Genshin Impact Character Progression Guide
Progress your account efficiently: explore early, save resources, avoid bad resin spending, start artifacts at AR45, build one team first, then expand into endgame account width.
BEST Way To Play Genshin Impact As A New Player in 2026 - Updated Progression Guide For Beginners
A practical new-player roadmap for exploration, AR45, resin, account resources, and efficient character building.
Watch on YouTubeAR45
Main artifact farming breakpoint
1 team
Your first real mid-game goal
2 teams
Spiral Abyss baseline
22+
Long-term roster width goal
Roadmap
Progression Stages
Genshin progression is mostly about spending resources in the right order. What matters at AR20 is not the same thing that matters in Spiral Abyss or Stygian Onslaught.
Early Game
Start → AR45
Explore, unlock the map, follow quests, collect resources, and avoid wasting rare materials before you know your long-term teams.
- Follow Archon Quests
- Unlock waypoints and Statues of the Seven
- Collect chests, oculi, materials, and quest rewards
- Spend resin on guaranteed upgrades
- Avoid serious artifact farming
Mid Game
AR45+
Start building one functional team, farm 5-star artifacts, and turn your strongest characters into a reliable core.
- Choose one main team
- Level weapons and useful talents
- Start 5-star artifact farming
- Aim for usable builds, not perfect builds
- Prepare a second team slowly
Late Game
Multiple teams
Expand your account from one team into a toolbox of characters that can handle different elements, bosses, and restrictions.
- Build account width
- Invest deeper into core carries
- Build universal supports
- Improve artifact quality over time
- Plan future pulls around team needs
Endgame
Abyss, Theater, Onslaught
Balance vertical power for hard fights with horizontal roster coverage for modes that require many usable characters.
- Two strong Abyss teams
- Many level 70+ Theater options
- Specialized boss teams
- Sustainable long-term pacing
- Upgrade one character at a time
Early game rule: explore first, optimize later.
Spend only enough to keep progressing. If your team can clear quests, bosses, and overworld fights, do not over-level every character or burn resin chasing artifacts before AR45.
Early game
Explore First, Optimize Later
New accounts have a huge amount of Primogems, Adventure EXP, Mora, materials, and unlocks spread across the world.
Follow the Archon Quests
The main story naturally moves you through regions, unlocks systems, and gives a steady stream of Adventure EXP and rewards.
Unlock the map early
Statues of the Seven and teleport waypoints save time forever. Open them as you enter each new area.
Use the interactive map
If you want to reduce backtracking, track chests, oculi, shrines, local specialties, and puzzles while exploring.
Pick up everything
Enemy drops, plants, ores, local specialties, and animal drops may become character or weapon materials later.
Before AR45
Do Not Farm Artifacts Seriously Yet
Use temporary artifacts from exploration, bosses, quests, and rewards. Level a few good placeholders if you need stats, but save serious resin and Fragile Resin for the highest artifact domain difficulty.
Resin spending
Best Resin Spending Before AR45
Build order
Character Build Order
Guaranteed upgrades come first. Artifacts are powerful, but they are random, so do not ignore levels, weapons, and talents.
Character level / ascension
Unlocks base stats, ascension passives, and higher talent caps. This is usually the first guaranteed upgrade.
Weapon level
Weapons are one of the most efficient power boosts. Do not leave your main damage dealer with an underleveled weapon.
Important talents
Level the talents the character actually uses. Many supports do not need Normal Attack levels.
Artifacts
Farm artifacts after the guaranteed upgrades are handled. Use correct main stats first, then improve substats later.
Level priorities
Who Should You Level First?
Not every character needs level 90 immediately. Spend high-level resources where they change your account the most.
Main DPS
Usually worth taking higher first, especially if they are carrying your account or scaling well with level.
Reaction triggers
Transformative reaction triggers and Elemental Mastery-focused characters often benefit a lot from level 90.
HP / DEF scalers
Characters whose damage, healing, or shielding scales with HP or DEF can gain more from extra levels.
General supports
Many supports can stay at level 80 ascended while you spend resin on weapons, talents, or stronger account upgrades.
Artifacts
Usable First, Perfect Later
Before AR45
Use whatever artifacts you find from exploration, quests, bosses, and rewards. Level a few good placeholders only as needed.
At AR45
Start farming the highest artifact domain difficulty for proper 5-star artifact sets.
