Genshin Impact Leak Reveals Pyro Archon Concept Art

Highlights

• Fans of Genshin Impact can expect the new Natlan region to open in August 2024.
• The design of the Pyro Archon has caused controversy in the community, with some feeling it evokes colonial themes rather than war god imagery.
• While some fans are split on the design, HoYoverse may be playing with thematic discrepancies that could unfold over the story in Natlan.

A detailed sketch of Murata’s concept art has just emerged in the Genshin Impact community, though it may be a while until players see the Pyro Archon in an official capacity. Natlan is the next region coming to Genshin Impact, and while its exact release date is unknown, fans are expecting the Pyro Nation to open its doors to the Traveler in August 2024. Described as the land of dragons and war, Natlan remains one of the most mysterious places in Teyvat, as even Snezhnaya and Khaenri’ah are more familiar to players at this point.

Whereas Fontaine drew inspiration from French and British culture, Natlan is expected to have Mesoamerican influences, from the Aztecs to the Mayas, as well as some West African elements. However, Natlan will also draw from post-colonial cultures in Latin America, and this appears to be the direction that HoYoverse chose for the Pyro Archon in Genshin Impact.

The Pyro Archon in Genshin Impact Could Have a Controversial Design

A previous leak of Murata came with a description of her concept art, as well as a repurposed Jean emote – confirmed as true by most major sources in the Genshin Impact Leaks community. This time around, Team Mew shared an accurate sketch of the Pyro Archon’s concept art, and fans can see the concept art for themselves on the Genshin Impact Leaks subreddit. While Genshin Impact has dealt with controversy during the Lantern Rite in 2024, Murata’s design has similarly split the community in half. Many players feel that the Pyro Archon’s design is too reminiscent of a colonizer when viewed through the lens of pre-colonial cultures that Natlan is inspired by.

However, as the Pyro Archon and a god of war, others feel that the design only evokes the former theme, while completely disregarding the latter. Murata’s current concept is more suited for carnivals and celebration, rather than the battlefield or the arena. Perhaps this is an intended thematic discrepancy that HoYoverse plans to toy with over the course of the story in Natlan. Given that the Archon Quests in Fontaine were beloved by Genshin Impact fans, HoYoverse does deserve some benefit of the doubt.

Though Murata’s design is hardly set in stone, fans who were hoping for pre-colonial designs will likely appreciate upcoming Genshin Impact characters such as Xbalanque or Iansan, the latter of which made her debut in the Travail teaser. However, before HoYoverse properly moves onto Natlan content, Version 4.6 and its subsequent patches are expected to close out the story in Fontaine, while also offering a new glimpse into Khaenri’ah and its tragic fate. By contrast, Version 4.5 is expected to be a quiet patch, and is scheduled for release on March 13, 2024.