Leakers recently found information that Genshin Impact's Version 2.6 may be extended due to the recent rollout of a strict COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai in response to an increased number of cases in the city. HoYoverse's headquarters are located in Shanghai.
According to a leak posted by u/Ka_Minnn in r/Genshin_Impact_Leaks, the announcement for the upcoming Marvelous Merchandise event, which was supposed to arrive in Version 2.7, was tethered to Version 2.6 instead. It's scheduled to run from May 6 to May 13, exactly one day after the Ley Line Overflow event (the last from Version 2.6's initial roster) is scheduled to end.
The delays could have also affected the development team's capacity, as the Spices from the West event, where players could blend spices for Serenitea Pot Companions, was leaked to have been canceled.
Additionally, another leak posted by u/lemonmoon23 on the same subreddit revealed that Version 2.7 will be shortened to accommodate the current update's extension. Instead of the usual two-banner setup, it may be shortened to only hosting the upcoming five-star Yelan's banner. Meanwhile, a double banner featuring reruns for Arataki Itto and Xiao may come directly after Kamisato Ayaka—still under Version 2.6.
In the ongoing Version 2.7 beta test, the Battle Pass EXP requirement was reduced—possibly to test how it plays out in the shortened update duration. Genshin Impact has yet to make any announcements or confirm the validity of these pieces of information.
For more news surrounding Genshin Impact delays, check out When will the Serenitea Pot Maintenance End in Genshin Impact?
Nicki is a freelance writer with 5 years of writing experience. She's a fan of anything from HoYoverse, from Genshin Impact to Tears of Themis and Honkai: Star Rail. She also loves rhythm games like BanG Dream! and D4DJ.