When Gaming first launched in Fontaine, expectations were cautiously optimistic. He was a stylish four-star Pyro DPS with a fun playstyle, but many assumed he would eventually fade into mediocrity like most 4-star damage dealers.

Fast forward to Version 5.5, and Gaming has not only stayed relevant—he’s entered the meta conversation as a serious top-tier DPS contender. With strong scaling, flexible team options, and powerful vertical investments, Gaming is arguably Genshin Impact’s best 4-star main DPS to date.

Updated Build: Best Artifacts, Weapons, and Stats

Leveling and Talent Priorities

Level 89–90 is recommended for Gaming. As a primary DPS, every point of base attack helps.
Crown his Elemental Skill — this is where the majority of his damage comes from.
Level his Burst for its nuke potential, though it’s less important than his Skill.
Normal Attack levels are largely skippable unless you’re doing a C6 Bennett setup.

Constellations

C4 is a major power spike—it drastically reduces his energy requirements, making him viable in low-ER builds.
C6 gives a whopping 80 crit value split between crit rate and crit damage. It massively improves his stat budget and quality of life.

Best Artifact Set

Crimson Witch of Flames is his best-in-slot. Despite being difficult to farm, it’s available in the strongbox.
While Marechaussee Hunter is serviceable, Crimson Witch outperforms it—especially in melt-focused teams.
Optimal stats:
- EM Sands
- Pyro DMG Goblet
- Crit Rate or Crit DMG Circlet
- Substats: Crit Rate, Crit DMG, EM, and ATK%

Best Weapons

Thousand Floating Dreams and Fruitful Hook (R5) are Gaming’s top picks, nearly equal in performance.
Serpent Spine is excellent at high refinements.
Verdict, Rain Slasher, and Wolf’s Gravestone are all viable.
Tidal Shadow is his best free option but lacks the punch of the 5-stars.

Gameplay Tips & Rotation Strategy

Gaming is a plunge-based Pyro DPS, so learning proper aura management is essential.

Always watch for the Cryo aura on enemies before plunging. Without Cryo, he won’t melt, and missing melts drastically reduces his damage.
In Seele teams, ensure she applies Cryo before you plunge.
Never use normal attacks during your damage window—you won’t melt, and your output drops.
For best results:
1. Start with Gaming’s Skill to go airborne.
2. Rotate into buffer characters (e.g., Bennett, Citlali, Xilonen).
3. Use Bennett Burst → Citlali Burst → Xilonen skill/burst as needed.
4. Return to Gaming and Burst → spam Skill until his duration ends.

If you’re using Xilonen, it’s sometimes worth using an extra skill after Cryo is gone to reapply Pyro and prep for a swirl or reaction reset.

Best Teams for Gaming

Gaming thrives in Melt teams, particularly with:

Bennett (mandatory for ATK buff and energy)
Citlali (mandatory for Cryo application, res shred, and scroll buff)
Xilonen (best 4th slot in AoE, Sucrose also viable)

Alternatives:

Sucrose (great in AoE, budget-friendly)
Kazuha (grouping and Pyro damage buff)
Yansan, C4 Layla, Chongyun, Rosaria – niche or low-cost options
Furina – enables Vape builds if you lack Citlali

In recent tests, Gaming’s top-performing team was:
Gaming + Xilonen + Bennett + Citlali

In a prior Spiral Abyss patch, this team outperformed every non-Mauulika (Ma) team. That’s massive praise in today’s meta.

Meta Placement: Value, Competition & Investment

Gaming is the only 4-star DPS that belongs in the same conversation as characters like Veressa, Chlorinde, or Arlecchino. In fact, in Abyss clear speed comparisons:

Gaming beat Chlorinde and Navia in several non-Ma team setups.
Only characters with Mauulika-level team comps consistently beat his times.

However, there’s one major issue: team overlap.

Gaming uses:

Citlali – also essential for Mauulika
Bennett – also needed by Arlecchino and others

If you already main Mauulika, Gaming’s value drops significantly unless you’re running them on separate Abyss sides.

Still, if you don’t have Mauulika or want a powerful DPS on the other Abyss half, Gaming is an incredible value pick, especially if you got him from Lantern Rite.

Final Thoughts: Should You Build Gaming?

Power: Easily top-tier for a 4-star, and a contender with premium 5-stars.
Investment: Requires high constellations and good artifacts, but pays off handsomely.
Flexibility: Multiple team comps, multiple build paths, and strong synergy with other meta supports.
New Player Friendly: Somewhat, if you got him early and are willing to invest.
Free-to-Play Friendly: Moderate. Requires some luck or long-term planning to hit C6, but his best 4-star weapons are farmable.

If you want to watch the full breakdown and gameplay examples, check out Jello Impact’s full video here.

For more builds and meta team comps, visit ExploreGenshin.gg — your home for all things Genshin.