Genshin Impact unlocks

The waypoint unlocks on its own — you do not need the intervening Archon Quests. HoYoverse states outright that Travelers can reach Snezhnaya and start Chapter VII even without having finished earlier chapters such as "Song of the Welkin Moon: Act X".

• Unlock the Snezhnaya Teleport Waypoint

  Unlocks automatically after completing Archon Quest Prologue: Act III "Song of the Dragon and Freedom" — or on updating, if that is already done. It sits southwest of Volkodlak Tundra.

  Reward Snezhnaya access, plus the Primogems for the waypoint
• do this firstComplete Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act I — "Everwinter Without Mercy"

  Requires Adventure Rank 18 and Prologue: Act III. Permanently available. Focused Experience Mode is supported.

  Reward Opens most of the region's other content
• Complete Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act II — "Wraith's Nocturne"

  Requires Adventure Rank 18 and Chapter VII: Act I. Permanently available.

  Reward Story continuation

These are the reason to do Chapter VII: Act I before anything else — each one is gated on a named step within it rather than on finishing the act.

• affects dailiesUnlock Snezhnaya Daily Commissions

  Progress through "Great Deeds on the Tundra" inside Chapter VII: Act I.

  Reward Snezhnaya joins your daily commission rotation
• Unlock the world quests

  Progress through "Gunfire in the Silent Lands" inside Chapter VII: Act I. Opens the "Hesperides of Love and Hate", "In the Dwelling of Life", "On One Side a Palace, On the Other a Tomb", "Her Palace Collapses Into the Blizzard", "Mean Streets of the Despicable", "The Soft Song She Sang" and "In the Tranquility of Cycles" chains, plus several standalone quests.

  Reward Quest rewards and exploration progress
• Claim the Exaiphanes Blade

  Awarded for progressing through "Great Deeds on the Tundra". A 5-star sword for the Traveler.

  Reward Exaiphanes Blade (5-star Sword)
• Enhance the Exaiphanes Blade

  Use Cryo to awaken and connect to the Statues of The Seven in Snezhnaya.

  Reward Weapon enhancement

Built with Cryo Sigils collected while exploring, once the listed quest step is done. They level up for supplies, so they are worth putting in early rather than at the end of the patch.

• Build "Huntsman's Cabin"

  Progress through "Gunfire in the Silent Lands" in Chapter VII: Act I, then spend Cryo Sigils.

  Reward Supplies, scaling with Meeting Point Level
• Build "Tidesong Cavern"

  Progress through "Silence Alone is Disfavored" in Chapter VII: Act I, then spend Cryo Sigils.

  Reward Supplies, scaling with Meeting Point Level
• Build "The Korolevskiy Theater"

  Progress through "Silence Alone is Disfavored" in Chapter VII: Act I, then spend Cryo Sigils.

  Reward Supplies, scaling with Meeting Point Level
• Raise your Meeting Point Levels

  Keep spending Cryo Sigils after each is built. Higher levels pay out better supplies.

  Reward Ongoing supply rewards

Snezhnaya ships as five areas. Listed as one task per area rather than a single "explore Snezhnaya", because they open at different points and are worth tracking separately.

• Volkodlak Tundra

  The first area, by the auto-unlocked waypoint.

  Reward Exploration rewards
• White Birch Snowgrave

  Snezhnaya region.

  Reward Exploration rewards
• Everfrozen Earth

  Snezhnaya region. Also holds the new artifact Domain.

  Reward Exploration rewards
• Flamefeather Valley

  Snezhnaya region.

  Reward Exploration rewards
• Fellfrost Peak

  Snezhnaya region.

  Reward Exploration rewards

The pieces that keep paying out after the story is done.

• Unlock the Domain of Blessing "Inverted Glacier"

  In Everfrozen Earth. Drops the new artifact sets Scarlet Proof and Heart of the Furnace.

  Reward Scarlet Proof and Heart of the Furnace artifacts
• Unlock the Domain of Forgery "Scars of Cursed Obsession"

  Unlocks at Adventure Rank 10, or by completing "Knights of Favonius" in Prologue: Act I.

  Reward Weapon Ascension Materials
• Join the Snezhnaya Fishing Association

  New fishing points across Snezhnaya, with its own exchange stock.

