea of a doctor treating injuries right in the middle of a fight. His ultimate ability adds even more to this, creating a shield that both heals the character you’re controlling and damages enemies. He’s clearly meant to be a reliable character who keeps everyone alive and helps set up powerful Dendro reactions. While the idea is great, the way it all works together isn’t quite as polished as it could be.
His Co-op Healing Falls Short
Baizhu is a capable healer when playing alone. However, his weaknesses become clear when playing with others. His main healing ability has a long recharge time, and unlike healers like Kokomi or Jean, he can’t consistently keep the whole team healthy. This often leaves teammates vulnerable while waiting for his ability to recharge. Compared to four-star healers like Yaoyao, who provide more reliable healing, Baizhu’s performance can be disappointing for a five-star character.
Damage That Doesn’t Deliver
Most players don’t expect Baizhu to be a powerful attacker, and he’s designed as a healer and support character first and foremost. While his attacks are based on his Attack stat, his healing and shields rely on his HP, meaning you can’t really build him to deal significant damage. In most teams, every character helps with damage in some way, even from the sidelines. Unfortunately, Baizhu offers very little offensive contribution. This can make him feel like a passive teammate, especially compared to healers like Kuki Shinobu or Jean who can both heal and deal substantial damage.
Weak Dendro Application Limits Team Synergy
Baizhu, despite being a Dendro catalyst user, doesn’t apply the Dendro element very effectively. His skills apply it only a limited number of times and have long cooldowns. This makes him difficult to use in teams that rely on frequent and widespread Dendro reactions, like Hyperbloom or Burgeon. He works well in Nilou teams because his healing can offset the damage from Bountiful Cores. However, in most other situations, characters like Nahida or the Dendro Traveler are better choices for consistently applying Dendro and creating strong reactions.
DPS Characters Left in the Dust
Liyue was home to some of the strongest characters in Genshin Impact, characters who used to be considered the very best. However, as the game has been updated, some of these powerful heroes have become less effective. Newer characters often have easier-to-use abilities, generate energy faster, or can handle fights on their own, making our older favorites feel awkward and less competitive. While they can still succeed, it now requires much more effort. It’s not that these characters are bad, just that the game has advanced, and their skills haven’t kept pace. Many of these damage-dealing characters are in need of improvements, from long wait times between abilities to risky gameplay.
Childe’s Never-Ending Cooldowns
Childe used to feel groundbreaking with his ability to switch between ranged and melee attacks, and he’s still enjoyable to play. However, his main skill now has a significant drawback: a very long recharge time. Spending too much time fighting up close means a frustrating wait before you can maximize his damage again. This requires precise and rigid attack patterns, and even a small error can disrupt them. Unlike newer damage-dealing characters who have more adaptable abilities, Childe’s downtime makes it difficult to consistently deal damage throughout longer battles, often limiting his effectiveness.
Hu Tao Is Always Out of Breath
Hu Tao is designed to be a powerful but risky character, dealing a lot of damage by playing with low health. When she was first released, this was exciting, but now in challenging content like the Spiral Abyss, it’s more stressful than fun. Enemies hit so hard that keeping her health low is dangerous – a single mistake can quickly defeat her. Because she needs to stay below 50% health to maximize her damage, she’s very fragile, and playing her effectively often requires a strong shield like Zhongli. While she can still deal a lot of damage, the constant risk of being instantly defeated makes her a difficult character to use in tough battles.
Xiao: All Pain, No Gain?
Xiao is a high-risk, high-reward character. His powerful attack turns him into a whirlwind of damage, but it severely drains his health and stamina. He requires a lot of energy to use his abilities, often needing specific team members to help recharge them. While his diving attacks are visually impressive, he has no way to protect himself and completely depends on his teammates to stay alive. This means you need to build your entire team around keeping him safe, which can be limiting compared to other damage dealers who are more self-sufficient. Although his damage output is significant, it often requires so much preparation that it doesn’t always feel effective enough.
