The grind for perfect artifacts in Genshin Impact might become slightly less painful with the upcoming Natlan update later this year. According to recent leaks, Version 5.0 is set to introduce new artifact strongboxes that could ease the farming experience for players who have long struggled with the game's notoriously unforgiving RNG system.

Natlan, the sixth major region of Teyvat and Nation of Pyro, has been confirmed as the next big area following the conclusion of Fontaine's storyline. HoYoverse's initial roadmap established Natlan as the next destination, and as we move closer to Summer 2025, more details are emerging through various leaks about what players can expect.

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New Artifact Strongboxes Coming in Version 5.0

According to information shared by GuraLeak on Reddit (tagged as "Sus"), Version 5.0 will introduce six new artifact strongboxes alongside Natlan's release. The leak mentions that these strongboxes will include:

  • Deepwood Memories

  • Gilded Dreams

  • Desert Pavilion Chronicle

  • Flower of Paradise Lost

  • Vourukasha's Glow

  • A mysterious set referred to as "Narcissen" (potentially a new set)

For those unfamiliar with the system, artifact strongboxes allow players to sacrifice three 5-star artifacts to obtain one new artifact from a specific set. While this doesn't guarantee good stats, it does provide a second chance at getting usable pieces without spending more resin on domains.

Why These Strongboxes Matter

The addition of these particular sets is significant because many of them are crucial for popular character builds:

  • Flower of Paradise Lost works wonderfully for characters focused on Dendro reactions like Burgeon or Hyperbloom

  • Desert Pavilion Chronicle is considered best-in-slot for Wanderer

  • Deepwood Memories remains essential for Dendro support characters

Let's be real though - farming artifacts is still a pain in the neck. You know how it goes... you run the same domain like fifty times and get nothing but DEF% main stats with flat substats. Talk about soul-crushing! The strongboxes help, but they're just putting a band-aid on a gushing wound.

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The Artifact System's Persistent Problems

While the addition of new strongboxes is welcome, they don't address the fundamental issues with Genshin Impact's artifact system. The current problems include:

  • No guarantee that domains will drop pieces from the set you're targeting

  • Completely randomized main stats and substats

  • Multiple layers of RNG (right set → right piece → right main stat → right substats → good substat rolls)

  • Resin limitations that restrict how many attempts players get daily

These issues make artifact grinding exceptionally tedious, especially when you're trying to perfect builds for multiple characters. What's particularly frustrating is that HoYoverse already has better systems in place in their other games.

HoYoverse's Missed Opportunities

In Honkai: Star Rail, HoYoverse implemented a crafting system that allows players to:

  • Select which specific piece of a set they want to craft

  • Choose the main stat using a special resource called Self-Modeling Resin

While substats remain random, this system significantly reduces the frustration of farming. Many players have been begging for a similar system in Genshin Impact for years, but HoYoverse seems reluctant to implement such changes.

The company could easily improve the strongbox system or create something entirely new that gives players more agency in the artifact farming process. Even a partial solution would be a massive quality-of-life improvement.

What to Expect with Natlan

Beyond artifact changes, the Natlan update promises to bring significant new content to Genshin Impact:

  • A new region themed around the Pyro element

  • Story content focused on the principle of War

  • A land featuring dragons as part of its societal structure

  • Possible character level increases (according to separate leaks)

  • New characters, weapons, and domains

As with any major update, Version 5.0 will likely include numerous quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes alongside the new content.

FAQ

Q: When exactly is Natlan coming to Genshin Impact?

A: While there's no official release date yet, based on HoYoverse's pattern, we can expect Natlan to arrive in Summer 2025 with Version 5.0.

Q: Are these leaks confirmed?

A: Nope, not officially! Take everything with a grain of salt – or maybe the whole salt shaker. Leaks can be inaccurate or represent features that might change before release.

Q: Will the artifact system ever get a complete overhaul?

A: Only HoYoverse knows for sure, but they've been pretty stubborn about keeping the current system despite player feedback. Maybe one day they'll have a change of heart?

Q: Is it worth saving fragile resin for Natlan's release?

A: If you're satisfied with your current character builds, it might be worth saving some resources for new domains in Natlan. However, the game is meant to be enjoyed now, so don't put off progress entirely!

Q: Will Natlan introduce new artifact sets?

A: Almost certainly! Each new region typically brings new artifact sets tailored to new characters and playstyles.

As we await more confirmed details about the Natlan update, players can continue preparing by saving primogems, gathering ascension materials, and yes, enduring the never-ending artifact grind. Whether the rumored strongbox additions will meaningfully improve the experience remains to be seen, but any step toward making artifact farming less painful is a welcome one.