  Reward Fishing exchanges exclusive to Snezhnaya
• Buy the new Weapon Forging Blueprints

  From Kuzmichev in Snezhnograd, in exchange for materials. Covers Emberwell, Blade of Atonement, Song of the Vigil, Echoes of the Heart and Covenant of Frost and Snow.

  Reward Five new 4-star forgeable weapons
• Collect the new Radiant Spincrystals

  Scattered through Snezhnaya.

  Reward Serenitea Pot music

⚠️ NOT YET CONFIRMED IN-GAME. Drafted Sept 23 2026 from HoYoverse’s own Version 7.1 update notice. Treat the wording as provisional until the in-game pass. Both acts are PERMANENTLY available, so nothing here is on a clock. Each gates the next, and Act III also gates the new weekly and one of the two world quests.

• do this firstComplete Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act III — "White Night, Like a Dream Upon Waking"

  Adventure Rank 18+, and Act II "Wraith’s Nocturne" complete. Gates Act IV, the "Swords and Secrets" world quest and the Secret Tsarist Assignments weekly. Focused Experience Mode is available.
• Complete Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act IV — "A Rekviem for the Underworld"

  Adventure Rank 18+, and Act III complete. The version’s title act. Focused Experience Mode is available.

⚠️ NOT YET CONFIRMED IN-GAME. Drafted Sept 23 2026 from HoYoverse’s own Version 7.1 update notice. Treat the wording as provisional until the in-game pass. Both permanently available. They unlock from different prerequisites, which is why they are listed separately rather than as one "do the world quests" line.

• Complete "Swords and Secrets"

  Adventure Rank 18+, after Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act III.
• Complete "Upstream Variations"

  Adventure Rank 18+, after Chapter VII: Act II, and Lv. 2 at the Meeting Point "Tidesong Cavern".

⚠️ NOT YET CONFIRMED IN-GAME. Drafted Sept 23 2026 from HoYoverse’s own Version 7.1 update notice. Treat the wording as provisional until the in-game pass. The pieces that keep paying out once the story is done.

• unlocks a weeklyUnlock the "Special Recruitment Project" → Secret Tsarist Assignments

  Requires Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act III. This is what turns on the new weekly above, so it is worth doing before the week rolls.
• Unlock the new Fellfrost Peak Teleport Waypoint

  Added alongside the new boss. HoYoverse adjusted the waypoint count for the achievement "Icebound Snowscape (I)" to match, and Travelers who already completed it keep their completion.
• Defeat the new boss "Guardian Blade of Drifting Snow"

  Fellfrost Peak. Below a certain HP it seals itself in an ice coffin — Stellar Glimmer reactions make the coffin fragile and leave it vulnerable to Electro and Anemo. Leave the coffin undamaged and it heals and counterattacks instead.
• Clear the two new "Edge of Survival" stages

  "Fiery Feather Pursuit" and "Ice-Imprisoned Citadel". The "Frontrunners’ Edge → All Records" screen is in a data-compilation period after the update and reopens when that finishes.
• Pick up the new Genius Invokation TCG cards

  Columbina and Illuga character cards plus Talent cards, and six new Action Cards from Prince at The Cat’s Tail. The Forge Realm’s Temper returns as "Clever Stratagems", with selectable difficulty, enemy health and round limit.
• Collect the 7.1 odds and ends

  New recipes "Celestial Tea Crisp" (event) and "Mors" (from Snezhnaya NPC Zyryanov); character specialty dishes for Vesna and Vodyanitsa; new "Wonders of the World" achievements; the Travelers’ Tales Snowstride Chapter; and the namecards for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Vesna and Vodyanitsa.

✓ CONFIRMED IN-GAME Nov 4 2026 for Version 7.2 "Hour of Ruin" (drafted from HoYoverse’s own update notice, then verified on the in-game pass). Both acts are PERMANENTLY available, so nothing here is on a clock. Each gates the next.

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act V — "Hour of Ruin"

  Requires Adventure Rank 18 and completion of Chapter VII: Act IV "A Rekviem for the Underworld". Focused Experience Mode is available for this quest.
• Complete Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act VI — "A Yesterday Sent From Beyond"

  Requires completion of Act V "Hour of Ruin". Focused Experience Mode is available for this quest.