Why Ganyu Can’t Take a Hit
Ganyu remains a powerful Cryo damage dealer thanks to her charged attacks, but her gameplay feels outdated. She needs to stand still to aim, which makes her vulnerable to fast-moving enemies. Her biggest problem is that she’s easily interrupted – getting hit while charging her special arrow is incredibly frustrating. While a shield can offer some protection, it doesn’t fix the core issue. Many players believe Ganyu needs adjustments to make her more durable, as she struggles to withstand attacks.
Support Units Who Lost Their Spark
As a Genshin Impact player, I’ve always thought support characters were the real MVPs – they’re the ones who make a team really shine! They do all the important stuff like boosting reactions, protecting everyone with shields, and keeping our damage dealers alive. But lately, I’ve noticed some of the older Liyue supports just aren’t cutting it anymore. They used to be great, but compared to the newer characters from Sumeru and Fontaine, their abilities feel a bit awkward and just don’t pack the same punch. It’s a shame, because they were once my go-to team members!
It’s really frustrating seeing some of my favorite characters fall behind. I mean, I put a lot of time and effort into building characters like Qiqi, Zhongli, Albedo, Ningguang, and Beidou, but lately they just aren’t cutting it in tough challenges like the Spiral Abyss. They either can’t generate enough energy, their abilities don’t work well against newer bosses, or their shields just aren’t as reliable as they used to be. It’s a shame, because I really love their designs and stories! I think a few tweaks could make a huge difference and bring them back into the spotlight, making them fun and viable to play again.
Qiqi: The Energy Black Hole
We’ve all experienced it: Qiqi can keep your team alive, and she’s really good at it. However, her healing drains your team’s energy incredibly quickly. Many players have noticed she’s an “energy black hole” because she barely generates any energy for your other characters. In a game where using powerful abilities frequently is essential, Qiqi’s abilities actually make it harder to do that, which is why she isn’t often used in battles.
Zhongli’s Shield Isn’t What It Used to Be
Zhongli, a powerful character in the game, used to be incredibly dominant thanks to his extremely strong shield, which let players easily avoid damage. While his shield is still effective, it’s not as powerful as it once was. New enemies, particularly in challenging areas like the Spiral Abyss, can break through his shield or ignore it completely with special attacks. This has led many players to believe Zhongli needs some improvements. Discussions about upcoming character buffs often focus on him, as players feel he’s lost his position as the go-to defensive option.
Albedo’s Flower Keeps Breaking
I really love the idea of Albedo as a support character who deals damage even when he’s not on the field. You set down his little flower, the Solar Isotoma, and it’s supposed to constantly deal Geo damage while you’re using other characters. But honestly, it’s SO frustrating! The flower is way too fragile. In most tough boss fights – like against the Primo Geovishap or the Maguu Kenki – it breaks almost immediately. That completely ruins his main way of doing damage, and it makes him feel unreliable in the late game. A lot of us have been hoping they’ll rework his flower so it’s more durable, maybe even indestructible like other characters’ summons. If they did that, he could finally be the solid support DPS we know he can be!
Ningguang’s Lackluster Burst
Ningguang, one of the Liyue Qixing, certainly looks the part of a powerful character. However, her actual damage in battle doesn’t always live up to her impressive appearance. While she can be played as a main damage dealer, her ultimate ability, Starshatter, often feels weak compared to newer characters with much higher damage output. Many players have asked for improvements to her abilities to make her more effective. Without those changes, she’s often chosen for her design and style rather than her combat performance.
Beidou’s Scaling and Shielding Woes
Beidou is incredibly fun to play when her abilities work together seamlessly. Landing a perfect counter with her Skill is very satisfying, and her Burst can quickly defeat groups of enemies. However, she has some weaknesses. She needs help building up energy for her abilities, and her damage output hasn’t always kept pace with other characters. Also, the shield provided by her constellations isn’t strong enough to consistently protect her. Many players believe Beidou needs improvements to stay competitive, and they suggest focusing on her damage scaling and energy recharge to make her a more reliable and powerful character.
So, Who Needs Help the Most?
