Version 6.7, branded Luna VIII and themed around the Sunny Summer Fontinalia celebration, launched on July 1, 2026 and runs until August 11, 2026. This patch concludes the Nod-Krai chapter and serves as the final version before Genshin Impact enters the Snezhnaya region with Version 7.0. Luna VIII delivers one new five-star character, three rerun banners, a new Lightrace Wish banner type, a free copy of Charlotte with a new outfit, three livestream codes, and four major events. This guide breaks down every character event wish, the weapon banner lineup, the F2P Primogem estimate, Sandrone's kit and constellation value, and the strategic question of whether to spend now or save for Snezhnaya.

What Is Luna VIII and When Does It Run?

Luna VIII is a six-week patch split into two three-week banner phases. The first phase runs from July 1 to July 21, 2026, featuring the debut of Sandrone alongside a rerun of Citlali. The second phase opens on July 21 and closes on August 11, 2026, featuring reruns of Columbina and Raiden Shogun. A separate Lightrace Wish banner runs concurrently across the version, offering a curated pool of older five-star characters and weapons.

Version Duration and Patch Cycle

The full version spans 42 days. Server maintenance for the update took place on June 30 for North America (UTC-5, 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM) and July 1 for Europe (UTC+1, 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM) and Asia (UTC+8, 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM). Maintenance compensation of 600 Primogems is distributed via in-game mail within 24 hours of the patch going live. Players who join late still have the full 42 days to claim version-limited rewards, though the flagship Sunny Summer Fontinalia event is permanent and will not expire.

Phase 1 Character Event Wishes (July 1 – July 21)

Phase 1 delivers two parallel five-star character banners. Sandrone is a brand-new five-star Cryo Claymore main DPS from the Fatui Harbingers, and Citlali is a returning five-star Cryo Catalyst shielder from the Nod-Krai storyline.

Sandrone Debut Banner

Sandrone is a five-star Cryo Claymore main DPS whose damage profile centers on the Stellar-Conduct reaction. Her Normal Attack, Formule Phenomenale: Self-Evident Proposition, summons an autonomous unit called Fagio that operates in two modes. In Decoding mode, Fagio fires concentrated beams dealing Cryo damage, and the beam damage counts as Stellar-Conduct damage during her Radiance state. Decoding Power rises continuously in this mode, capped at 100 points. Upon reaching 100, Fagio enters Power Overdrive mode, increasing fire interval and dealing enhanced Cryo damage. When Decoding Power drops below 50, Power Overdrive ends. Off-field, Decoding Power drains at 300 percent speed.

Her Elemental Skill, Formule Phenomenale: Differential Analysis, has a 4-second cooldown and places Sandrone on a hovering mech for 6 seconds, granting directional mobility. If enemies are nearby, it summons Prism Resonance Cannons that fire two Prism Shots dealing Cryo damage, with the second shot counting as Stellar-Conduct damage during Radiance.

Her Elemental Burst, Formule Phenomenale: Q.E.D., has a 15-second cooldown and costs 60 Energy. Sandrone summons multiple Prism Resonance Cannons for a bombardment, followed by a Convective Inhibition Ray dealing massive Cryo AoE damage that counts as Stellar-Conduct damage during Radiance.

Her Ascension 1 passive, Eternal Speculation Engine, grants Refined Tactics stacks whenever Fagio loses Decoding Power, up to 10 stacks lasting 60 seconds. Casting her Elemental Burst during Radiance clears all stacks and amplifies the Convective Inhibition Ray damage to 100 percent plus 10 percent per cleared stack. Her Ascension 4 passive, A Lady's Code of Conduct, converts Attack into Elemental Mastery at 8 points per 100 ATK, capped at 160.

