Genshin Impact Luna 5 Returns to Mondstadt With Playable Varka [2026 Update]

As originally reported by VG247, HoYoverse has officially unveiled Genshin Impact Version Luna 5 — formally titled 'Song of the Welkin Moon: Variation - Homeward, He Who Caught the Wind' — with a confirmed release date of February 25. The update marks a long-anticipated narrative homecoming to Mondstadt, the game's inaugural open-world region, and finally introduces Varka, the absent Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, as a playable character. Varka has been referenced since the game's 2020 launch through NPC dialogue and lore entries but never appeared on-screen, making his debut one of the most community-requested additions in the franchise's history. The announcement arrives during a period of significant momentum for HoYoverse's flagship title, which continues to expand its live-service roadmap aggressively. This Mondstadt revisit also follows HoYoverse's broader strategy of cycling legacy regions with fresh storylines and mechanical upgrades, a pattern that previously boosted engagement during Liyue and Inazuma revisits. Notably, , signaling a deliberate push toward next-generation hardware and higher-fidelity content delivery for updates like Luna 5.