As a player, it’s cool when we all notice a character isn’t quite up to par, but it’s amazing to see everyone come together and actually try to fix things. Lately, the community’s been really focused on Liyue characters who feel a bit weak, and we’ve all been sharing ideas on how to make them better. It’s not just about making them hit harder, though – we want them to feel good to play! We’re talking everything from small improvements to big changes, and honestly, we have a pretty clear idea of what would make those Liyue characters shine again.
What the Community Wants Fixed
If you frequent online gaming communities, you’ll notice certain characters are often mentioned when players discuss needed improvements. Many believe the next updates should focus on Zhongli, Xiao, Hu Tao, and Ganyu from Liyue. The issue isn’t simply that these characters are weak; players want to enjoy playing them more. They’re asking for smoother combat, less awkward gameplay, and abilities that feel satisfying to learn and use. Ultimately, players want these popular characters to be both fun and powerful, not just outdated remnants of older strategies.
Top Quality-of-Life Requests
Players want more than just bigger damage numbers; they’re requesting thoughtful improvements to make the game more enjoyable. They’re suggesting things like better teamwork between characters, such as expanding on the Liyue Adeptal resonance system to create new team options. This shows how much players analyze the game’s inner workings. The ongoing discussion about character buffs proves how engaged the community is with the game’s changing strategies. It’s not simply about making favorite characters more powerful, but about creating a more balanced and varied gameplay experience.
Bringing Old Favorites Back to the Meta
Honestly, there’s a huge wave of nostalgia going around, and a lot of us are really hoping to see some of the original Liyue characters get back to their former glory. I remember when Ganyu, Hu Tao, and Xiao were the absolute best at dealing damage – they totally dominated! Now, they’re just…not quite as strong, and we’re really hoping the developers give them some serious attention. It feels like they need more than just small tweaks; a lot of players think they need full kit reworks to be competitive with the newer characters. It would be awesome to see these characters shine again, not just because it’d make team building more interesting, but because so many of us have invested a ton of time and resources into them since the game launched.
Why Do These Characters Feel So Outdated?
You’re not alone if you’ve noticed your older Liyue characters feeling weaker compared to newer Fontaine characters. Many players feel like Liyue heroes, who used to be incredibly strong, are now falling behind. It’s not that these characters were secretly made less powerful, or that you’ve forgotten how to use them – the game has just evolved, and they haven’t kept pace.
Many players feel that some older characters in Genshin Impact are becoming less useful over time, and there are a few reasons why. The game has added complicated new ways to play that older characters can’t take advantage of. Plus, newer characters are designed to be more flexible and powerful. This gradual increase in strength, often called ‘power creep,’ means that many of the original characters from Liyue aren’t being used as much. Let’s look at the specific reasons why these characters feel weaker now.
How New Mechanics Favor New Characters
Do you remember when the most complex part of Genshin Impact was mastering Melt and Vaporize? The game has changed a lot since then! The addition of the Dendro element brought completely new elemental reactions, forcing players to rethink how they build teams. Many of the newest characters are specifically designed to take advantage of these new mechanics. For example, characters from Fontaine often rely on unique abilities like Bond of Life or Arkhe, which weren’t available in earlier versions of the game.
The way players approach the game is always changing, and characters who can’t adapt often fall behind. A character created for the region of Liyue might work fine by itself, but it may not perform well in the current game because newer mechanics weren’t available when it was designed, preventing strong teamwork and effective play.
The Widening Gap in Character Kits
Early characters in the game were designed to be very focused – Qiqi was mainly a healer, and Zhongli a shield provider. They excelled at their specific task, but didn’t offer much else. More recently, character design has changed. New characters can often shield, heal, boost the team’s abilities, and even apply elemental effects while not actively being played. The focus has moved from creating characters with one specialty to building more versatile characters who can handle a variety of roles.
This difference in abilities creates a clear problem: why choose a character who only offers one benefit when newer characters can provide three? This is particularly noticeable with support characters. Older characters from Liyue often don’t have the same wide range of helpful abilities that are now common in newer four- and five-star characters, making them feel less effective and harder to use in difficult challenges like the Spiral Abyss.