First goal
Correct main stats and useful set bonuses. Do not chase perfect pieces right away.
Later goal
Improve substats slowly once your teams already function.
Wishing
Save Pulls Until You Have a Plan
Use free Acquaint Fates on Standard Banner as you get them, but save Intertwined Fates and Primogems until you know which limited characters help your account or which favorites you truly want.
Read the wishes guideBuild quality
Usable vs Maxed Builds
Endgame accounts are not made by maxing everyone. Some characters need deep investment, while others only need to be usable.
Usable
Level 70-80, key talents around 6, a viable weapon, correct main stats, and serviceable artifacts.
Invested
Level 80-90, important talents around 8-9, a strong weapon, correct artifact set, and better substats.
Maxed / Favorite
Level 90, high talents, optimized artifacts, premium weapon or best alternative, and sometimes constellations.
Long-term account planning
Horizontal vs Vertical Investment
A strong account needs both width and depth. Build wide enough to meet roster restrictions, but deep enough to clear hard fights.
Horizontal Investment
Imaginarium Theater and roster requirements
Build more characters to a usable level. They do not all need perfect artifacts; they need to be functional enough to fill roles.
Vertical Investment
Spiral Abyss, boss checks, and Stygian Onslaught
Invest heavily into fewer core characters and teams. This is where talents, weapon levels, artifact quality, and team synergy matter more.
Player identity
What Kind of Account Are You Building?
Meta chaser
Prioritizes strong characters, optimized teams, fast clears, and endgame performance.
Comfort-first
Values shields, healing, easy rotations, simple gameplay, and smooth exploration.
Casual meta enjoyer
Mixes strong pulls with favorite characters and tries to make both work.
Favorite collector
Builds around character design, story, personality, or playstyle first.
Planning tip
Make a Future Roster List
Make a rough list of characters you want by element. This helps you decide who to pull, who to skip, which teams you are moving toward, and where your account is missing coverage.
Endgame modes
What Endgame Actually Asks From Your Account
Endgame is not one single test. Some modes want two strong teams, some want many usable characters, and some want specialized boss answers.
Spiral Abyss
Two strong teams
Abyss rewards strong core teams, good rotations, survivability, and enough damage to clear timed floors.
Imaginarium Theater
Wide usable roster
Theater rewards horizontal investment. Higher difficulties require more eligible characters, so level 70+ usable builds matter.
Stygian Onslaught
Specialized boss teams
A long-term boss-focused goal. Higher difficulties reward deep investment, optimized teams, and matchup-specific planning.
Burnout prevention
Sustainable Progression Pace
Endgame reference
Long-Term Account Building
The Smartest Way to Build a Genshin Account for Endgame
A deeper look at horizontal investment, vertical investment, account identity, and preparing for multiple endgame modes.
Watch on YouTubeAvoid these
Common Progression Mistakes
Farming artifacts too early
Before AR45, resin is usually better spent on guaranteed upgrades like levels, weapons, talents, Mora, and EXP.
Leveling everyone at once
Spreading resources too thin can leave your whole roster weak. Build one team first.
Ignoring weapons and talents
Artifacts matter, but weapon levels and key talents are guaranteed power.
Chasing perfect artifacts too soon
Correct main stats and usable substats are enough early. Min-maxing comes later.
Pulling without a plan
Save Primogems for characters who help your teams or who you truly want.
Treating endgame as urgent
Abyss, Theater, and Onslaught are long-term goals. Your account grows over months, not days.
Useful links
Progression Tools and References
Official Teyvat Interactive Map
Track oculi, chests, materials, shrines, enemies, puzzles, and exploration progress.
KeqingMains
Character guides, team explanations, stat priorities, and rotation notes.
Genshin Optimizer
Optimize artifacts and compare builds once your account reaches artifact farming stage.
Next guides
Related Genshin Guides
Resin Guide
Learn when to spend resin on bosses, talents, weapons, Mora, EXP, and artifacts.
Artifacts Guide
Understand main stats, substats, sets, off-pieces, and when artifacts are good enough.
Team Building
Build teams around roles, reactions, supports, energy, and rotations.
Wishes & Pity
Save Primogems smarter and understand pity, 50/50, guarantee, and banners.
Progression summary
Explore early, save your resources, spend resin on guaranteed upgrades before AR45, start serious artifact farming at AR45, build one functional team first, then slowly expand your account with both strong core teams and enough usable characters for endgame modes.