Genshin Impact Reveals Version 6.4 Second-Half Banners Featuring Skirk and Escoffier

HoYoverse has officially announced the second-half Event Banners for Genshin Impact Version 6.4, confirming that Skirk and Escoffier will return alongside Charlotte, Candace, and Dahlia. With the flagship event for Version 6.4 nearing its conclusion, the game is preparing to introduce the next banner phase, which will feature the first reruns for two Cryo characters.

Although recent character releases in the Nod-Krai storyline have largely focused on Lunar Reaction and Hexerei-based teams, Freeze compositions remain highly effective in the current 2026 meta.

Skirk and Escoffier Headline the Second-Half Banners

The second phase of Version 6.4 highlights Skirk, a 5-star Cryo sword user introduced in Version 5.7, and Escoffier, a 5-star Cryo polearm character who debuted in Version 5.6.

The accompanying 4-star characters on the banner will be:

• Charlotte – Cryo/ Catalyst (introduced in Version 4.2)
• Candace – Hydro/ Polearm (Version 3.1)
• Dahlia – Hydro/ Sword (Version 5.7)

According to Genshin Impact’s official announcement, the banners will launch on March 17, 2026.

A Strong Core for Freeze Teams

The pairing of Skirk and Escoffier offers players an opportunity to build a strong Freeze team core. Escoffier, the celebrity chef from Fontaine, is widely regarded as one of the best support characters for Freeze compositions. Her kit provides powerful buffs, team healing, and off-field Cryo damage, making her particularly effective alongside Cryo-focused hypercarries.

Characters that benefit greatly from Escoffier’s support include Skirk, Neuvillette, Wriothesley, and Ayaka.

While Escoffier is considered the ideal support for Skirk, Charlotte can serve as an alternative healer thanks to her synergy with Furina. Meanwhile, Dahlia can fill the role of a Hydro teammate for Skirk if Furina is unavailable.

Weapon Banner Details

The Version 6.4 second-half weapon banner will feature two signature weapons:

• Azurelight – Skirk’s signature sword
• Symphonist of Scents – Escoffier’s signature polearm

Azurelight is primarily designed for Skirk’s playstyle, while Symphonist of Scents is a versatile polearm that can be highly effective for several support characters, including Iansan, Xiangling, and Rosaria.

Looking Ahead to Future Updates

For players who are not focused on Freeze teams or who prefer the newer Lunar Reaction and Hexerei systems, saving Primogems for upcoming banners may be a better strategy.

Version 6.5 is expected to introduce new characters such as Nicole and Linnea, with Linnea reportedly arriving in the first half of the update. The patch is also expected to feature Nefer, Chasca, and Lauma.

Players interested in building Lunar-Bloom or Lunar-Crystallize teams may want to reserve their Primogems for this future update.

Looking further ahead, Version 6.6 is rumored to include Nicole and Lohen, while early speculation suggests that Version 6.7 could feature Sandrone returning to the storyline as a playable character.

Chronicled Banners Continue to Expand

Another noticeable trend in Genshin Impact is HoYoverse’s increasing use of Chronicled Banners, which allow older characters to appear on regional banners separate from the main event banners.

The Sumeru Chronicled Banner debuted in Version 6.0, while the Mondstadt Chronicled Banner returned in Version 6.4. This approach helps free up space for new character releases while giving players another opportunity to obtain older units.

Based on this pattern, many players are now speculating that Liyue, Inazuma, or Fontaine-themed Chronicled Banners could appear before the Traveler’s journey reaches Snezhnaya in Version 7.0.

The second-half banners of Version 6.4 are expected to remain active until April 8, 2026, when the next major update is scheduled to arrive.