Citlali Rerun Banner

Citlali returns as a five-star Cryo Catalyst shielder whose Elemental Skill provides a Nightsoul-style shield and applies Cryo on cooldown. Her shield strength scales with Elemental Mastery, making her a flexible pick in Melt and Freeze teams. She pairs naturally with Sandrone because her shield uptime and Cryo application complement Sandrone's on-field Charged Attack window. A new outfit for Citlali, Whispers of Stars and Smoke, is available for purchase in the in-game shop during this version.

Phase 1 Weapon Banner

The Epitome Invocation weapon banner for Phase 1 features two five-star weapons: A Teaspoon of Transcendence, Sandrone's signature Claymore, and Starcaller, Citlali's signature Catalyst. A Teaspoon of Transcendence has 674 base ATK and 44.1 percent CRIT DMG as its secondary stat. Its passive grants 28 percent ATK at R1 and adds a Transcendence effect on Charged Attack hits, increasing Stellar-Conduct damage by 16 percent per stack, up to 3 stacks. The weapon banner uses the standard Epitome system with a 75/25 split and Fate Point guarantee for the second featured five-star.

Phase 2 Character Event Wishes (July 21 – August 11)

Phase 2 features two rerun banners running in parallel. Columbina and Raiden Shogun are both five-star characters with strong meta relevance.

Columbina Rerun Banner

Columbina is a five-star Hydro Catalyst sub-DPS who excels in Freeze and Bloom teams. Her kit revolves around off-field Hydro application and reducing enemy Hydro RES through her Elemental Burst. Multiple buff updates across recent versions have increased her personal damage output and improved her passive Hydro application reliability.

Raiden Shogun Rerun Banner

Raiden Shogun remains one of the most versatile five-stars in the game. She functions as a Hypercarry main DPS, a National team battery, and a universal off-field Electro support. Her Elemental Burst, Musou Shinsetsu, deals massive burst damage and restores Energy to all party members. The Raiden National team, consisting of Raiden, Xiangling, Bennett, and Xingqiu, remains one of the strongest F2P-friendly team compositions.

Phase 2 Weapon Banner

The Phase 2 Epitome Invocation features Nocturne, Columbina's signature Catalyst, and Engulfing Lightning, Raiden's signature Polearm. Engulfing Lightning is widely regarded as one of the most universally strong five-star weapons in the game, providing an Attack buff that scales with Energy Recharge and benefiting almost every Polearm user.

Lightrace Wish Banner

Luna VIII introduces a new banner type called the Lightrace Wish. This banner runs for a limited time during Version 6.7 and features a curated selection of older five-star characters and their signature weapons.

Featured Characters and Weapons

The Lightrace Wish features five five-star characters: Yae Miko, Cyno, Wriothesley, Mizuki, and Qiqi. The corresponding five-star weapons on the same banner are Kagura's Verity (Catalyst), Staff of the Scarlet Sands (Polearm), Cashflow Supervision (Catalyst), Sunny Morning Sleep-In, and Skyward Blade (Sword). Players can use Intertwined Fates on this banner, and the standard 50/50 system applies.

Shared Pity with Chronicled Wish

The Lightrace Wish shares its pity counter with the Chronicled Wish banner. This means pulls on the Lightrace Wish count toward the Chronicled Wish guarantee, and vice versa. This shared pity is a significant quality-of-life improvement for players who want flexibility between pulling older units and saving for newer releases.

How Many Primogems Can F2P Players Earn in Luna VIII?

The F2P Primogem total for Luna VIII is approximately 11,980 Primogems plus 10 Intertwined Fates, equating to roughly 84 limited banner pulls. This estimate includes all event rewards, daily commission income, Paimon's Bargains shop refreshes, livestream codes, Spiral Abyss clears, Imaginarium Theater clears, and one-time exploration rewards from the new Frost Moon map.

