Genshin Impact Characters That Need Buffs the Most in 2026

As Genshin Impact continues to expand its roster, newer characters often arrive with smoother mechanics, stronger utility, and more flexible team-building options. While many older characters remain fully capable of clearing endgame content, some have started to show their age due to outdated mechanics rather than a lack of raw power.

Character buffs do not always need to be massive damage increases. In many cases, small quality-of-life improvements, better skill interactions, or improved consistency can significantly enhance a character's performance without disrupting overall game balance.

In this article, we take a closer look at some of the Genshin Impact characters that could benefit the most from future buffs and gameplay improvements.

Why Some Older Characters Need Buffs

One of the biggest challenges in a live-service RPG is keeping older characters relevant as new mechanics are introduced. Since the launch of Genshin Impact, HoYoverse has gradually expanded combat systems through new reactions, team archetypes, and character designs.

According to the official Genshin Impact character roster and game systems documentation available on the Genshin Impact Wiki , many early characters were designed before several modern gameplay trends became standard.

Common issues affecting older characters include:

Gameplay Issue	Impact on Performance
Weak interruption resistance	Frequent combo disruptions
Long field-time requirements	Less flexible rotations
Outdated Burst mechanics	Reduced team synergy
Single-target limitations	Lower effectiveness in multi-enemy encounters
Heavy reliance on specific supports	Restricted team compositions

The goal of future buffs should be improving gameplay feel rather than simply increasing damage numbers.

1. Yoimiya Needs Better Combat Consistency

Current Issues

Yoimiya remains one of the strongest single-target Pyro DPS characters in Genshin Impact. However, her gameplay can feel unforgiving.

Most of her damage comes from completing her full Normal Attack chain during Niwabi Fire-Dance. Unfortunately, dodging enemy attacks resets her combo progression, resulting in a significant damage loss.

She also struggles when facing multiple enemies because her kit lacks meaningful AoE coverage.

Potential Buffs

Allow dodge-canceling without resetting Normal Attack sequences
Add moderate interruption resistance during Niwabi Fire-Dance
Increase the AoE effectiveness of Ryuukin Saxifrage
Allow Yoimiya to trigger her own Burst effects

These changes would improve her reliability while preserving her identity as a single-target specialist.

2. Dehya Still Has Untapped Potential

Current Issues

Dehya's design combines damage mitigation and offensive capabilities, but many players feel that these mechanics do not work together effectively.

Her Redmane's Blood mechanic absorbs damage for teammates, yet the system provides limited offensive rewards. In addition, Leonine Bite lacks synergy with several popular off-field supports.

Potential Buffs

Suggested Improvement	Benefit
Convert absorbed damage into Burst scaling	Rewards defensive gameplay
Improve Burst interactions with support abilities	Expands team-building options
Increase Skill uptime	Better consistency and comfort

A stronger connection between her defensive utility and offensive output could make Dehya much more satisfying to play.

3. Eula and the Physical Damage Challenge

Current Issues

Eula remains one of the most recognizable Physical DPS characters in Genshin Impact.

However, Physical Damage teams face increasing competition from reaction-based teams that can generate significantly higher damage through elemental interactions.

Another issue involves hit lag, a mechanic that affects claymore attacks and can reduce the practical value of Attack Speed bonuses.

Potential Buffs

Improve Attack Speed interactions with claymore users
Reduce hit lag during Burst windows
Make Lightfall Sword stacking more consistent

These changes would modernize Physical gameplay without fundamentally changing Eula's role.

For players interested in understanding how Physical Damage works within the broader combat system, the official Genshin Impact Combat Knowledge Base provides useful information about damage calculations and elemental mechanics.

4. Cyno Needs Greater Flexibility

Current Issues

Cyno's Burst transformation offers strong sustained damage but requires extended field time.

In multi-wave combat situations, players may be forced to swap characters before his Burst duration ends, reducing overall efficiency and disrupting rotations.

