The anticipation hung thick in the air as Genshin Impact's community refreshed their browsers, waiting for the weapon banner reveal that many believed would finally feature Wolf's Gravestone. After months of persistent requests across forums and social media, players had crafted detailed wishlists and saved precious Primogems specifically for this moment. Yet when the official announcement dropped in mid-2022, it struck like a thunderclap—no sign of the coveted five-star claymore. Instead, the Epitome Invocation banner featured:
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🔪 Mistsplitter Reforged (a rerun sword)
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🛡️ The Unforged (controversial claymore)
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⚡ Favonius Lance (energy recharge polearm)
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A rotation of less desirable four-stars
The collective groan echoed through Discord servers worldwide. Why would miHoYo (now HoYoverse) ignore such vocal demand when other weapons like Skyward Harp had appeared multiple times in recent banners? Was there some unspoken design philosophy preventing Wolf's Gravestone's return? Veteran player @ClaymoreStan tweeted: "It's been 18 months since its last feature—do the devs hate Diluc's signature weapon?" while fan art of a chained Wolf's Gravestone went viral. 😤
📊 Community Sentiment Analysis Post-Announcement
| Platform | Negative Posts (%) | Common Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 78% | "Bait banner", "Ignored feedback" | |
| 92% | "Power creep worries", "Stale meta" | |
| HoYoLAB | 65% | "Save for Sumeru", "Dendro hype" |
Yet this disappointment unfolded against a thrilling backdrop—the impending 3.0 update that would revolutionize Teyvat. Leaks suggested Sumeru's rainforests and deserts would dwarf previous regions, while Dendro reactions promised elemental synergy that could make old weapons irrelevant anyway. Some pragmatic voices emerged: "Why obsess over a 2020 weapon when the 2025 meta might demand entirely new gear?" 🤔
Looking back from 2025, the irony stings. That banner controversy now feels like a turning point—the moment HoYoverse signaled their commitment to forward momentum over nostalgia. Remember how Sumeru's release shifted everything:
🌿 The Dendro Revolution
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Catalyzed reactions that made EM stats king
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Introduced game-changing weapons like Nahida's Lamp of Lost Dreams
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Rendered many physical DPS builds nearly obsolete
And what of Wolf's Gravestone? It eventually returned... during Fontaine's underwater expansion in 2024. But by then, most claymore users had switched to newer options like Neuvillette's Tidal Greatsword. The weapon's absence taught us that gacha games evolve whether we're ready or not. Could this stubbornness about banner rotations actually be genius? Forcing players to adapt rather than cling to comfort picks? 💡
The lesson endures: Teyvat's horizon always holds more promise than its relics. As Natlan's volcanic landscapes loom in 2026 speculation threads, one wonders—will today's coveted gear become tomorrow's museum pieces? Perhaps that's the beauty of this ever-expanding world. After all, who needs Wolf's Gravestone when you might wield Pyro Archon's Forge-Hammer? 🔥