F2P Primogem Breakdown

Welkin Moon and Battle Pass Totals

Players who purchase the Welkin Moon blessing earn an additional 3,780 Primogems across the 42-day version, bringing their total to 15,760 Primogems plus 10 Intertwined Fates, or approximately 107 pulls. Players who purchase both Welkin Moon and the Battle Pass gain an additional 680 Primogems and 4 Intertwined Fates from the Battle Pass track, reaching 16,440 Primogems plus 14 Intertwined Fates, or approximately 116 pulls.

Phase 1, running from July 1 to July 21, accounts for approximately 52 to 55 F2P pulls, including maintenance compensation, livestream codes, the bulk of Frost Moon exploration, the flagship event, and the first reset of Spiral Abyss and Imaginarium Theater. Phase 2, running from July 21 to August 11, accounts for approximately 29 to 32 F2P pulls, including the second endgame reset, the two side events, and the monthly Paimon's Bargains refresh.

Sandrone Kit Overview and Constellation Value

Core Mechanics

Sandrone's gameplay revolves around managing Fagio's Decoding Power meter. The core rotation is Charged Attack for approximately 4 seconds to build Decoding Power, followed by Elemental Skill for mobility and Prism Shots, then returning to Charged Attack to rebuild, repeating 2 to 3 times before unleashing the Elemental Burst. The Burst is the largest single-hit damage source and should be used when Refined Tactics stacks are maximized.

Her passive Light of Rationalisme converts Superconduct reactions triggered by other party members into Stellar-Conduct reactions. The base Stellar-Conduct damage scales with Sandrone's Attack at 0.7 percent per 100 ATK, capped at 14 percent. This means Sandrone requires both a Cryo and an Electro character in the team to enable Superconduct, which then converts to Stellar-Conduct.

Best Weapons and Artifacts

Sandrone's best weapon is her signature A Teaspoon of Transcendence, rated at 133 percent relative performance. Alternative five-star options include A Thousand Blazing Suns at 113 percent and Redhorn Stonethresher at 109 percent. The best F2P weapon is Tidal Shadow at R5, rated at 100 percent, which requires a healer in the team to trigger its ATK buff passive.

The best artifact set is Disenchantment in Deep Shadow, whose 4-piece set grants 18 percent ATK and increases Stellar-Conduct reaction damage by 80 percent, plus 16 percent CRIT Rate against enemies affected by Stellar-Conduct. This set outperforms all alternatives even with mediocre substats. The alternative set is A Day Carried From Rising Winds, which provides 18 percent ATK and up to 25 percent ATK from its 4-piece passive, though Sandrone cannot fully utilize its CRIT Rate bonus.

Main stats should prioritize ATK percent on Sands and Goblet (or Elemental Mastery on one of the two), with CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG on the Circlet. Substat priority is Energy Recharge to ensure Burst availability, followed by CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, ATK percent, and Elemental Mastery.

Constellation Analysis

C2 is the recommended early stopping point, offering the best damage increase per dollar spent. C4 is a core constellation that significantly improves off-field damage. C6 is transformative, more than doubling Sandrone's total output compared to C0.

Should You Pull Sandrone, Citlali, Columbina, or Raiden?

Each of the four featured five-stars fills a different role. The decision depends on account state, available teams, and how much Primogem budget is reserved for Snezhnaya.

Sandrone Pull Value

Sandrone is a strong pull for players who want a Cryo main DPS. Her kit is self-contained, and her damage scales directly with Attack, making her relatively easy to build. However, the Stellar-Conduct reaction requires another Cryo and Electro character in the team to enable Superconduct conversion. Players without Citlali or a strong Cryo enabler will not unlock Sandrone's full potential. Her signature weapon, A Teaspoon of Transcendence, is a significant upgrade over alternatives, so players aiming for peak performance should budget for the weapon banner as well.

Citlali Pull Value

Citlali is an excellent pull for players who want a flexible Cryo shielder that also applies Cryo. She works in Freeze, Melt, and Stellar-Conduct teams. Her shield scales with Elemental Mastery, meaning she does not sacrifice team damage for defensive utility. Players running Cryo DPS characters like Wriothesley, Ayaka, or Ganyu benefit from Citlali as a shielder alternative to Diona or Zhongli. Since Citlali appears in Phase 1 alongside Sandrone, pulling both in the same phase maximizes team synergy.