Potential Buffs

Allow short-duration character swapping during Burst
Reduce downtime between rotations
Improve target-switching flexibility

These adjustments would make Cyno more adaptable to modern combat encounters.

5. Venti Deserves a Modern Update

Current Issues

When Venti was first released, Wind's Grand Ode dominated crowd-control scenarios.

Today, many elite enemies and bosses are resistant to displacement effects, limiting the value of his signature ability.

Potential Buffs

Improve utility against larger enemies
Add additional support effects against bosses
Increase overall consistency in endgame content

Venti remains a powerful support character, but newer enemy designs have reduced some of his historical advantages.

6. Zhongli's Burst Feels Less Valuable Than His Shield

Current Issues

Zhongli continues to be one of the strongest defensive supports in the game.

However, many players rarely use Planet Befall during optimized rotations because its animation length can reduce overall team damage output.

Potential Buffs

Faster Burst animation
Additional resistance reduction effects
Improved utility against elite enemies

Even small adjustments could make his Burst feel more impactful in modern team compositions.

7. Nahida Could Be Even Smoother to Play

Current Issues

Nahida remains one of the strongest Dendro characters available.

However, multi-wave encounters sometimes require players to repeatedly reapply Seed of Skandha, which can interrupt team rotations.

Potential Buffs

Automatic enemy marking within Shrine of Maya
Easier maintenance of Elemental Mastery support effects
Improved multi-wave performance

These improvements would focus on convenience and gameplay flow rather than increasing damage.

Other Characters That Could Benefit From Future Buffs

Several other characters are frequently mentioned when discussing potential gameplay improvements:

Character	Common Requests
Amber	Stronger utility and scaling
Qiqi	Better Energy generation
Aloy	Improved team synergy
Klee	Smoother animations and targeting
Ayato	Stronger interaction with newer team archetypes

Many of these characters remain viable, but quality-of-life updates could help them keep pace with modern design standards.

How HoYoverse Could Buff Older Characters

Direct character buffs are relatively rare in Genshin Impact, but there are several ways older characters could receive meaningful improvements.

New Signature Weapons

Specialized weapons can help address weaknesses without directly modifying character kits.

New Artifact Sets

Artifact sets have historically revitalized older characters by introducing new playstyles and optimization opportunities.

Character-Specific Progression Systems

Future progression systems could allow players to further customize and strengthen older characters.

Endgame Content Diversity

Different challenge types can naturally increase the value of characters with niche strengths such as crowd control, shielding, or sustained damage.

Final Thoughts

Genshin Impact's oldest characters remain some of the most beloved in the game. Characters like Yoimiya, Dehya, Eula, Cyno, Venti, Zhongli, and Nahida continue to have dedicated player bases despite the arrival of newer and more mechanically advanced units.

Future buffs do not need to focus solely on increasing damage. In many cases, quality-of-life improvements, better skill interactions, and modernized mechanics could make these characters feel more rewarding to play while preserving their unique identities.

As Genshin Impact evolves, maintaining the relevance of older characters will remain an important part of keeping Teyvat's growing roster diverse, balanced, and enjoyable for both new and veteran players.

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FAQ

Which Genshin Impact character needs a buff the most?

Many players believe Yoimiya and Dehya would benefit the most from gameplay-focused improvements due to their current mechanical limitations.

Does Genshin Impact buff old characters?

Direct buffs are uncommon, but older characters can receive indirect improvements through new weapons, artifact sets, and game systems.

Is Eula still worth using in 2026?

Yes. Eula can still clear endgame content, although Physical Damage teams are generally less popular than reaction-based teams.

Why do players want Yoimiya buffs?

Most requests focus on interruption resistance, combo retention after dodging, and improved AoE performance.

Could HoYoverse rework older characters in the future?

While large-scale reworks are unlikely, quality-of-life updates and indirect buffs remain possible through future game updates and new equipment systems.