Version 5.0 Genshin Wishes in 2026: Mualani, Kazuha, and My Empty Wallet

It is 2026, and I am still emotionally recovering from the Genshin Impact Version 5.0 event wishes. Yes, I know, they ended on 2024/09/17 17:59. That date is ancient history now. But if you are reading this in 2026 and wondering whether Mualani, Kazuha, Surf's Up, or Freedom-Sworn are waiting for you in the current Wish screen, let me stop you right there: those specific banners are gone. Poof. Like my Primogems after a Friday night. Still, let us take a hilarious, slightly painful trip down memory lane, because this phase had three event wishes and enough drama to fill a Sumeru research paper.

The Three Wishes That Owned Version 5.0

Wish	Headline 5-star	Supporting 4-stars	My 2026 reaction
Sharktacular Surfari	Mualani (Hydro)	Kachina (Geo), Xinyan (Pyro), Bennett (Pyro)	Shark girl go splash. Wallet go empty.
Leaves in the Wind	Kaedehara Kazuha (Anemo)	Kachina (Geo), Xinyan (Pyro), Bennett (Pyro)	Kazuha again? Yes. And I still wanted him.
Epitome Invocation	Surf's Up (Catalyst), Freedom-Sworn (Sword)	Favonius Sword, Favonius Greatsword, Dragon's Bane, Sacrificial Fragments, The Stringless	Weapon banner? In this economy?

Sharktacular Surfari: Mualani Makes Waves

Let us start with the banner that sounded like a beach party invitation: Sharktacular Surfari. During this event wish, the event-exclusive 5-star character Splish-Splash Wavechaser Mualani (Hydro) received a huge drop-rate boost. She was Hydro, she had a shark, and she probably smiled while my Primogems evaporated. The 4-star lineup was Mottled Gold Yet Unsmelted Kachina (Geo), Blazing Riff Xinyan (Pyro), and Trial by Fire Bennett (Pyro).

Can we talk about Bennett? In 2026, Bennett is still the guy who refuses to leave my team. He is the human equivalent of a Swiss Army knife that also cooks. Xinyan, bless her, remains a niche pick for people who enjoy chaos. Kachina was the new Geo kid on the block, and after this event wish ended, she was set to join the standard wish Wanderlust Invocation in the next Version. The event-exclusive character, of course, did not join the standard pool. That is the rule. The gacha giveth, and the gacha keepeth.

Capturing Radiance: The New Safety Net

Version 5.0 also introduced the Capturing Radiance mechanic for Character Event Wish and Character Event Wish-2. If it was not guaranteed to win the promotional 5-star character during the event wish, when winning a 5-star character, there was a chance of triggering Capturing Radiance. If triggered, the 5-star character you won in that event wish would be the promotional 5-star character. In other words: sometimes the game looked at your suffering and said, fine, here is the character you actually wanted.

Was it a guarantee? No. Was it a spark of hope? Absolutely. The wish guarantee count for Character Event Wish and Character Event Wish-2 was shared and accumulated between both, but it was independent of other wish types. And the Test Run trial event was open during the event wish, letting Travelers use fixed lineups with selected trial characters to enter specific stages and test them out. Complete the challenges, get rewards. Free stuff for trying characters? Yes, please. I will take my Primogems in any shape or form.

Leaves in the Wind: Kazuha Returns

Then there was Leaves in the Wind, featuring the event-exclusive 5-star character Scarlet Leaves Pursue Wild Waves Kaedehara Kazuha (Anemo). The same 4-star boosted lineup appeared: Kachina, Xinyan, and Bennett. Kazuha was already famous for being one of the smoothest characters in the game, and in 2026 he is still the human Swiss Army knife of Anemo. Crowd control, swirls, exploration, style, poetry, a maple leaf aesthetic that makes me want to write haikus about my own bad decisions. What is not to love?

If you missed him during Version 5.0, you probably stared at the screen and asked, why did I skip Kazuha? The answer is usually: because another shiny 5-star was nearby. That is the Genshin cycle. We save, we waver, we pull, we regret, we save again. The shared guarantee count between Character Event Wish and Character Event Wish-2 meant your pity was not wasted between the two character banners, which was nice. The Capturing Radiance mechanic also applied here. And the Test Run event gave everyone a chance to try before they cried.

Epitome Invocation: Surf's Up and Freedom-Sworn

Finally, the weapon banner. Epitome Invocation boosted the event-exclusive 5-star weapons Surf's Up (Catalyst) and Freedom-Sworn (Sword). Surf's Up was practically made for Mualani, while Freedom-Sworn was a beautiful support sword that made Kazuha even more Kazuha. The 4-star lineup included Favonius Sword, Favonius Greatsword, Dragon's Bane, Sacrificial Fragments, and The Stringless. Those are not meme weapons. Those are real, useful, account-improving weapons. Which is exactly why the weapon banner is dangerous.

Starting from this phase of Epitome Invocation, the maximum amount of Fate Points for Epitomized Path was reduced from 2 to 1. Once you reached the maximum amount of Fate Points, the next 5-star weapon you won would be the one you selected through Epitomized Path. This was a big quality-of-life change. Before that, players could lose two 5-star weapons to random off-banner sadness before getting their chosen one. Two! That is not a path. That is a hiking trail through a thunderstorm. With the new system, it was still gacha, but at least the finish line was visible.

Of course, the event-exclusive weapons were not available in the standard wish Wanderlust Invocation. So if you wanted Surf's Up or Freedom-Sworn, you had to wish during the event. In 2026, that ship has sailed, surfed away, and probably joined a shark. Do not chase expired banners. Check the current in-game Wish details and save for whatever is live now. Your Primogems deserve a plan, not a panic attack.

My 2026 Verdict

So what do I remember most about Version 5.0? Mualani surfing into our hearts, Kazuha proving that anemo boys never go out of style, Bennett refusing to be benched, and a Capturing Radiance mechanic that made everyone squint at the patch notes. The event wishes ended on 2024/09/17 17:59, which means in 2026 they are museum pieces. Beautiful, painful, Primogem-shaped museum pieces.

Would I pull on that banner again if I could? Yes. Obviously. I would also tell my past self to skip the weapon banner, but my past self never listens. If you are reading this in 2026, use it as a history lesson: limited banners are limited, pity is shared in mysterious ways, and Bennett will always be on your team whether you planned for him or not. Now go check the current Wish screen, Traveler. The future is calling, and it probably wants your Primogems too.