Xiao in Genshin Impact: How will his introduction affect the gameplay

Xiao is probably the most anticipated gacha character in Genshin Impact since the game's launch. This character is known as the last living "Yakshya" and Adeptus. With a unique combat mechanism and fascinating polearm animations, Xiao will be one of the game's greatest damage dealers.

Xiao is a Liyue based character who uses a polearm and deals Anemo elemental damage. Currently, polearm users such as Xiangling and Zhongli are limited to support roles as Genshin Impact has a slightly weaker damage dealing capability per second. This factor is going to change with Xiao's addition after the 1.3 update.

Xiao doesn't share his elemental skill or burst with other characters. This means the elemental skill and burst effect will end if Xiao leaves the field. It won't be carried over to other characters in the party. This factor will force players to build him as a main DPS rather than sub DPS or support.

Xiao's 2nd Constellation, "Annihilation Eon - Blossom of Kaleidos," allows him to recharge energy when present in the party but outside the field, which is a huge bonus. Xiao's elemental burst - "Bane of All Evil" - seems like a disadvantage because he loses HP continuously after casting the burst. But it is not a drawback. The reason is his 4th constellation - "Transcension - Extinction of Suffering." This grants him a 100% defense bonus when his HP falls below 50%.

Additionally, Xiao gets a CRIT DMG bonus with each ascension level. These passive bonuses collectively allow players to build Xiao as a raw damage-dealing machine without worrying about balancing energy recharge rate, defense, and CRIT DMG sub stats. This is how Xiao's introduction will affect the gameplay drastically.

Genshin Impact seems to be partially favoring Pyro and Hydro elemental damage dealers due to their highly beneficial elemental reactions such as Vaporize and Melt that provide 2X damage when cast. Conversely, Xiao isn't dependent on any specific elemental reaction to shine as a DPS. This factor will make players pick him without worrying about the team's composition.

The Xiao Hype

Thanks to the leaked footage that went viral in the Genshin Impact community during Xiao's beta testing, the hype went through the roof. Although Mihoyo identified the leakers and took immediate legal action, the game's fanbase got enough assurance that Xiao would be an invaluable asset to the game. Below is one of the footage that proves how insane Xiao gets with a correct build.

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