How Power Creep Left Liyue Behind
It’s normal for games that are constantly updated to see a gradual increase in power levels. To keep players interested in collecting new characters, each new release usually needs to feel strong and worthwhile. This naturally means that what’s considered a powerful character changes over time. A good example of this is Ganyu, Hu Tao, and Xiao from the Liyue region – they used to be the best damage dealers, easily overcoming any challenge in the game.
These characters are still capable, but newer options often outperform them due to higher damage potential, better team combinations, or simpler controls. It’s not that they’ve become weaker, but rather that the standard for what’s considered “powerful” has shifted. With each new character release boasting stronger abilities, older characters naturally feel less effective and struggle to remain competitive in the current game environment.
What Would a Good Buff Look Like?
It’s tempting to simply increase a character’s damage when trying to improve them, but a really good update goes further than that. It focuses on improving how a character plays – making them more enjoyable and useful, not just stronger on paper. A well-designed update can revitalize a character, letting them fit into different teams and handle harder challenges without making the game unfair. Ultimately, it’s about fixing the underlying problems that have kept them from being played.
For years, players have shared lots of ideas, but they’re usually focused on improving the game’s overall feel rather than creating overwhelmingly powerful characters. People want to see rough parts of the game made smoother, characters made more durable, and new ways for them to work together. These improvements should enhance the original spirit of each character while making them better suited for the current game. Whether it’s fixing issues with a character’s resources or completely redesigning their abilities, a good update should make players eager to use them again.
Fixing Kits vs. Just Boosting Numbers
Simply increasing an ability’s power is the easiest fix, but a truly effective improvement focuses on how fun it is to play. It’s about redesigning abilities to feel more natural and powerful. Issues like Childe’s long ability cooldowns or Albedo’s easily destroyed flowers aren’t solved by just boosting damage numbers. A good redesign makes a character more enjoyable to use in various situations. For example, instead of just making Hu Tao deal more damage, what if her attacks were easier to aim or didn’t drain so much stamina? These kinds of changes create a better gameplay experience, which is more important than just seeing bigger damage numbers.
Improving Survivability and Resistance
It’s clear that enemies in Teyvat are getting tougher. With new bosses and increasingly difficult challenges like the Spiral Abyss, a character’s ability to withstand damage is crucial. Some of the original Liyue characters, like Ganyu and Zhongli, now feel a bit too fragile for late-game content. Ganyu can be easily interrupted during her attacks, and Zhongli’s shield, once incredibly strong, doesn’t always hold up against the powerful enemies we’re facing today. They need improvements to their defenses – whether through stronger shields, better healing, or resistance to being interrupted – so they can effectively fulfill their roles without constant dodging or needing to be switched out of battle.
Creating Better Team Synergies
How well a character performs really depends on the teams they’re built for. Some older characters from Liyue are limited by strict team requirements or don’t work well with newer features, like Dendro reactions. Giving them useful new abilities would open up more team options. For example, imagine if Qiqi’s healing could trigger elemental reactions, or if Ningguang’s shield gave the whole team a broader benefit than just increased Geo damage. Changes like these would inspire players to experiment with different team combinations and make beloved characters useful alongside a wider range of allies, keeping them fresh and engaging. The goal is to encourage synergy, not limit characters to specific roles.
Fixing Energy and Cooldown Problems
It’s incredibly frustrating when your strongest character is ready to attack, but their special ability isn’t charged. Some characters, like Xiao and Qiqi, require a lot of energy and don’t generate it quickly, which often means you have to include a character specifically to recharge their energy, taking up a valuable team slot. Others, like Childe, have long cooldowns that disrupt the flow of combat. Improving how these characters manage their energy would greatly improve gameplay. Reducing energy needs, increasing energy generation, or shortening cooldowns would make them feel more reliable and allow players to focus on the fight itself, rather than constantly monitoring energy levels.