Columbina Pull Value

Columbina is a strong pull for players who lack a Hydro sub-DPS. She excels in Bloom and Freeze teams and has received multiple buff updates that have made her competitive with top-tier Hydro units. Her Constellation 2 is a major breakpoint, reducing enemy Hydro RES and amplifying her Elemental Burst damage. Players who already own Yelan, Xingqiu, or Furina may find Columbina less essential.

Raiden Shogun Pull Value

Raiden is the safest pull in the version. Her versatility across Hypercarry, National, and Overloaded team archetypes makes her valuable for almost any account. Players who do not own Raiden should strongly consider pulling her in Phase 2, as her value has only increased over time. Engulfing Lightning remains one of the best Polearms in the game, but Raiden functions well with The Catch, a free R5 Polearm from Inazuma fishing.

Save or Pull? The Snezhnaya Question

Luna VIII is the final version before the Snezhnaya update. Version 7.0 will introduce the Snezhnaya region, the Cryo Archon, and several new five-star characters. This update is expected to be one of the largest content drops in Genshin Impact history, comparable in scale to the Inazuma and Sumeru releases.

What Comes After Luna VIII

The Snezhnaya region will introduce new Archon Quest content and at least two new five-star characters on the release banner. The Cryo Archon, the Tsarina, has been a core story presence since Version 1, and her release banner will likely be the most anticipated banner of the year. Long-rumored characters from the Fatui Harbingers are also expected to appear in the Snezhnaya chapter.

Pull Budget Recommendations

With approximately 84 F2P pulls available in Luna VIII, players face a 50/50 on each featured five-star and need up to 180 pulls to guarantee a specific character through the pity system. F2P players should choose one banner phase to focus on. Phase 1 offers the Sandrone and Citlali synergy pair, while Phase 2 offers the safer Raiden and Columbina meta picks. Players who want to save for Snezhnaya should limit spending to one 50/50 attempt and bank the remaining Primogems for Version 7.0.

Whether you decide to spend on Sandrone's debut or stockpile for Snezhnaya, the in-game economy only goes so far on F2P income. If you want to top up Genesis Crystals quickly, visit Topuplist for fast and secure Genshin Impact top-up, and head directly to the Genshin Impact top-up page to claim your crystals with instant delivery.

FAQ

Q: When does Luna VIII start and end?
A: Luna VIII launched on July 1, 2026 and ends on August 11, 2026, split into two three-week banner phases.

Q: How many Primogems can F2P players earn in Luna VIII?
A: Approximately 11,980 Primogems plus 10 Intertwined Fates, equating to roughly 84 limited banner pulls across the full 42-day version.

Q: Is Sandrone worth pulling as a new player?
A: Sandrone is a strong Cryo main DPS but requires a Cryo enabler like Citlali and an Electro character to enable the Stellar-Conduct reaction. New players without Cryo supports should consider pulling Citlali first.

Q: What characters are on the Lightrace Wish banner?
A: The Lightrace Wish features Yae Miko, Cyno, Wriothesley, Mizuki, and Qiqi, along with their signature five-star weapons. Pity is shared with the Chronicled Wish.

Q: Are the Luna VIII livestream codes still active?
A: Marionette, TotheMoon, and TeaPartyTime each grant 100 Primogems but expired on June 22, 2026. Watch for new codes during the next livestream.

Q: Should I save Primogems for Snezhnaya Version 7.0?
A: If you can afford to skip Luna VIII, yes. Snezhnaya 7.0 will introduce the Cryo Archon and multiple new five-stars, making it a higher-priority saving target. F2P players should limit spending to one 50/50 attempt and bank the rest.