✓ CONFIRMED IN-GAME Nov 4 2026 for Version 7.2 "Hour of Ruin" (drafted from HoYoverse’s own update notice, then verified on the in-game pass). These open as you progress Chapter VII: Act I. The areas are worth exploring and the Meeting Points level up for supplies, so put them in early rather than at the end of the patch.

• Explore Novokitezhgrad

  New Snezhnaya area opened in 7.2. The Teleport Waypoint northeast of Fellfrost Peak unlocks automatically on completing "Gunfire in the Silent Lands" in Chapter VII: Act I (you also get its Primogem reward), and teleporting there opens a new railroad map.
• Explore Wingspan Peak

  New Snezhnaya area opened in 7.2. After the "An Ancient Song of Flowing Crystal and Stone Chests" quest chain, the Shadow Realm area (third-person shooter gameplay) east of Wingspan Peak recedes, letting you add your own characters and explore it freely.
• Build "Meeting Point: Teplo Oasis"

  Progress Chapter VII: Act I and complete "Silence Alone is Disfavored", then complete the World Quest "A Lovely Oasis Holiday" to unlock it. Completing its construction unlocks the Meeting Point Chronicle Quest.
• Build "Meeting Point: Royal Railway Transport Bureau"

  Progress Chapter VII: Act I and complete "Silence Alone is Disfavored" and the World Quest "To the Kristall City", then complete "Beneath Dust and Snow" to unlock it. Completing its construction unlocks the Meeting Point Chronicle Quest.

✓ CONFIRMED IN-GAME Nov 4 2026 for Version 7.2 "Hour of Ruin" (drafted from HoYoverse’s own update notice, then verified on the in-game pass). These unlock after progressing Chapter VII: Act I and completing "Gunfire in the Silent Lands". The notice names the three below and says "and more"; these three are confirmed in-game and are the ones tracked here.

• Complete the "An Ancient Song of Flowing Crystal and Stone Chests" quest chain

  This is the chain that makes the Shadow Realm area east of Wingspan Peak recede so you can explore it with your own party.
• Complete "Dark Clouds in a Wine Bottle"
• Complete "Borrowing a Gold Coin From a Portrait"

✓ CONFIRMED IN-GAME Nov 4 2026 for Version 7.2 "Hour of Ruin" (drafted from HoYoverse’s own update notice, then verified on the in-game pass). The pieces that keep paying out once the story is done. NO NEW RECURRING TASK IN 7.2 — "Secret Tsarist Assignment: Part II" extends the existing weekly system (genshin-u-035 / genshin-w-016), so its Part II missions are a one-time completion, not a new weekly.

• Complete "Secret Tsarist Assignment: Part II"

  Adds missions to the existing Secret Tsarist Assignments; completing them rewards a wind glider and a recipe. This is one-time Part II content, not a new recurring weekly.
• Clear the three new "Edge of Survival" stages

  "Hammer and Anvil", "Harbor Under Heavy Guard" and "The Calamity-Torn Old City". Two new shotguns — "Sosruko's Flame" and "Apsat's Mountain Hunt" — are obtained by completing World Quests. The "Frontrunners' Edge → All Records" screen enters a data-compilation period after the update and reopens once that finishes.
• Pick up the new Genius Invokation TCG cards

  The Varka character card and its Talent card, plus six new Action Cards from Prince at The Cat's Tail. The Forge Realm's Temper returns as "The Forge Realm's Temper: Endless Swarm".
• Clear the three new Local Legends in "Valiant Chronicles"

  Rowdy Beast Host, Elder Blighttree and Ancient Ironquill. Completing the required number of challenges earns the "Crystalline Frost" avatar frame.
• Collect the 7.2 odds and ends

  New recipes "Chicken Kitezhgrad", "Caviar Blini" and "Snowy Nocturne" (exploration/quest) and "Solyanka" (from Snezhnaya NPC Sapieha); Mitya's and Valeriy's character specialty dishes; the new "Snezhnaya: Sacred City of Ice and Pale Star (II)" and "Land of Surging Shadows (II)" achievement categories; new Fishing Points and Radiant Spincrystals in the new areas; new wildlife Tiny Ironquill and Shaleshell; and the new namecards.