As a hardcore Genshin Impact player since day one, I've weathered many updates, character banners, and meta shifts. But 2024 has been particularly frustrating for those of us who favor the Cryo element. It's like HoYoverse completely forgot that ice exists in Teyvat! The drought has been real, folks – no new Cryo characters for almost a full year since Charlotte dropped back in November 2023. And let me tell you, as someone who's built their main team around Cryo reactions, this neglect has been downright painful.

The Great Cryo Drought of 2024

I've been keeping meticulous track of banner rotations (yeah, I'm that kind of player), and the statistics are shocking. Shenhe – my absolute favorite Cryo support – currently holds the unfortunate record for the longest rerun waiting period among all limited 5-star characters. Every update announcement has me on the edge of my seat, only to be disappointed when yet another Pyro or Electro character gets their third rerun while Shenhe collects dust.

And poor Wriothesley! The man debuted in October 2023 and has yet to make a second appearance. I dumped all my Primogems trying to get him on his initial run and came up short by about 20 pulls. Been waiting ever since for another chance.

The pattern throughout 2024 has been crystal clear – Cryo characters are being sidelined hard. It's almost as if the devs have some kind of vendetta against ice powers. Like, hello? Did someone at HoYoverse get their tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole or something?

Citlali: Our Frozen Savior?

But wait! There's hope on the horizon, and her name is Citlali! According to the latest leaks (and trust me, I follow ALL the leakers), this Natlan character is set to be our first new Cryo unit in over a year when she drops in the 5.3 update in early 2025.

I first encountered Citlali during the Natlan Archon quest, and there was something immediately intriguing about her character. The community speculation has been wild:

• Weapon Type: Catalyst (would be our first Cryo Catalyst!)

• Rarity: Likely 5-star (though not confirmed)

• Role: Potentially a shield support with unique mechanics

What really has me hyped is her Nightsoul's Blessing ability that we glimpsed in the story. How will this translate to gameplay? Could she revolutionize Cryo team compositions? My Discord server has been theorycrafting non-stop since these leaks dropped.

The Potential Meta Shift

As someone who's pushed the limits of what current Cryo characters can do, I'm particularly interested in how Citlali might shake up the meta. Currently, most of our strongest Cryo teams revolve around freeze compositions or physical damage with superconduct.

If the leaks about her being a shield support are accurate, she could potentially offer an alternative to Diona, who's been our primary Cryo shielder since practically the beginning of the game. But what would make Citlali stand out is if her shield mechanics somehow synergize with her Natlan heritage.

I've been saving my Primogems since these leaks first surfaced. Currently sitting on 24,800 gems with 15 Intertwined Fates – and that's not counting the additional resources we'll get from the 5.2 events and exploration. There's no way I'm missing Citlali after this long Cryo drought!

The Waiting Game

The wait until early 2025 feels excruciating. The 5.2 update is confirmed to have zero new Cryo characters (thanks a lot, HoYoverse), so we're looking at a total drought of over 14 months between Charlotte and Citlali.

In the meantime, I've been revisiting my existing Cryo roster:

Character	Last Time I Used Them	Current Build Status
Ganyu	Yesterday	Triple-crowned, R1 Amos Bow
Ayaka	Two days ago	Double-crowned, Mistsplitter
Shenhe	Last Abyss cycle	Support build, Calamity Queller
Charlotte	Rarely	Half-built, needs better artifacts
Kaeya	Only in specific team comps	Surprisingly strong sub-DPS build

I've even started building Diona again just to have something Cryo-related to work on. That's how desperate the situation has become!

The silver lining to this extended wait is that it gives me plenty of time to farm the perfect artifact set for Citlali. I'm already stockpiling Blizzard Strayer pieces with promising substats, though we don't know for sure if that will be her best-in-slot set.

Looking Forward

Despite the frustration, I can't help but feel excited about what Citlali will bring to the table. The combination of Cryo with Natlan's cultural aesthetics and mechanics promises something truly unique. Will she have interactions with Pyro that we haven't seen before? Could her kit somehow incorporate both ice and Natlan's fire themes in a harmonious way?

Whatever the case, after such a long period of Cryo neglect, just having a new ice-wielder to play with will be refreshing. I've already cleared out my teapot to make room for her character furniture and am planning to triple-crown her on day one if her kit is even remotely viable.

So, are you also feeling the Cryo drought? Have you been saving for Citlali or any other future Cryo characters? Drop your Primogem count in the comments and let's commiserate together! And if you're as excited as I am, make sure to start farming those Cryo Hypostasis materials now – trust me, you'll thank me when you're not scrambling on day one of her banner!

TeamCryo forever! ❄️