How Buffs Would Shake Up Team Building
Updating older characters isn’t simply about making them more powerful; it revitalizes the whole game. When a character receives meaningful improvements, it impacts how players think about fights and build teams. Characters previously overlooked can become strong choices, making the established strategies less fixed. This encourages players to try out characters they used to enjoy and discover new ways to play. A more balanced selection of characters leads to more creative gameplay and a better experience for the game’s community overall.
Opening Up New Team Comps
The current popular strategies in the game can become predictable. Giving some of the less-played characters from Liyue a boost would be a great way to shake things up and let players try out new team combinations. This would allow for interesting and previously unviable character pairings. As many players have pointed out, these changes could make those characters much more useful in a variety of teams. Ultimately, this would let you build teams around the strengths of your favorite characters, creating powerful and enjoyable combinations that aren’t limited to just a few top choices. It would make battles feel less like solving a problem and more like a chance to express your own unique playstyle.
Making Fan Favorites Viable Again
We all have characters we adore, even if they aren’t the strongest in the game. It’s frustrating when a favorite character struggles with difficult challenges. The eagerness for buffs to characters like Zhongli, Xiao, and Hu Tao demonstrates how much players want to see these popular characters become viable again. Improving the competitiveness of these fan favorites would greatly improve player happiness, rewarding the effort and resources players have put into them and allowing them to confidently use their preferred characters in all situations.
Balancing Liyue with Other Regions
I’ve been playing Genshin Impact for a while now, and I’ve noticed that with each new area, the characters they release seem stronger than the last. It’s starting to make some of my favorite characters from Liyue, like Ganyu and Xiao, feel a little…left behind. I really think giving those original powerhouses some updates wouldn’t just be great for them, but would actually help balance the whole game. If HoYoverse could modernize their abilities, it would make things way more fun! It would mean you could build a strong team with characters from any region, not just feel like you have to chase the newest releases. That would create a much healthier and more interesting meta, where creativity and team composition matter more than just having the ‘best’ characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just because characters are considered older doesn’t mean they’re no longer good! If you’ve put time into them and enjoy how they play, keep using them – you can still succeed in most of the game. They might require a bit more effort than newer characters, especially in challenging areas like the Spiral Abyss, but if you’re having fun, that’s what matters. The conversation is really about hoping these older characters get improvements to help them feel better and compete more effectively.
It’s tempting to think better gear can solve a character’s problems, and good artifacts definitely help! But they have limits. Imagine upgrading a car’s engine – it won’t fix a broken transmission. Some issues are just built into how a character works. For example, even with the best gear, Childe’s skills will still have the same cooldown, and Albedo’s flower will still break. Players are hoping for changes to how these characters work, not just higher stats, to address these core issues.
Yes, HoYoverse has buffed characters after they’ve been released, and that’s why players often hope for more changes. The most notable example is Zhongli. When he first came out, many players thought his abilities weren’t strong enough for an Archon. Because of the strong player feedback, HoYoverse significantly improved his kit, making his shield stronger and adding more useful features. This showed players that the developers are willing to listen and make adjustments, which is why people continue to discuss potential improvements for other characters from Liyue.
You brought up many damage-dealing characters, so I want to clarify: supports like Qiqi and Albedo are just as important, if not more so. Supports are essential for building strong teams, and having a wider range of good support options makes team building more fun and flexible. A support character like Qiqi, who doesn’t generate energy, or Albedo, whose main ability isn’t always reliable, can really limit what a team can do. Improving these support characters would open up many new team combinations and add more strategic depth to the game, beyond just focusing on characters who deal the most damage.
People are right to wonder if improving certain characters will make others feel outdated. However, that’s not the intention of a good update. The goal isn’t to create a new, all-powerful group of characters that everyone has to use. Instead, we want to make these characters competitive and enjoyable to play. A great update would address their biggest weaknesses – for example, making Ganyu less fragile or fixing Xiao’s energy problems – so they’re strong choices, not required ones. Ultimately, we want a more balanced game where you can play the characters you enjoy without feeling limited.
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2026-04-02 17:06