Summary
A recentGenshin Impactleak has given players a first look at the ability kit of Effie, the upcoming Fontaine character from Version 5.6. While Version 5.5 will see the debut of Varesa and Iansan toGenshin Impact, it could be argued that most fans are already looking forward to one character in particular: the disciple of Surtalogi herself, Skirk. Initially introduced in Fontaine, Skirk’s playable status was confirmed in a roadmap during the live stream for Version 5.3.
While her release date still remains a subject of much speculation, it is understood that Skirk will have an important teammate in Effie (also known as Akkefi). As such, the Fontaine chef has gotten a significant amount of hype by association, especially since she will improve upon themost neglected element inGenshin Impact.
As reposted by Seele Leaks, Effie’s Elemental Skill will reduce the Hydro and Cryo resistance of enemies by up to 45%. These values will scale based on the combined number of Hydro and Cryo characters in the party. While this effectively closes off the ability to pair Effie with Xilonen or Kazuha in a Neuvillette and Furina team, it does set the stage for what Skirk is meant to be: the modern take on a Freeze hypercarry. WhileAyaka inGenshin Impacthas long been a champion of Freeze, it could be argued that Freeze itself was left behind since the Sumeru era.
Genshin Impact: Effie’s Rumored Ascension Passive
An important takeaway is that Effie seems to encourage a pure Freeze team, as the elemental shred difference between the third and final tier of her passive is 30%. WhereasCitlali inGenshin Impactbuffs the Hydro hypercarry in a Freeze team, Effie doesn’t discriminate. As such, she should be a desired teammate for not just Skirk, but other Cryo characters as well (like Ayaka). However, it remains to be seen if the developers will use Effie to address the fundamental problems of Freeze in the modern meta: its lack of effectiveness against bosses.
Should Effie provide a way to apply Freeze on bosses, it could potentially move theCryo element inGenshin Impactto a favorable place. If this role ends up given to Skirk instead, then it will elevate Skirk above other Cryo hypercarries in a way that’s arguably unfair, but not entirely unprecedented. After all, Mavuika is a step above other Pyro hypercarries. With Snezhnaya and Nod-Krai coming toGenshin Impact, Skirk and Effie could end up heralding a new era for Cryo. Version 5.6 is expected to launch on June 11, 2025.
