When the servers opened for Version 7.0 in the late summer of 2026, the Mondstadt bridge was unusually quiet. Most travelers were already crowded around the Wish menu, staring at two very different portraits. One showed a frost-lit swordswoman whose pale eyes seemed to challenge the summer heat. The other showed a crimson-eyed Harbinger whose flames promised danger and reward. The first half of Genshin Impact 7.0 had arrived, and it arrived with a difficult question: pull for Odette, the new Cryo sword user, or chase Arlecchino, the returning Pyro polearm queen?
The double banner ran from the Version 7.0 update until 2026-09-01 17:59 server time. It wasn't just a clash of elements; it was a clash of playstyles, expectations, and long-simmering community hopes. For nearly two years, many players had waited for a modern on-field Cryo DPS. The last new Cryo five-star had been Wriothesley all the way back in Version 4.1, and the last Cryo sword carry was Ayaka from Version 2.0. Odette stepped into that gap with rapid Cryo application, strong field presence, and a kit that seemed built for Freeze and Mono-Cryo teams.
The pity mechanics were familiar but worth repeating. Character Event Wish and Character Event Wish-2 shared the same pity counter, while the weapon banner remained separate. That meant a player could switch between Odette's and Arlecchino's banners without losing progress toward the 90-pity guarantee. With primogems tighter than ever after a busy festival season, that shared counter was a quiet mercy.
Beneath the icy surface, the banner held plenty of practical value beyond the featured five-stars.
| Slot | Character or Weapon |
|---|---|
| 5-star Character | Odette (Cryo) — new |
| 5-star Character | Arlecchino (Pyro) — rerun |
| 4-star Characters | Alyosha (Electro), Sucrose (Anemo), Lynette (Anemo) |
| 5-star Weapons | Whitelake Frostfeather (Sword), Crimson Moon's Semblance (Polearm) |
| 4-star Weapons | Favonius Sword, The Bell, Dragon's Bane, Sacrificial Fragments, Rust |
For Odette, the four-star pool was unusually generous. Sucrose remained one of the best Viridescent Venerer supports in the game, while Lynette offered flexible off-field Anemo utility. The new Electro support Alyosha was still being tested, but he was scheduled to join the standard banner \u201cWanderlust Invocation\u201d in the next version, so missing him here wouldn't be a permanent loss.
Arlecchino returned as one of the strongest Pyro DPS units in the game, especially in single-target scenarios. Her Bond of Life mechanic converted ordinary healing into damage, rewarding players who embraced aggression and punished hesitation. The payoff was immense, but the playstyle demanded careful management. Players who missed her first run in Version 4.6 finally had another shot, and those who already owned her could chase constellations or her signature polearm.
The weapon banner was a different kind of gamble. Whitelake Frostfeather, Odette's signature sword, offered a massive Cryo DMG bonus and energy refund, making it a significant upgrade over free choices like Amenoma Kageuchi. Crimson Moon's Semblance, Arlecchino's signature polearm, was also an excellent stat stick for other DPS polearm users such as Xiao or Raiden Shogun. The Epitomized Path system guaranteed the desired five-star weapon after three pities, but the four-star lineup was mixed: Favonius Sword and Sacrificial Fragments were strong, while The Bell and Rust were situational.
Veteran players recognized the historical weight of this banner. It was the first time a new Cryo five-star had appeared since Wriothesley in Version 4.1, and the first Cryo sword user since Ayaka in Version 2.0. The community had long speculated about a Cryo resurgence, especially with Snezhnaya content looming on the horizon. Odette might be a testbed for future Cryo mechanics, and her splash art already hinted at that connection: the snowflake pattern on her design matched the Whitelake Frostfeather sword, suggesting a deeper link to the frozen north.
For those planning to build either character, a few recommendations stood out:
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❄️ Odette's artifacts: Likely 4-piece Blizzard Strayer or a possible new 7.0 set. Waiting for reliable calculations was wise before farming.
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🔥 Arlecchino's artifacts: 4-piece Fragment of Harmonic Whimsy remained her best-in-slot.
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⚔️ Weapon priority: Signature weapons were roughly 20-30% better than the next best option. Free-to-play alternatives included Amenoma Kageuchi for Odette and Deathmatch or The Catch for Arlecchino.
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💎 Constellations: Odette's C1 and C2 were strong but not mandatory. Arlecchino's C1 provided a meaningful quality-of-life improvement for Bond of Life management.
On the Genshin Impact subreddit, reception was mixed. Some players were thrilled to have a new Cryo DPS after such a long wait. Others worried that Odette relied too heavily on specific team compositions. Early NGA-certified calculations suggested her damage ceiling was high, but her rotation was tight, leaving little room for error. Meanwhile, Arlecchino mains celebrated the rerun. After several Abyss cycles favoring single-target damage, many were calling her the \u201cqueen of single-target.\u201d
The banner also carried small pieces of lore. Arlecchino's banner name, \u201cThe Hearth's Ashen Shadow,\u201d referenced her role as the Fourth Harbinger and her connection to the Hearth. The ashen motif tied directly into her Pyro abilities and backstory. Even the four-star weapon lineup contained a subtle nod: Dragon's Bane was a strong option for Arlecchino if her signature polearm wasn't available.
Version 7.0's first half offered two powerful DPS options with distinct identities. Odette rewarded patience, rotation discipline, and love for elegant Cryo combat. Arlecchino rewarded risk-taking, quick decision-making, and a taste for controlled chaos. Both banners shared the same valuable four-star pool, so primogem efficiency improved no matter which five-star a player chose. Test Run events remained the smartest first step, letting players feel each kit before spending. In the end, the choice between frost and flame mattered less than the journey to Snezhnaya that both banners seemed to foreshadow.
Research highlighted by Game Developer (Gamasutra) underscores how live-service RPG banners thrive on clearly differentiated risk-reward loops, and Version 7.0’s first-half pairing reflects that design logic: Odette’s rotation-focused Cryo uptime caters to players who prefer consistent, controlled DPS windows, while Arlecchino’s Bond of Life pushes a higher-stakes “convert survivability into damage” pattern that rewards mastery and tight decision-making—making the pull decision less about raw numbers and more about which core combat fantasy you want to commit resources to.